I’ve talked a lot about what an important role music plays in ‘Your Rhythm’ and how it helps draw Matt and Kay together, but there’s another thing these two have in common: tattoos!
Both Matt and Kay are pretty inked up, and their choice of tattoos helps to reveal some of the deeper and most significant parts of their personalities. Figuring out which designs they would be most likely to pick really helped me get in touch with their characters, and in the story itself, learning about their tattoos from each other is part of what turns their initial attraction to one another into something more.
For today’s blog post, I’ll be going into detail about all the tattoos mentioned in the book and the meanings behind them (although if you’d like to get the same information in a very sexy and sweet post-hotel-room-romp cuddling scene, grab a copy of the book and get reading!)
You can also head on over to the ‘Your Rhythm’ Pinterest board to see some images of what I think all these designs would look like.
Matt’s Tats
Luigi: Matt has a pixilated Luigi from Mario brothers inked on his arm. He got it after letting his little brother decide on a tattoo for him. Matt’s devotion to playing the big brother role in all areas of his life is both one of his greatest strengths and his biggest weaknesses, and I do think it makes him pretty admirable, not to mention adorable.
Montreal metro symbol: All the members of Sherbrooke Station have the arrow in a circle that is the sign of the Montreal metro tattooed on them somewhere. It represents their dedication to the band and to each other.
‘Everlong’ sound wave: As Matt himself explains to Kay, his tattoo of a sound wave “is from ‘Everlong’ by the Foo Fighters. You know that whispery part where no one actually knows what he’s saying? It’s that.” The song is very important to both him and Kay, and comes into play in one of my favourite scenes in the book, but I’ll leave this spoiler free!
Kay’s Tats
Roses: Kay has three roses tattooed on her hip. She had them done in remembrance of her grandmother, one of the only people she ever felt truly close to while growing up. The placement of the design is quite racy and Matt’s definitely a fan ;)
Sword and shield: The first tattoo of Kay’s that Matt notices is her sword shield, done on the front of her shoulder and stretching to just below her clavicle. To Kay, it represents her fierce independence and drive to be self-sufficient in all that she does.
‘Everlong’ lyrics: Matt and Kay are pretty shocked to discover they have matching tattoos. The first concert Kay ever went to was a Foo Fighters show, and her tattoo of some of the lyrics from ‘Everlong’ is a reminder of what music means to her and why she decided to take up music journalism.
Really, what would a book about an alternative rock band in Montreal be without a bunch of tattoos in it? I’m feeling the urge to get more ink just thinking about it.
If you need some more tats in your life right now, grab a copy of ‘Your Rhythm’ here and read more about the stories behind the ones mentioned here.
