Miljenko Matijević On Revisiting “Without You” Cover And Letting Things Fall Into Place
Finally releasing his long-awaited rendition of the beloved rock classic, Billboard Philippines speaks with Matijević about how some things are meant to happen at the right time.
MILJENKO MATIJEVIĆ: Photographed by Brian Denton
MILJENKO MATIJEVIĆ:
Croatian-American singer Miljenko Matijević, songwriter and lead vocalist of the rock band Steelheart, knows a little thing or two about waiting for the right time.
In 1996, he recorded a cover of British rock band Badfinger‘s classic, “Without You.” But time proved it wasn’t the right moment to officially release it. Regarded as one of the most powerful vocal performances of his career, the recording also showcases Matijević’s remarkable four-octave vocal range.
Three decades later, he has finally unveiled his rendition of the song. The long wait also mirrors his own journey — one that has seen him perform alongside other bands, collaborate with fellow artists, and navigate the highs and lows of the music industry. Now, armed with the wisdom and experience he has gained over the years, Matijević is looking toward the future with much more still to come — both in creating and paving the way for the new generation.
Billboard Philippines talks to the singer to discuss the long-awaited release of “Without You,” his musical and personal journey, and how, sometimes, everything falls into place at exactly the right time.
Billboard Philippines: After 30 years, you have finally released your rendition of “Without You,” which has been described as one of the most powerful vocal performances of your career. How did this song allow you to explore and express yourself as an artist?
Miljenko Matijević: It’s just feeling the emotion in the lyric, you know? When Badinger, the original guys, you know, those guys originally wrote it. I know they went through a moment with whoever they were with, breaking up or whatever. And I’m sure we all have this, you know, we break up, and we have this pain inside of us. I too, you know, have moments that I’ve had moments. When I’m singing, I can feel the energy where it originated from. And I could feel the energy where it came from me, you know, from my soul. And that’s what comes out, and that’s what happened here.
Photographed by Brian Denton
How did it feel to more or less claim it as your own in a way, like covering “Without You”?
The one word I can tell you is honesty, you know? It has to be honest. With me, it’s like when I joined the Doors, it wasn’t me just joining the band. You have to be invited in. You have to be invited, not just by them, but by the spirits, the gods. I mean, everything comes together. And when I’m doing a song — a cover song — it’s not just me just doing another song for vocals. It’s about, it’s special, it’s sacred, you know? And then it becomes a version of yours.
What made this the perfect time to officially release “Without You” and share this long-awaited performance with both your longtime fans and a new generation of listeners?
Originally, after my accident in 1992, I was recovering. Then I left the band, and then I started a new version of Steelheart. And I started doing songs, and my originals, and this was one of the songs we picked. Because it just grabbed me. It was a great song to redo. And when I did it, I did it, recorded it, and then Mariah Carey came out with it. And it was like, “Really?” I mean, out of all the people, you know what I mean? She sang so [amazingly], and we’re not going to even fight that.
We’re going to leave that alone. But then recently, it came up in a conversation. We talked about something about you need to record a song. And I’m like, “Oh, wait a minute. I recorded this 30 years ago.” And I was like, “It’s time to do it now.” Everything just came together easily, effortlessly, and when you’re recording a song or a record, it’s like everything comes together — the people, the money, everything just comes together. And you’re invited into this beautiful space. And you just go with it. You can’t stop.
Now that you’ve recorded it again 30 years later, have your feelings or perspective changed compared to when you first recorded that cover 30 years ago?
Of course, everything changes a bit. Well, let’s face it. I mean, I have a lot of battle scars, you know, throughout the years in this music business. So there are a lot of layers of me, of my years of traveling the world, performing, the ups and downs of life, the ups and downs of the music business. And when you do a song like this, all of those layers come into that voice, into that energy. So I would say maybe it’s even more mature than what I’ve done to them.
Photographed by Brian Denton
With timeless songs like “She’s Gone” and “I’ll Never Let You Go” under Steelheart’s belt, what do you think continues to make emotional rock ballads resonate with listeners across generations?
It’s being honest, you know, just being honest, just do what I do. I’m not trying to be somebody else, and I’m not trying to; I am, I am that guy, you know. I’ve been gifted with something so beautiful, and I try to respect it beyond respect. I sing it, and I give it to you, and hopefully you guys like it. You know what I mean? And if you don’t like it, it’s okay. So, and it really is important to share your music, that it’s honest. It has to be honest. People can tell right away. I think that’s the beauty of Steelheart. It’s all or nothing. There’s no in between. There’s no 50%. It’s 150%, you know, every time.
Looking back at Steelheart’s journey, what lessons have you learned that you wish you knew years ago?
I just wish somebody had my back when I was younger. I mean, there’s nobody on my back. Everyone just kind of ripped me apart and just took and taken and stolen. You know, it is so difficult to answer that question. Because when you’re younger, you just don’t know. You don’t, you don’t know. You’re learning, you know? And what I would say to myself now, if I could look back, I would definitely tell myself to listen more and, you know, shut up.
This business is really difficult. I just started a label, and I would love nothing more. Because I tell you right now, I would love nothing more for this label to blow up in time. Because I will do my best to take care of an artist. I know what they need. It’s just ruthless, man. It’s like, imagine going into, literally, a den of tigers or lions, you know what I mean? You need somebody to protect you.
Because being an artist, being gifted with a gift, and you know you have this gift, then you have to have that deal with yourself or the gods. And you make a deal. “Okay, this is what I’m going to do.” And once you do that, that’s it. You’re in. That’s what you do. And that’s who you are. And then it’s a lifetime of up, down, up, down, in between, chaos. It’s not easy.
The most difficult thing is to be… to stay in it, to keep your faith, the trust in yourself. And the most difficult is to not be jaded. Because, man, after all, I mean, the beatings that I’ve taken in my lifetime, I gotta tell you, I still got a lot of love. And I’m not changing. I don’t want to change. This is, this is, this is happiness.
Photographed by Brian Denton
Looking ahead, what can fans expect next from you and the band following the release of your cover of “Without You”?
This cover was an amazing, amazing journey. And I really, really enjoy it. I really love the way it came out. But I have other things going on, too… besides Steelheart. We’ll have some more stuff from Steelheart. But I’ve also got this project that I came up with Niclas [Engelin] from In Flames. It’s a very, it’s heavy goth, it’s heavy metal, right? But it’s my vocals, and it is such a beautiful contrast. So that’s the next thing coming up. I’m excited for you guys to hear this. It’s really special, and it’s called “Death to Love.”
It’s nice that, you know, even after you said that you’ve gone through a lot, you’re still here, you’re still making music.
Well, thank you. I couldn’t do it without, you know, with you guys, the fans, and everyone. Because I got to tell you, like, when I put this stuff out and even the videos and all this and the song and, you know, the comments that I get. You know, they’re not comments that are like, “Oh, sounds great, sounds great.” They’re really beautiful, in-depth comments. They really hear me. They see me. They feel me. And that is what keeps me going. And I really appreciate it. I really thank you all for that.
This interview was edited for brevity and clarity.
Frequently Asked Questions
Matijević recorded the cover in 1996, but Mariah Carey released her own version shortly after. He revisited it decades later when the timing felt right.
Matijević is a Croatian-American singer and lead vocalist of Steelheart, known for “She’s Gone” and “I’ll Never Let You Go,” and a four-octave vocal range.
British band Badfinger originally wrote and recorded “Without You.” Matijević recorded his cover in 1996, but it stayed unreleased for 30 years before coming out.
Matijević is preparing new Steelheart material alongside “Death to Love,” a heavy metal and goth project made with In Flames’ Niclas Engelin, featuring his vocals.
Matijević says honesty defines lasting rock ballads, comparing songwriting to being invited into a sacred space rather than performing just another song.
