His emotional battle to find comfort in his person and in his craft was a challenging one. “I think we’re all pre-programmed to not love ourselves, to be our own worst critic. I think the goal to be able to really, truly serve and be a positive influence in the world is that you first have to love yourself. So, then you can take that out into the world. That was kind of the philosophy I’ve worked on for the last 10 years and it was a long, arduous journey, but I think I’m all the better for it.”
Matthew was born in Coronado, California, and raised in Orange County. For the past twelve years, he has resided in L.A., employed as a strength and conditioning coach. “That, for me is rewarding because I get to help other people make life style changes. It’s been a fun ride.”
He blends the sounds of such musical influences as The Eagles, Bob Segar and Bryan Adams, to produce a timbre that is all his own in the form of country rock. “I’ve always loved the singer-songwriter, the Jim Croces, the Bob Dylans. People that can just take a song and bring it down to bare bones and still make it work in a beautiful way.”
One of Matthew’s favorite pastimes is keeping on top of current music. “I really love to go out and listen to live music and stumble upon great artists. I get a lot of inspiration just from hearing people I’ve never heard before. Myspace has been great for that, in the sense that there are so many people that are out there with amazing music that aren’t represented in the popular culture. Sometimes, I’m blown away by how good the stuff is. It’s more aesthetic; it’s truly representing what the artist is doing. You are hearing people in their own authentic expression without all the other corporate stuff tacked on to it.”
In addition to God, he points to his father as the major influence in his life. “My father taught me to live with integrity and with honesty and those principals are with me today. I’m grateful for it, because it feels like that influence gave me a solid ground to stand on. The music can eat you alive and to have that love and that trust and that bond and that solid foundation of really knowing what’s real and what’s truth and what I need to know to keep my feet placed in - it’s something my father instilled in me since the day I was born.”
His main focus has been not on performing, but on writing and recording. “The next phase,” he says, “is going to be really getting it out there. I’m currently co-writing with a friend of mine, Scott Smith, and the level of writing has just been unbelievable, that’s been what’s driving me. I’m working on recording an album (entitled ‘Lost and Found’) and I’m putting a lot of energy into that, but going to be videotaping some live performances with a buddy of mine doing some acoustic vocal stuff on YouTube. What has been happening for me, lately, has been really phenomenal – it’s just an explosion of creativity and songwriting and hooks and melodies that’s just pouring out of me right now. It comes from my daily living and my challenges, my own hurdles, my own obstacles, my own joys, a lot from my own life, but, also from the world. My ultimate goal is that I would love to write amazing albums and really bring it live, to share my music with thousands and thousands of people.”
| written by Krystina Rene' Miller
