Matthews was fresh off a two-week tour supporting his recently self-released third CD, “Taken the Wrong Side,” when he sat down at Jimmie’s Ladder 11 to discuss his evolution as a solo performer.
A QUICK STUDY
“The first album is the first songs I ever wrote. I got good feedback and I wanted to do a full-length album so I just decided to do it. My band at the time was working on a demo. I got introduced to the sound engineer that recorded us. He had never done a solo act before but he liked my songs with the band so he said he’d give it a shot. It just clicked. I couldn’t ask for a better sound engineer.”
DIY TOURS
“I started sending out e-mails to see if anyone would even bite. I got lucky, I guess, because my first tour was to California and back in 25 days. I did 15 shows and two open mikes so I did 17 performances. I did it in three-and-a-half weeks. I did six weeks to go to California and back over the summer.”
MUSICAL CONNECTIONS
“When I booked that first tour, I was just trying to get shows. I wasn’t really making any money or anything. I didn’t really have perspective on how it would be but I was surprised by the connections I made on the road. It showed me how important networking is. It’s not always about the show you’re going to play now or the next day but about getting more shows in the future.”
TEAM OF ONE
“Other than recording and taking my own pictures, I do everything. I do the booking. I’m the manager, promoter, performer and driver. People don’t always understand how much of your time you spend doing everything but performing. There’s a lot of driving but it’s nice to be on stage and say, ‘I could be at home laying tile with my father, instead I’m here singing my songs to people I’ve never met.’ Touring gets lonely but it’s rewarding.”
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