Authentic - Growing up in a small north Arkansas town you didn’t go hang out at the local bar to meet or rub shoulders with country music legends or even semi local bands. In fact we didn’t even have a single stop light in town, never the less a bar! What we did for fun exceeds any vision a kid from the city could bare to imagine. Hanging out in town with friends, driving a mile from state line to state line, and filling a bank parking lot with four wheel drives, while telling lies, stories and raggin' on each other. We had some of the most fun on gravel roads, looking out over some of the prettiest hills, driving down back roads, and crossing some of the prettiest creeks and rivers in Arkansas. I love and cherish where I came from and I won't forget the experiences... Country - Vocal groups such as Little Texas, Diamond Rio, and Black Hawk, rich in harmony and steeped in deep and touching lyrics appealed to Matt early on. Anyone who grew up as a child of the nineties heard and was drawn to the legends like Reba, George Strait, and Alabama. But Matthew’s musical influences have always been diverse. Matt finds passion as easily in an 80’s Alabama song as he does in jamming to more modern styles like Keith Urban. Keith Urban is definitely an artist that Matt pays particular attention to, someone who continually rocks the stage and the airwaves consistently with touching ballads to powerful modern day themed anthems. For Matt, it’s not just Urban’s songs that touch him, but it’s the courage of taking one’s life struggles & turning them into songs and performances that are authentic that inspires Matthew’s artistic spirit. Music - Matthew believes that becoming a country music artist is obtainable, and he is very optimistic, for there is no doubt that being an artist is his passion. Matt also knows that to become a better artist is a journey as his songwriting and performance opportunities continue to grow. Small but significant steps have been taken and the dream is more now than just a future hope, it is a consuming passion to become successful at playing and writing music that connects to people and brings hope and joy into their lives. Heart & Soul - Matt’s small town experiences have taught him a lot. Some of those lessons only came when he realized that he needed to leave the little town if he was going to realize his big time career dreams. Matt says “My life experiences and the emotions that come from certain events in my life are what bring life to the songs I write and perform. My music comes from deep within my heart and soul. I find that I write a ton on emotion which I hope leads my music to touch and move people.