“I think people know what’s honest,” says singer-songwriter Jason Matthews. “And if it’s honest music, it’s going to connect with people. Absolutely.”
We’re sitting in the office adjacent to the studio where Big Joe’s Big Radio Show is being broadcast. After performing live on the show, we sat down to talk about his impressive songwriting career. Big Joe Matthews—no relation—seems to have dedicated the show to Matthews’ music; through the wall we hear several of his cuts playing on the station.
Matthews is deserving of the tribute. He is responsible for some of country music’s biggest hits, from Billy Currington’s “Must Be Doing Something Right” to Craig Campbell’s current song, “When I Get It,” which is quickly climbing the charts. And though more people may know the songs he’s written than know who he is, that hopefully won’t always be the case.
“People who have hit 20 or 25 and have seen a little bit of life are beginning to search for authentic, truthful music from the source,” Matthews says. “The demand keeps coming back for the creator to sing.”
Fans’ demands for honest music without the middleman have led Matthews to release three albums—2004’s Eponymous, 2008’s Hicotine, and 2010’s Redneck Tendencies—and another album entitled Unhinged is slated to be released by the end of the year.
But what’s truly moving fans is the authenticity of a songwriter performing what he wrote.
“A fan said to me, ‘I’m here to tell you, this show that I saw tonight is the greatest show I’ve ever seen in my life,’ ” Matthews remembers a fan telling him after a sold-out performance in North Carolina. “He just loved the intimacy of being right there, hearing the people who wrote the songs. I haven’t been any place where that type of show, once someone has been exposed to it, they haven’t walked away from it saying there’s no other way to watch music. It’s so naked. It’s a guy with his guitar, singing something he created. That’s as naked and as intimate, just as down to brass tacks as it gets. There’s no smoke and mirrors with that.”
After this interview, Matthews put on another such performance for fans on Mar. 30 at Douglas Corner as part of the 20th Annual Tin Pan South Songwriters Festival.
But desire for Matthews’ music and performances is hardly limited to Music City and surrounding areas. Mark Fuller, brother of Simon Fuller (Producer of American Idol and X Factor) heard Matthews’ songs and is getting them played in the United Kingdom.
“They’re freaking out over them,” says Matthews of the two singles that have been released across the Atlantic. “I’m about to go play the Jools Holland show in the U.K. It’s pretty cool.”
Even though fans are clamoring for Matthews’ music at home and abroad, he remains an unsigned artist. One reason for this is the record labels’ approach being so contrary to the authenticity and sincerity in music that Matthews values.
“I think the way it should be is someone should make music and then people should figure out how to market it, as opposed to having a marketing plan before there’s ever any music,” Matthews proposes. “It’s almost like you’re writing to the marketing plan.”
Anyone will agree that writing to a marketing plan and writing music that is honest and authentic are two very different things. In spite of this, Matthews doesn’t have a chip on his shoulder and approaches his songwriting with humility.
“I don’t expect anything,” he says. “I show up every day and I do the very best I can. I try to write the best songs I can write, and I do the best I can. I do it every day.”
And some of those songs will end up on his forthcoming album, but you’ll have to wait to see what makes the cut.
“I don’t know what exactly is on the record yet,” says Matthews. “I’m just kind of playing it by ear, man. The title will be Unhinged. Whatever it is and whatever is on it, I can guarantee you it’ll be good. I can say that.”
By: Andrew Miller
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