Matthew
Huff is a dynamic country singer/songwriter that is taking the scene by storm! I had such a terrific conversation with Matthew that one could simply forget it was a sit-down interview rather two good friend's chatting. Matthew instantly wins people over with his music that one can feel through his voice has lived and breathed the songs (even the covers he makes his own!).
I hope you enjoy this second installment in this very interesting artist who engages his fans live on a global level and one will see more and more. A fantastic and exclusive interview that I had the honor to do and look forward in featuring this artist that "The Beat" will support continuously.
Sit back and enjoy the interview and the music we are featuring from his current album; "Reflection" (2013).
Matthew Huff Official Website: www.matthewhuffofficial.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/thematthewhuff
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/matthewhuffmusic
Interview Conducted By: Mason Williams
Staying personable and
staying current is what helps build your fan base. My fans are so loyal because they have
watched me come up from nothing, heard my story, read my story and feel as if
they are a part of something that has the potential to be great.
Also, being authentic is
the biggest make or break when it comes to connecting to fans. Don’t try to be someone else and don’t try to
fake it.
As of recent you have
toured and opened for many noteworthy musicians such as; Joe Diffie, Mark
Chesnutt, David Allan Coe, Pat Green, Kris Allen, Thompson Square, David Nail,
Eden’s Edge, and The Kentucky Headhunters. What were those experiences like? It
must be that much more validating to you and your career when these artists are
supporting it.
I think anytime you can
be support for an artist that is either a legend or climbing the ladder you
feel a sense of accomplishment. It does
help give you some validation to your career and at times offers you
opportunity to gain some advice and knowledge from your musical peers.
·
Since you are a busy
recording artist and have been and currently always on traveling for live gigs,
do you have a particular memory that stands out from one of these long travels
on the road? I am sure there are many hilarious and poignant moments when
seeing new places and experiences new venues.
It would be hard to answer
this question without someone actually living these moments but to confirm, yes
I get to see a lot of fascinating things on the road, to the say the least.
·
Recently, you have
been part of another hugely successful online competition; “Artist Signal.”
Last month you peaked at #3 and thus far as of September at #1. How well you
are doing is a great testament to your appeal, what do you contribute to your
broad success (where you are going against other genres all over the country)?
This is easy to answer, my
fans! They are the sole reason I am
doing so well on this competition. I
tell you what is satisfying to me is that you see a small town country kid from
Mammoth Spring, AR at the top of that list with almost 20,000 votes in less
than 2 weeks. That’s crazy to me. My town alone only has 1,000 people in it and
there probably isn’t 12,000 people in the whole county. Building a “faithful” fan base is the golden
ticket to having a successful music career.
·
The “Artist Signal” is
also a competition that you have the chance to win only once with a cash award
of 10k. This is a nice reward to new
artists on the rise, what would being on the top of this competition mean to
you?
It is a big deal to earn the
top spot for this competition due to the fact that it is fan voted on for a
complete month, which means you have to get people who work, have children and
are busy living their own lives to vote for you as many times as they possibly
can every day for a whole month. That
takes dedication and that takes someone buying in to what I do and my
music. That’s humbling.
·
Since being a teacher
you are aware of all celebrities going into areas such as music become viewed
as role models, what do you think about this frame of mind? Is it something
that should be done and how do you view this about you in terms of being a role
model for say other aspiring singer/songwriters?
I think being considered
a role model is very much a responsibility.
Obviously, you see all the time celebrities saying things, doing things
that bring upon a negative light to themselves out of negligence. Of course the bigger the celeb the more the
camera is on you and the easier it is for the world to see your screw ups, I
think that would be a very difficult thing to handle as a person. However, to answer your question I think the
opportunity to be a role model is an opportunity to do a lot of good for other
people.
I already help out a few
singer/songwriters that I consider to be friends. Just like with any other person I do for
those that have a good attitude and that choose to help out in their own way as
well. I am always looking to pay it
forward to those that I feel deserving and that I know would do the same for
someone else given the opportunity. It
is so important to use our talents to help better the lives of someone else.
·
Let’s move our topic
to something that is very close to your heart that being “Team Keegan.” Tell us
about the non-profit organization and why it is something you are so passionate
about. And how do you contribute to the organization and how can others?
I have done a ton of charity work in the last 4 years and most of it
involves either cancer related organizations or organizations revolving around
children. I attest this to my years as a
teacher because I was affected in a lot of ways by either students I taught or students I knew. Team-Keegan gets my support because this is a
family taking a misfortune and turning it around and delivering a positive
light on other children battling cancer.
It just doesn’t get any better than that for me. Selflessness is a mark that leads to higher
things than we even know.
Anyone can contribute to Team-Keegan by going to their website: www.team-keegan.com They accept toys for their
treasure box requests and also money donations to help with making these hand
crafted treasure boxes and the shipping costs of the boxes. This family is improving lives and that is
something we all can learn from and help.
·
When recording you deal with the best being such as the
multi-Grammy nominated Engineer/Producer Jon Raney. Tell us why this
collaboration works so well which one can only tell by listening to your music
is high quality and done very solid from start to finish.
Just like with anyone
else, it takes time to cultivate really good relationships with people and this
business is the same way. Jon and I work
so well together because we both believe in one another’s skill sets. I know that I’m going to come to his studio
and get a 100% effort from him and he knows I’m going to deliver the same. We are as much buddies now as we are
professionals cutting a record. The
friendship spills over in to the business side of the studio time and it really
helps me relax in the studio and deliver great work.
·
Looks like you are having a great 2013, what do you think has made
this year especially monumental for you?
Well, it started at great
with the release of Reflection in February.
When this year is over, my biggest staple will have been that I will
have performed in the UK for my first shows out of the United States. I’m very excited to take my music
international, in which I have a very good following already in the UK. This will be a definite staple in my career.
·
I cannot wait to hear about future projects such as touring, new
albums, new collaborations, what are some things that you are working on that
we can look forward in seeing/hearing from you?
I will hopefully be
cutting a new album this winter that will be released in the Spring of
2014. As of now I am sampling about 20
songs for the next album, all self-written or co-written with Terry Smith.
Also, I will be
looking at putting together a small tour back overseas. I’m very excited about the international
shows and opportunities that this brings for my career.
·
How would you describe Matthew Huff music?
The same way I would
describe myself, real.
·
What do you think your music fits into today’s musical landscape?
The landscape of all
genres of music have changed over even the last 5 years, so I’m not real sure
what even the country genre landscape looks like right now. I feel like my music is a mix between my two
influences, Mayer and Urban. Maybe it is a little country mixed with a little
pop and a little blues.
·
Do you have as a vision for you and your music?
(I have saved this
question for last because I’m not completely sure how to answer this one.)
I have short term
goals and long term goals I guess would be the best way to answer this. My vision for my career would be to hit the
radio scene, successfully, and have it drive my career further. I would love to play the Opry stage and if
fortune allows, walk up on that stage and receive a few CMA or ACM awards. These are big goals, but obtainable.
As for my music, I
just want it to be heard and lived out by others. I think this is the biggest accomplishment
for a songwriter is for someone to absolutely get lost in the three and half
minutes of your song, and hit replay to hear it again.
·
Is there anyone you would love to collaborate with musically? I
can think of some great singers that would be vocally perfection with you and I
am sure you do.
John Mayer, hands
down.
·
Who inspires you both personally and professionally?
Personal inspiration would come from watching others struggle and
beat the odds. I don’t have a specific
personal inspiration, yet I have many stories of people that inspire me. Stories of those that overcome adversity are
often stories that keep me putting another foot ahead of me.
I have two musical inspirations in John Mayer and Keith Urban. Not just in their music but in how they live
their lives, both very different personalities yet both very successful in
their own careers.
·
Music is a powerful tool, what does it mean to you as an artist?
Music is soul
cleansing. Music can speak to you in a
way that no one can. It is at times my
escape from living and at times my joyful moods.
·
What made you get into the music industry?
The power of a song.
·
What was your first gig?
My first gig was at a country club in Central Arkansas. I barely had enough songs to even come in and
play this thing and it was a last minute call.
I quickly got thrown in to the fire of drunk fans and their needy
requests of dance music and for a songwriter we all know how these nights end.
·
Are there any cover tracks that you would love to sing and why?
I sing a lot of covers already at different times depending on the
show, mostly acoustic gigs. The one that
really sticks out to me that I love singing is “Walking In Memphis” a Mark Cohn
song. If I were to put a cover on my
upcoming album it would definitely be this one just because it is such a great
song.
·
When people listen to music from Matthew Huff, what do you want
them to remember about your music?
I think people already
“feel” my music and the lyrics at my shows.
By the end I’ve taken them through every aspect of love, a small town
kid’s life, and the road of a musician.
The most appealing part about my music is simply the realness and authenticity
of the lyrics. People have lived this
stuff.
·
How would you want someone to describe a Matthew Huff concert when
seeing you live to others?
Well, I’m not an in your
face artist and my music isn’t either so people going crazy in the stands
probably isn’t going to happen too often.
So, I would want people to walk away and say “Damn that guy can
sing.” I think that’s the biggest
compliment a singer can obtain.
·
Is there a dream venue that you would truly love to perform at and
why?
Grand Ole Opry. It is the Mecca of country music artists.
·
Finally, what is one word that would be best to describe you?
Real
