Matt JR Hurley’s amazing song “What Am I” was released seven years ago, and somehow this song only reached us today. Sometimes the older releases hiding in the background are the ones worth finding, and this one is a good example.
The song comes from a place of questioning and trying to stay steady when life gets messy. Matt wrote it after travelling through old mining towns in the French Alps, which led him to think about what happens to people when everything around them starts falling apart. That idea comes through without the lyrics becoming too hard to follow. They are honest and personal, and there is enough room for listeners to take their own meaning from them.
His voice is one of the strongest parts here. Rich and smooth, it carries a lot of emotion without pushing too hard. The melodies are catchy too, while the acoustic base gives the song a natural starting point before the rock side comes in.
The instrumentation is well put together, and there is a nice atmosphere running through the song from start to finish. The song is not trying to be complicated. It asks a simple question about identity, pressure and keeping your head when things around you are not going right. That directness works.
For a song that has been sitting around for seven years, this was a surprisingly good discovery for us. We enjoyed the sound, the songwriting and the emotion in Matt’s performance, and our main thought after listening was pretty simple: we’d like to hear what he is making now.
ABOUT THE ARTIST:
A musical “Journey-Maker” who brings an honest and refreshing take on the classic singer/songwriter acoustic scene. With vulnerable vocal melodies and soulful guitar playing, Matt JR Hurley brings a vision of hope and a passion to bless through the music he creates.
At the end of June 2016 Matt released his debut EP ‘Raising Questions.’ Exploring the big questions of love, life and why through the eyes of Faith, Matt explores the depth and meaning to a persons life through their struggles. Thoughtful lyrics are set to a variety of different melodies that allow the listener to engage and relate to facing challenges and struggles within life. Within this EP Matt includes his debut Single, ‘Pebbles’ released earlier this year. This track looks at the themes of bereavement and loss, set to a background of etherial string melodies and a crescendo that allows us to hope for something better than the now. you can hear some tracks on the music section of the site.
2019 saw Matt release the single, what am I, a more moody track looking at the challenges of an ever changing identity.
After a 5 or so year break from recording Matt returns in 2024 with his first Folk Ep 1. Matt continues to strive forward to share real music which he hopes inspires.