Q: Can you tell us a bit about yourself and how your childhood impacted your musical direction?
A: Yeah, so I’ve always grown up around music. My dad is a keen musician and when I was a kid he took me to a guitar show and got me my first guitar. It’s funny cause he bought me a right handed guitar even though I’m left handed. After that I grew up playing church music and in a couple of bands as a teenager. This was a great time to experiment with my sound and hone in my skills as a guitarist, and later a vocalist. Listening to a variety of different artists, ranging from supertramp to bonjovi, blink 182 to James Taylor, I have quite a variety of musical influence.
Q: How are you planning on growing your fan base and sharing your music with the world? What message do you have for anyone who is about to discover “Matt JR Hurley”?
A: So having been involved in the grassroots music scene in the UK Pre-covid, I’ve already had an experience in live music and sharing my songs and stories. The years of 2016-2020 where a really exciting time. This is when I began writing, record and performing my own songs. It is such a buzz sharing songs with your audience and seeing them really connect with the music. When Covid struck I took a break from music. Like many people my head was not in a great place and my spark had dwindled. But I’ve started getting back into playing and performing, Connecting with people through streaming platforms, live shows in my local area and my youtube channel.
Q: Who is the most inspiring artist for you right now? And where do you find inspiration for making music?
A: Inspiration comes from so many places. I always carry a notebook with me incase an idea or concept strikes. I was walking down my local canal this week and some great lines for a verse came to me. Inspiration can strike at any time, my first single ‘Pebbles’ came to me pretty much fully formed at 2am in the morning, so inspiration can be found anyway I believe. In terms of an artist who currently inspires me, I would say Glen Hansard is an artist who inspires me. As a indie folk artist myself, I value his raw and emotional vocals, he’s definately worth checking out.
Q: Can you tell us about the story or message behind the song, “What Am I.”?
A: Yes, so ‘What Am I,’ I was driving through the french alps, and as I travelled we passed through a bunch of old mining towns in the shadow of the mountains. It got me thinking what life is like living in the shadows. I then thought about the challenge of facing life when ‘everythings breaking down.’ This led me to the lyrics in the chorus, addressing the question, who are we when life becomes chaotic around us?
Q: How would you describe your sound in one word for potential listeners?
A: Vulnerable
Q: Did you face any challenges while writing or recording “What Am I”?
A: I think the biggest challenge was expanding my production. As a mainly acoustic artists it seemed like a bit of a gamble putting the rock elements into the mix, but I’m so glad I did!
Q: What is the message of your music? And what are your goals as an artist?
A: When I started writing my own songs, it was to make sense of different aspects of life and experience, and to articulate those things when words failed me. I share my songs and stories in the hope that others too, can find a voice in the was I have singing my songs. I want to use my music as a vehicle for change and to help people process the things in the world that are challenging. I see my music as a soundtrack of the highs and lows in life. Having faced challenges in my own life, I know that music can be a real encouragement to myself, I want to share that with those who journey with me. My goals as an artists are to share my songs and stories with as many people as possible, and to celebrate the good times, and bring hope when times get darker for people. That’s the bigger picture, one of my goals would be to produce a really exciting body of music, perhaps a short album, and share it on the road. I’ve always wanted to tour europe and america, but that’s a big dream… we shall see!
Q: Who is your dream artist to collaborate with? (dead or alive)
A: Jon foreman of the rock band switchfoot. He seems like such a cool guy, I’ve met him a couple of times and really resonate with his down to earth story telling and his passion for the underdog.
Q: What is your advice for people interested in pursuing music as a career or for those trying to enter the industry?
A: As someone who has been in the industry professionally, I would say, don’t give up. Music can be a challenging and grinding process, but when you stop and think about how far you have come, you are going to realise that it is an adventure, of which you can play a part.
Q: If you could go back in time and give a younger you some words of wisdom, what would they be?
A: I would probably tell him to keep going, much like the previous question. He can be proud of what he has already accomplished and enjoy the ride. Listen to the advice of good people, and stay sharp when faced with adversity and challenge. Don’t Give Up!
