- Music video starring Savannah Chrisley with over 4.6 million views to date
- Opry debut on April 27
- EP Release on May 24
You could say 2019 has treated Matt Stell pretty stellar so far. Not bad for a guy who didn’t even pick up a guitar until he was 20 and who almost convinced himself music was just meant to be a hobby. Because Matt thought he had other plans. First there was sports. . . and then there was medicine. But it was the offer of his dream publishing deal that lead this former basketball player turned pre med student down the path that would eventually take him to the revered Opry “circle”.
As a kid who split his time between his home turf of Arkansas with his dad and Florida with his mom, music was never much in the picture. So much so that the guitar his mother gifted to him at age 12 stayed tucked away until college when the 6’7” athlete became bored on his holiday breaks at Drury University, where he had a scholarship to play basketball. Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees eventually followed and so did local music tours in the South and Midwest once Matt taught himself how to play, write, and sing.
Matt soon learned after a medical mission trip that his heart was divided between healthcare and music. Having been accepted into Harvard’s Pre Med program, Matt decided just six weeks prior to starting med school, that Music City needed to be his permanent home instead of Massachusetts. In 2014, he moved. Not long after, he accepted a publishing deal with Wide Open Music which eventually turned into a management and record deal as well. In 2018, he released his first EP, co-produced by Wide Open’s Ash Bowers. His debut single, “Prayed For You”, was named one of Rolling Stone’s “10 Best Country Songs To Hear Now,” and has garnered more than 47 million on-demand streams. The video costars Savannah Chrisley and her now fiancé Nic Kertiles.
And if you ask Matt, he’ll tell you that “the best part about this town is that at the end of the day, it’s mostly about the song. Songs make you feel the way nothin’ else does really and I always wanted to give people that feeling. That’s what drew me to it in the first place.”
So, it’s only fitting that his brand new EP, Everywhere But On, includes 7 tracks, all co-written by Matt. His favorite songs may change day to day, but the title track about trying to outrun the hurt in life, is particularly meaningful.
“I spent so much time in a van or trailer running around everywhere that I basically had all my mail sent to my mom’s house. She had my checkbook and would basically write my rent check. I bet ya I didn’t spend four nights in the same place for years. That pictures along with a breakup at some point. . . we wrote this song about that and I identify with the character as a place I’ve been in life.” Matt told The Country Note.
But I’ve been from Savannah to Long Beach trying to keep your memory out of reach
But there you were in the delta nights, the Santa Fe sun, the Colorado sky
I could add another push pin to the map but that don’t stop me from missing you or looking back
Guess there’s just one place I haven’t gone
I’ve moved everywhere but on
And if you buy the EP, you may notice another familiar voice. . . that of good buddy and “Best Shot” singer, Jimmie Allen. “Home in A Hometown” with its descriptive imagery and roll the windows down kinda feel, is for the humble, hardworking small town doers and dreamers.
Temptous Cuts like “Last Habit” and “Reason Why” will have you reminiscing and maybe even aching for the one you can’t stop thinking about deep down. You may even find yourself showing up at their front door after listening to these singles (in a totally non stalkerish way of course 😉).
Matt’s smooth vocals mixed with just the right amount of production will have you putting these songs on repeat all summer long. Which is a good thing considering its festival season and he will be hitting the road, for gigs at CMA Fest, LakeShake, and Watershed. But not without stopping by the Opry for a second time within 2 months. His highly anticipated June 12 appearance follows his April 27th debut, where he shared the historic and beloved stage with hitmakers like Mark Wills, Charles Esten, Martina McBride, and Jeannie Seely. The excited audience included many patrons from his Arkansas hometown who made the trip to support their guy after he had just sold out a show in Little Rock, AR hours before!
The Country Note had a blast hanging out with Matt Stell on Music Row earlier this spring to discuss his remarkable success and the path he almost didn’t take. His laid back personality and natural conversation skills make for easy listening and lots of laughter. You can catch our entire interview below!
For more information on Matt, including his tour schedule, check out at www.mattstell.com and find him on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube @MattStellMusic.