We recently had the opportunity to catch up with Country Rocker Matt Jordan who has a new single, “Always A Girl” that was released last Friday. The single, written by Jordan and produced by Grammy-Award nominated producer, Sal Oliveri (P!nk, Chris Stapleton), is the second single off Jordan’s upcoming project. It’s a fun, light-hearted song about the fact that there always seems to be a girl behind the decisions young men make. Matt explains the idea for the single in the story behind-the-song video.
We enjoyed getting to know Matt a little better and we hope you do too. Take a look…
CN: Matt, your new single “Always A Girl” describes making decisions based on the influence of a leading lady in your life. Do you care to expand on that and tell us more about your leading lady?
MJ: I was very fortunate to be on the road so much last year that it allowed me to fine tune the type of music that works for a live show. It became clear that we needed a song that had a little less introspection and a little more fun. We know our fans come to shows to let loose, have fun and forget about the real world for the night. When I sat down to write this song, it was a very intentional thing. I had the idea several years ago and when I came across the title, I thought about the fact that, for me, a girl has influenced a lot of decisions in my life – from the parties I attended in college to the everyday decisions, big or small, I now make with my wife. I think it’s something that men can relate to. But more than anything, it’s a song that people can turn up, dance and sing along to, whether they’re in their car, by the pool or at a show.
I’m now approaching a nine year anniversary of being married to my wife Jenna, which is wild to me. It’s gone by so fast. But Jenna is the inspiration behind just about everything I do. There are no decisions I make without considering her and running things by her. Fortunately, as this music stuff gets busier and busier, she’s super supportive. This was always my dream when we met and I guess I always thought when it actually came time to hit the road and all of that, she might have a problem with it, but she’s been great with it all. She’s the best dreaming partner I could ask for.
Check out the exclusive lyric video premiere for “Always A Girl” below:
CN: Who were some of your influences growing up – whether it’s songwriting or an artist/performer?
MJ: I grew up listening to my dad’s music. So my heroes were Springsteen, Mellencamp, Jackson Browne, The Eagles, Bob Seger, all that kind of stuff. They were the guys who made me fall in love with music. Then as I developed my own taste, I found Eric Church and Kip Moore and guys like that who are considered more commercial country and write really great songs. And they were wildly impactful on my writing and artistry. Had I not heard ‘Chief’ by Eric Church and ‘Up All NIght’ by Kip Moore, I don’t know that I ever would’ve taken the leap and moved to Nashville. Those two records specifically changed my life.
CN: What are a few of your favorite “haunts” in Nashville to hear live music that are off the beaten path, maybe something that only locals know about?
MJ: I tend to hit the same few spots where my friends play live music like Live Oak, The Local and Listening Room Cafe – those are a few of my favorites that out of towners may not know of.
CN: What three songs are you listening to right now, no matter the genre?
MJ: I’ve been listening to ‘Runaways” by The Killers, “I Don’t Live Here Anymore” by The War on Drugs and “Coffee and Cigarettes” by The Night Game. None of those are country, but the songwriting on all of them is unbelievable.
CN: What’s your guilty pleasure (fast food, video games, Netflix, etc)?
MJ: I don’t have a guilty pleasure pastime like video games or anything – just about all my time is dedicated to my music or my family. But I suppose a ‘guilty pleasure’ would be listening to Dua Lipa. I’m definitely not her target market and she’s definitely not my usual style, but the production on her music is so cool. I’ve rarely heard better drum and bass grooves than on her stuff.
CN: What’s something your fans don’t know about you? Any hidden talents?
MJ: Well, I have a Master’s degree in Cybersecurity and I ran a cybersecurity software company before I went full time in music.
CN: What are you most looking forward to during the remainder of 2023?
MJ: I have so much new music coming in the next year that I’m really excited about. Some of the music we really pushed ourselves creatively and did something I’ve never done before. Our fall is also starting to get busy with shows and I can’t wait for that. I’m looking forward to seeing fans out on the road and continuing to perform live shows. I’m grateful for that.
To learn more about Matt Jordan, visit his website at www.MattJordanSongwriter.com.