Matt Westin gave up a promising career as an engineer to be a country musician and actor, and it turned out to be a great decision. Matt’s first single, “Our Redneck of the Woods” reached the IndieWorld Country chart and the European Country Music Association charts. Matt was also on the Top 200 International Country Artists chart. Follow up singles, “Farm Town”and “You Leave Me No Choice” also received international airplay and charting. His last two singles, “Stomp On” and “Hey Bro” are from his forthcoming EP, to be released on MTS Records. Both singles reached the Top 100 Airplay Today country chart, while “Stomp On” reached the iTunes country sales Top 40. Matt Westin will star as Johnny Cash in an upcoming film production. Matt's debut album, “Legacy” is dedicated to the memory of his late father. Matt is the 2018 International Music and Entertainment Association Male Country Artist of the Year. He recently appeared in the October 10, 2018 issue of Billboard Magazine as an Emerging Artist. Matt is from Pittsburg, Pennsylvania.
For fans who have never heard your music, can you pick three words to describe it?! If three words just aren't enough then tell us more!!
That’s tough! How about instead of three words, I use three points: Traditional country with a rock/outlaw edge and some modern country influences.
When you are writing a song, where do you draw inspiration from? Or what topics do you like to sing about?
Inspiration can really come from just about anywhere, so I think you have to stay open to inspiration. I’ve been inspired by my own experiences, by my own dreams and imaginations, by things I see in the world, by other people’s experiences, by nature, by current events, by history, by pain, by joy, by fear, by a cause close to my heart, etc. To me, inspiration can’t be put into a box. I like to sing about real things mostly, and not just empty lyrics sung to a catchy beat. Although, sad songs can be hard to get through sometimes because I can easily get choked up!
Okay, this a fun question. When you are not doing music, what else do you enjoy doing?
I have a lot of interests that sometimes become distractions, but I think that’s probably normal. I hope! I enjoy working out a lot and learning about health. I like to unwind by hanging out with friends/family over food and drinks, cooking, golfing, bowling, traveling, learning about science, learning about God and prophecy, reading about news and current events. Every day I try to learn something, while getting to know myself and expanding my horizons. But the best is cuddling my pets. I love animals!
Can you tell us what song you've written that is the most emotional and describe the meaning behind it?
I recently wrote a song with Joie Scott and my producer Bryan Cole called “Thin Blue Line”. It has a special meaning to me, since I have a lot of friends in law enforcement who I love and greatly respect. This song is in production now! It’s a tribute to the brave men and women in uniform who leave their homes every day and put their lives on the line for the community. It celebrates them for the sacrifices they make for all of us. It’s a very positive song and I’m looking forward to releasing it soon.
What was the first song or piece you ever wrote!?
I’m not sure I can remember the very first thing I wrote, since I’ve been writing poems or songs or story ideas since I was a little kid. But, one that sticks out to me is a poem I wrote when I was a teenager. I was sitting in my bedroom at my desk and looking out the window at the beautiful winter landscape. It inspired me to write a poem that seemed to just flow naturally out of me, and it ended up being a beautiful piece that even my school English teacher hung on the wall. It was about the changing of seasons, using metaphors and imagery to describe this transition of nature, the sky versus the ground, the anger of a storm and the peacefulness of gently falling snow. I impressed myself!
What is your dream gig? Is there a gig that you really want that would be the ultimate show for you?
I don’t really have one dream gig. To be honest, I’m not sure I’ve ever really tried to come up with one. But there are a lot of gigs that would be a dream. Performing with some of the legends would be the real dream for me. But as for an ultimate show, I think I’ll have to go with performing at a presidential inauguration like Toby Keith did. I’m a big Toby Keith fan, so when I saw him do it, I thought it was just so cool and so patriotic. Now that I’m thinking about it, performing for the troops overseas might be the ultimate show!
Are you working on any new material right now or what's in the works for the upcoming year?
This year I’m working on getting another album recorded, building my band to get out and play live as much as possible, and spending some time in Nashville writing with some amazingly talented people. I’m also looking forward to portraying Johnny Cash in the upcoming film “116 MacDougal”. 2020 is off to a great start, and my goal is to continue that momentum to get to the next level in my career.
Tell us where fans can access your music.
All my music is on Amazon, iTunes, Spotify, AMI jukeboxes, and just about every digital platform out there.
My website is currently being upgraded and updated, and it will soon have every link to my music and all things Matt Westin.
Also, Apple Music and Amazon.
This music interview was brought to you by BWH Music Group.
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