It is still hard to believe sometimes that the city where music dreams can come to life is just right up the road from Chattanooga. Many move to Nashville each year, but there are only a few that make it to the big stage. Mat Kearney is one of the few that has begun to make it into the spotlight. However, his journey to Nashville is a little different than most.
Matt KearneyKearney was born and raised in Eugene, Oregon, but he did not pick up a guitar and get interested in making music until his college days in Chico, California. After playing around in local coffeeshops, he agreed to go to Nashville for a week or so and help a fellow musician make the move there. However, soon the draw of making it himself turned the short trip into a more permanent one for Kearney.
On his first two albums, Kearney mixed his singer-songwriter style of music with a little bit of hip-hop. After songs off of his second album, Nothing Left to Lose, started catching the attention of more folks, he zoomed in on his niche. For his third album, City of Black & White, Kearney dropped the hip-hop and has focused on making more acoustic driven, singer-songwriter styled songs that have become his signature. He has gained praise from all generations, recognized regularly as a successful adult contemporary artist, but also by a younger audience with his songs featured on popular television shows such as 30 Rock, The Hills, Friday Night Lights, One Tree Hill, Scrubs, Grey’s Anatomy and Parenthood.
Now on tour to promote his latest album, Young Love, Kearney will take the stage at Track 29 in Chattanooga on Monday, January 23.
ALBUMS:
Young Love, 2011