Biography
Born and raised in the West Texas town of Midland, Matt Hinkley is a singer/songwriter, guitarist/multi-instrumentalist, and music director now residing in New York City. Despite his initial arrival in NYC as an actor, Hinkley has traveled full-circle back to the days of jamming out to Billy Idol’s "Rebel Yell" on his parents’ coffee table, sporting nothing but his favorite pair of Scooby Doo underwear. The Idol and underwear are rumored to be gone, but the energy, passion, and musicality remain in full force.
Hinkley's self-titled debut album is an original and refreshing tour de force of twelve infectious songs, ranging from acoustic Americana to full-bore rock ’n’ roll. The CD is available through CD Baby and iTunes. Hinkley’s guitar-driven, tightly-structured songwriting evokes the work of established artists such as The Beatles, Wilco, Ryan Adams, and The Byrds, yet manages to carve out a place entirely its own. This album rests largely upon the strength and versatility of Hinkley's unmistakable baritone, and is equally at home coming through the bedroom stereo on a rainy night, providing the background to a great party, or blasting through car speakers on the open road.
Matt’s introspective songwriting is influenced musically by the country, blues, and folk of Texas, combined with the straight-up, explosive rock ’n’ roll he was weaned on, and the tight songwriting style of classic rock and pop artists. Lyrically, it’s all about the decisions, events, and journeys that make up one’s life, as well as the process of coming to terms with the fact that "when you reach that line, you cross that line on your own." His musical efforts have led him to perform across the country and at such NYC venues as Joe’s Pub, The Bitter End, Cutting Room, Crash Mansion, Ars Nova, Mo Pitkins, Pianos, Lion’s Den, and more.
In addition to his own projects, Hinkley lends his multiple talents to a number of other endeavors, especially for the theater. Matt recently served as the resident music director and conductor/guitarist for ROOMS off-Broadway at New World Stages. Other music directing credits include ReWrite at Urban Stages, the Fringe Festival production of Green Eyes (MD, guitar), the national tour of Beehive (Asst. MD, guitar), and SPF's production of Joe Iconis's rock musical The Black Suits at the Public Theater, for which Matt served as music director, arranger, rehearsal pianist, pit guitarist, and actor. Matt also recently served as music supervisor for Iconis's critically acclaimed Things To Ruin at both Second Stage and The Zipper Factory, and he is a staple member of the Joe Iconis Rock 'n' Roll Jamboree (guitar, accordion, vocals), as seen on YouTube. Other guitar/vocal/instrumental credits and collaborations include The Burnt Part Boys, Mel Marvin, Factory Girls (Sean Mahoney & Creighton Irons), Ryan Scott Oliver, 2007 Nightlife Award winner Lorinda Lisitza, Craig Wilson, Amanda Droste, and many more.
For more information, visit matthinkley.com.
Instrumentation
Matt Hinkley: lead vocals, guitars
Ian Kagey: bass, vocals
Steve Lewis: guitars, vocals
Mike Pettry: keys, vocals
Brent Stranathan: drums
*Matt Hinkley is also available as a solo acoustic artist.*
Discography
Matt Hinkley - Matt Hinkley:
"When you reach that line, you cross that line on your own." The eponymous debut album from Matt Hinkley - a Texas-bred, NYC-based rocker - is an original and refreshingly consistent collection of twelve guitar-driven tunes that range from acoustic Americana to full-bore rock. Hinkley's tightly-structured songwriting evokes the work of established artists such as The Beatles, Wilco, Ryan Adams, and The Byrds, yet manages to carve out a home entirely its own. This album is equally at home coming through the bedroom stereo on a rainy night, providing the background to a great party, or blasting through car speakers on the open road.
Links
| http://www.matthinkley.com |