Music
The best kept secret in music
Press
Matt Thackston, Better Than Here (Self-released)
For an eclectic blend of Southern roots rock and bluegrass, this is the CD to pick up. Highlights include the country lyrics of "Blood Brothers" and the poignant "Someday Soon." It's a nice look into the immense pool of untapped talent coming out of Nashville. -- AG - CMT.com
Matt Thackston/It Was Our Town
"Great, heartfelt singing, plus earthy, poetic songwriting. The punchy production features searing electric guitar, rippling mandolin and taut drumming. If Matt doesn't have a hit with it, Kenny Chesney needs to hear his song pronto. Who IS this guy?"
--Robert K. Oermann - Music Row Magazine
“It was no mystery that this country upstart, originally from the foothills of the North Carolina Blue Ridge Mountains, appreciates rural tradition and boasts a lot of talent. With smooth vocals and a knack for thoughtful, intelligent songwriting, Thackston is brimming with promise.” - Indie-Music.com
“Listening to Matt Thackston for the first time makes you wonder why you haven't heard this music before. Poignant lyrics that are immediately recognizable and familiar blended with melodic vocals and music that personifies the term of Americana by blending bluegrass, roots rock, and solid country. Proving again that independent music holds some of the best singers and songwriters that deserve to be heard.”
--Rikk Matheson - RikksRevues.com
“Matt's got a great voice, a nice touch with the songwriter's pen, and an ability to write good songs with a variety of contributors. I expect we'll be hearing more from him as time goes on.” - sslegends.com
“The album as a whole has solid production and music and should ensure Thackston a bright future.” - Jeff Hahne
Discography
"Better Than Here" LP
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
Matt Thackston comes to us from the small town of Eden, North Carolina, where he counts as his earliest influences a country music lover of a mother, and a father who infused Motown and rock & roll into his home. He began singing in school and church plays as soon as he was old enough, and wrote his first song with a friend at the age of 14.
At 16 years of age, Matt heard Bruce Springsteen’s “Thunder Road” for the first time, and was so inspired that he learned guitar just to be able to play it. He also decided then and there to pursue songwriting as his direction in life.
After playing in classic rock cover bands through high school, and earning a degree in music from Appalachian State University in Boone, NC, Matt moved on to Nashville, where he now performs several nights every week in various writers’ rounds and featured writer spots. He has also begun touring to support his new album, “Better Than Here,” throughout the Southeast. Influenced by the likes of Springsteen, Jackson Browne, Paul Simon and the Indigo Girls (to name just a few), Matt is developing his own brand of folky roots rock that crosses the boundaries of genre. His songs are genuine and real, reflecting the stories, dreams, and longings of people who know, or have known, a home in the heartland.
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