Today we’d like to introduce you to Keyler Matthews.
Hi Keyler, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I started out in a pop/punk band in high school then switched my focus to songwriting in the country/americana space when I first moved to Nashville from Indianapolis in 2011. I signed my first publishing deal in 2016 which to me felt a lot like college. I learned a lot about the craft & had the experience of making my first record with the group I was in at the time. After that deal ended I embraced my independence by experimenting in various genres such as rock, folk, pop, & r&b. These days I’m focused in the pop space working mostly with my wife Candace Matthews for her project Candace In Wonderland. Together we work in sync as well & have landed placements on platforms like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, MTV, VH1, & more.
To keep myself sane, I also have a solo project that fits in the folk/songwriter realm. I utilize it to get out the weird things I have to say in my own way with no rules or timelines attached.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Absolutely not a smooth road. Not even a road. This lifestyle is basically a never ending rollercoaster where the high’s are high and the low’s are low.
Most of the struggles for me have been finances & patience. Building a network /career takes a lot of time & investment. It can be frustrating when you want things to move faster, but I feel more acceptance with the notion that being an artist is more of a lifestyle than a traditional career.
All that said, there’s never been a dull moment. It’s been an exciting & dynamic life that I am grateful to have.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am mostly an idea guy. I like to be the crazy person in the session who will say the most outlandish (most times the dumbest) thing just to get everyone to feel free and open up. Especially in a session with new collaborators, for the most part they’re not gonna say anything more embarrassing that what I just did & it can really break down walls for everyone to share their ideas and in some cases the craziest thing can become the starting point.
I specialize on lyrics, concepts, & melody for the most part, but I’m also a bit of a utility writer. In some cases I’ll start with guitar, or after we write the song I’ll throw out ideas for arrangement / production & sometimes lay down guitars/vocals.
I’m a multi instrumentalist with a poet’s heart. My mission is to say something in a song, convey some sort of universal feeling, mood, or vibe. There are so many ways to say something which keeps the journey alive.
What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
I guess the biggest lesson I’ve learned is to keep moving forward. There are ruts that I’ve found myself in and big shifts in my life that have set me back some but at the end of the day I keep going & I’m always grateful for it.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/keylermatthewsmusic?igsh=NHJ3dmZ6bGhwNGlz&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1CLAisHvVV/?mibextid=wwXIfr
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@keylermatthews4490?si=Xyaa8Goj68MwZGcz
