Check Out Matt Mann’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Matt Mann.

Hi Matt, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I grew up in a small town in Oklahoma where sports were everything. I had a drum set as a kid but never actually played in a band due to all the time I spent playing sports. When I went to college, I met some musicians and eventually ended up managing my roommate’s band. I started learning a few guitar chords from the guys and found I wanted that to be my instrument. I moved to Los Angeles soon after to be an actor. While in LA, I saw a band called “El Camino” play, and right after the show, asked the guitar player if he would give me lessons.

I studied with him for about a year and was really starting to learn the guitar. El Camino’s bass player was out of the band and my teacher then asked me if I would be interested in learning the bass and playing with them. I jumped at this opportunity! A year later and we were headlining the Viper Room and opened for the band Buckcherry. I was in rock n roll heaven! I brought an original song of mine into rehearsal one night and the band loved it. I didn’t even know I could write a song, let alone a good one. We played the song at our next gig and got a great reception from the crowd.

El Camino started to fizzle out as the members wanted different things. I continued to write songs on the guitar and one day said to myself, “Screw it. I’ll start my own brand and learn how to sing in the process.” I’m still learning every day and I put out 3 albums between 2012 and 2016. I even licensed a song that can be heard in one of Paul Walker’s last movies, Pawn Shop Chronicles. My wife and I had our first child in the summer of 2017 and moved to Nashville a few months later. I took a year off from playing live gigs as I devoted all my time to being a stay-at-home dad.

I eventually put a new band together in August of 2018 and we finished our latest album about a year later. The album was released during the pandemic and we just started playing out again in Nashville in April of 2021. We continued to practice during the pandemic in the safest way possible and we are now tighter than any band I’ve ever been a part of. We are firing on all cylinders!

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It’s always a struggle when you’re doing it all on your own. I still practice every day, take vocal lessons, and get together with my band as much as possible. I love playing music more than anything but the business side of music is not something I enjoy. A lot of doors get slammed in my face and it’s a struggle every day to get people to actually take the time to give you a chance.

Being an actor too, I’ve developed tough skin. I can’t tell you how many times people have told me “no.” It builds character and really shows you who you are that you continue to pursue and not let the little things get you down. I have a lyric in my song, “See Ya On Down The Road” that says, “Someone tells me no, it fuels the fire to prove them wrong.”

As much of a struggle as it is, it’s a journey that I am so proud of myself for taking and still continue to take daily. It’s all about the journey for me and not the destination. I tell myself daily… “I’m already living the dream. Getting paid and making a living from this is just the icing on the cake.”

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I make music that can’t be put into one specific genre. It’s rock n’ roll at the core with a little country, some blues, glam, punk, and Americana. I write songs from personal experiences that anyone can relate to.

Are there any books, apps, podcasts, or blogs that help you do your best?
I’m old school… music inspires me to write good music. The Rolling Stones, Tom Petty, The Black Crowes, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, etc. Reading biographies from successful musicians is my favorite way to visualize where I want to be and how to get there. One of my most favorite recent reads is “Hard to Handle” by Steve Gorman.

Contact Info:

• Email: matt@mattmannmusic.com
• Website: http://mattmannmusic.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattmannshinerunners/?hl=en
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/MattMannandTheShineRunners
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/mmshinerunners
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/trpngdsy/videos
• SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/matt-mann-and-the-shine-runners

Image Credits
Jason Stoltzfus, Laurie LeGore, and Chad Crawford