Today we’d like to introduce you to Matt Sahadi
Hi Matt, 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 was born just outside of Akron, Ohio. I was always interested in music and was certainly infatuated with the sounds of the 60s and 70s. But my interest in pursuing music never really extended past the reflection in my bathroom mirror. I didn’t know how to play an instrument either. But I remember being in middle school and one particular day we had this free period of sorts after lunch. And this one guy who was new to the school had brought in his acoustic guitar and started riffing on it. All of the girls surrounded him and they were laughing and smiling, and they all seemed so locked in to him. That was the day I smelled blood, that I saw the power of real talent. We didn’t really have much, but at some point my parents got me this offbrand Stratocaster guitar. I vaguely remember looking up how to play “Thunderstruck” and trying my best to sound like the record. To this day, I have trouble playing that song but in that moment, I felt something so new something I hadn’t really considered before. And the feeling of holding the guitar and acting as though I could actually play was intoxicating. So I practice rigorously and habitually for two days — and then I moved on to something else haha.
It was in high school, though that something really changed. I was listening to beats radio when this song that I’ve never heard before was playing and for reasons, I can’t explain I begin listening, strictly to the lyrics: “In the day we sweat it out on the streets ofa runaway American dream.” Bruce Springsteen’s “Born To Run” warped my reality. I suddenly felt understood and sympathized with by the stories that he wrote about. I was definitely one of those kids who just wanted to get out of his hometown. And his lyrics were like an invitation to a secret world of selfish independence, adventure, raw emotion, and hope. I wanted to escape the confines of my environment and runaway to every other place there was. I wanted to meet every single person I could and learn their stories. For the first time, I felt I was being challenged to be vulnerable, to express how I viewed the world, to be an individual rather than a people, to carve out my own path and manifest my own destiny. So I started with a song.
Now I wasn’t necessarily the best student or the most talented athlete when I was in high school. Most of my friends were honors students and went on to lead a very comfortable and successful life. For me, I wanted something different. I wanted the challenge of not only my mind, but my spirit. So I began looking at how you can make it strictly as a songwriter. I saw that a couple schools in Nashville offered a songwriting degree. Being the naïve teenager that I was I assumed that you had to go and get a songwriting degree and then apply with a publisher to get a songwriting position. To this day, I still get a lot of laughs from people in Nashville when I tell that story. So I applied to Belmont University’s songwriting program in hopes that one day I may be able to get a salary position as a Songwriter somewhere on music row. Well, Belmont rejected me – six separate times haha. I think most people would take that as a hint, but I never been someone who just rolls over and quits when faced with adversity. So I started religiously studying all my favorite albums and learning how to phrase and structure songs and how to develop storytelling and emotions on a deeper level. And who better to study under than my heroes?
By time I was 23 I had notebooks full of songs and I began to realize what I really wanted was to perform them as the artist rather than the songwriter. So I called up my childhood friend — Alex Malcolm — who had moved to LA to start his dream career at a major label. I told him I didn’t know where this was going to go but if he stuck with me we’d take this thing as far as we possibly could and maybe have some fun along the way. He kindly agreed to help manage my career moving forward. At that same time, I was introduced to my producer — Daniel Dennis — and I asked him to help me make the lyrics and melodies into something enormous and cinematic. 6 years later, I’m proud of every single and project we’ve released. During that time I’ve toured quite a bit and have gotten to accomplish my secondary dream of seeing almost the whole country.
This past August I celebrated a major milestone of being in Nashville for 10 years. 10 years of trial and error. 10 years of the highest highs and the darkest lows. 10 years of building a community of friends who I’ve come to consider my family. You’ll often hear many people say that “Nashville is a 10 year town.” I think that’s an oversimplified and often misused phrase. It’s not about the time spent in this town but rather the energy and investment made. I’m a long way off from where I still wish to be, but I’m even more of a long way off from where I started. I’ve come to know that this town is about the people you meet and the genuine connection you build and maintain with them. That is the key to success in this town. My people have been the most rewarding part of my journey. And 10 years in this town have flown by, but I know my time here is coming to an end. While my dreams for releasing music and touring haven’t wavered, I have an additional dream to move away somewhere less crowded and more connected with nature and my family. When I do leave Nashville, it will be with the same spirit and drive that I left Ohio with all those years ago.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Not at all. Each step forward has brought with it more challenges and more heartbreak. Perhaps the hardest part for me has always been staying honest with myself. During times of low creative output, I found that I was trying to be something I am not. Whether that was the songs I was writing, the sound I was producing, or the persona on the stage. Often, it came from letting my blinders down and paying too much attention to the talent and excitement around me. You see someone you know start popping off by doing ‘this’ or ‘that’ and you think to yourself “oh I can do that too” and it leads you down a dangerous path of comparing yourself to others. The work I am most proud of is all the music I made just for me. I don’t care if someone doesn’t like my sound or what I have to say, because I am doing it for me. And I’ve learned as unique as we all are individually, the human experience is a shared experience. If you let yourself listen to a stranger, you may find that you have a lot in common with them. So I always try to create for myself, knowing that regardless of the outcome, there is bound to be someone else in this world who relates to me.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am an Artist-Songwriter. I never really know how to describe my sound because I am influenced by a lot of different artists/bands from modern to yesteryear, but I am most excited with my music when I feel I nailed the lyrics. One of my proudest moments was this past summer at my headline show at the Basement — I threw in a song last minute that my band hadn’t rehearsed but told them I was going at it acoustic. I spent years playing writers rounds all over town and I was always amazed when a songwriter would captivate the room with their words. When I got into my acoustic segment of my set at the Basement, this euphoric sensation rushed over me. I looked over a packed house on a Wednesday night and felt like I was witnessing my own performance. The crowd was completely concentrated on me and the lyrics of my song. There was this peaceful reverence in that moment. It may be my favorite memory I’ve had up to this point.
Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
I am always open to any opportunities that are presented to me — I especially seek opportunities to tour. But perhaps the best thing anyone can do is simply go listen to my music. Maybe some will find that we share some experiences and emotions more than we knew. I am not really the best with social media, but I love to connect with anyone and everyone and they can find me pretty much anywhere under my name. That is usually where I am announcing shows and releases and other stuff.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.mattsahadi.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattsahadi/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mattsahadi/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@mattsahadi
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-864921724?utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@mattsahadi
