Life & Work with Matt Burke

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

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 backstories with our readers?
I grew up in a small town in central Florida, spent a brief stint in grad school at Michigan State, moved to Chicago to develop my musicality and performance chops, moved BACK to Florida to focus on playing music full time, and eventually relocated to Nashville in 2019. 

I started writing and releasing music with my full band project – The Matt Burke Band – back in 2010. We built the band up in Central Florida for the better part of the 2010’s – it was a lot of fun! In the latter half of 2018, I suffered a major loss when my good friend and musical partner Leona Ellis passed away unexpectedly. Leona was the keys player for the Matt Burke Band and my childhood friend – we had grown up together in the band program in my hometown – and her death really shook me to my core. 

I didn’t have it in me to rebuild the full band again after Leona’s passing, and I really didn’t know what to do. What I did know is that I loved telling stories through song and I really wanted to focus on becoming the best songwriter I could be. So, I packed everything up for one final move and headed north to Nashville. 

I arrived in town in 2019 and threw myself into the songwriting scene. I was just getting my bearings and building momentum with many showcases and touring dates across the US secured for the spring of 2020. All those plans came to a grinding halt when COVID-19 shut the whole world down. With the majority of live performances on hold, I spent the majority of 2020 and 2021 writing and recording as much as possible. 

I co-write a lot – and I get to cherry-pick those tunes to figure out what songs make the most sense for me to release as an artist. This approach enables me to release a new song every month or two, which is great. My plan moving forward is to keep releasing singles while working on my Americana album which I HOPE to release by the end of 2022. And I’m VERY excited to get back on the road and start playing shows for folks across the country again! 

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Oh man, not by any means. 

This industry has changed about 100 times since I’ve been in it. 

When I first started playing in garage bands as a teenager, I had the standard rockstar dreams – stadium shows, number one songs, huge fanbase, international superstar. 

Social media wasn’t a thing. YouTube wasn’t really a thing. Musicians had to focus on perfecting their craft and becoming the best performers they could be – that was their main job. 

Oh, and there used to be DEVELOPMENT deals – when labels would actually scout out new talent that they believed in and help take them to the next level. That all came to an end in 2008 when the economy collapsed and the record industry as we always knew it changed for good. 

Now I have to be a social media strategist, graphic designer, lawyer, booking agent, manager, publicist, recording engineer, press agent, copywriter, and anything else you can think of because I have to do this all myself. I have to show a label that I have something that is already successful – something they can immediately make money from – before they will consider helping me in any way. 

It’s a long hard road for sure – but it ain’t the salt mines – so I’m not complaining! 

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m a big fan of Townes Van Zandt and I love songs that tell a good story. I’m also a big fan of music that sounds familiar and nostalgic – my goal with my music is to write stuff that feels classic and timeless. 

There is so much talent in Nashville – but lots of folks are chasing formulas and trying to write music that sounds like what’s currently successful. I’m inspired more by roots music and 70’s outlaw country, but I’m also a big fan of modern production, so my goal with my music is to present something that sounds new and old at the same time. 

Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
Anything that brings my stress level DOWN lol…a good cup of coffee, a nice bourbon, live music, travel, nature, camping, hiking, bonfires, animals, early morning fingerpicking, naps, and anything or anyone that makes me laugh. 

Contact Info:

• Email: matt@mattburkemusic.com
• Website: https://www.MattBurkeMusic.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattburkemusic
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mattburkemusic
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/mattburkemusic

Image Credits
Annelise Sarah
Monika Baranko