BIO
Matt Mead writes the kind of music that is meant for a global audience. Described as "Jaunty, lively, catchy and memorable slices of life" Mead's songs are as accessible and eclectic as his influences ranging from pop, rock, folk and world music. Imagine George Harrison and David Gilmore fronting a band with Ryan Adams, James Taylor and Sade making contributions to the material. The comparisons can go on forever. But at the end of the day, Mead's culmination of authenticity and unbridled expression are what inspire reviews that see him "...easily fitting in amongst the greats and legends".
His latest album EMBERS is a shining introduction to an artist whose identifiably unique and undeniably catchy songwriting draws comparisons to Rob Thomas, Counting Crows, Don Henley and the Beatles.
Recorded at Kaleidoscope Sound in Union City New Jersey, EMBERS features guest musicians STEPHEN CHOPEK (John Mayer, Charlie Hunter), NICHOLAS D’ AMATO (Poppa Chubby, Spiraling), ROB CLORES (Blues Traveler, Rich Robinson) and a handful of friends and independent artists such as BRIAN WAGNER, PETE VITALONE, SHELLY BHUSHAN and JOHN TAGLIERI. Engineered and Mixed by Grammy Nominee SAL MORMANDO (Billy Squire, Richie Havens, Patti Smith), the albums’ deliberate combination of seasoned session players and independent artists succeeds in creating a cozy balance between industry sheen and independent attitude while staying on track with Mead’s own musical vision. Beginning in August of 2004 Mead, Chopek and Wagner cut the basics performing as a live trio. Mead then spent the next several months laying down the guitar and other stringed instrument parts and calling in the rest of the musicians as additional tracks were needed. EMBERS nine songs and thirty-eight minutes dig deeply into Mead’s life over the last several years through love, life, loss, redemption and sacrifice; highlighting an artist whose knack for observation and imagery are at the forefront of his music. And though EMBERS is a personal journey, Mead’s gift of communication comes through loud and clear on tracks like “Leave the Light on”, “Take a chance”, and “A phone call away”.
Born and raised between Bloomfield and Nutley New Jersey, Mead is the middle kid in a family of five with a heritage of musicality. His Grandfather had a short-lived career as a church pastor who played the mandolin. His Grandmother was a schoolteacher who played the piano and everyone else in his immediate family was adept at one instrument or the other. Needless to say, music was a natural influence in his life and he developed a strong ear and a desire to make his own voice heard. Enrolled into the church choir at the age of seven he fell in love with the pipe organ and the sound of the human voice. But around the age of nine is older siblings introduced him to Deep Purple, John Denver and Peter Frampton and his interests quickly turned to the guitar and the way he identified with it’s energetic sound. But it wasn’t until his sophomore year of high school that he really began playing in earnest and hanging out with the local musicians who marveled over the fact that he hadn’t ever taken any formal lessons. And over the next decade or so he performed as a sideman and a songwriter in a variety of promising local and regional rock, heavy metal and experimental bands until 2001 when he finally decided it was time to leave the bands behind and step out on his own.
In 2001 Mead launched his solo career with the independent release of a self-titled, three-song EP Demo which landed in the hands of local press and yielded some positive reviews. Bob Bert-BB Gun Magazine wrote, “With beautiful instrumentation and strong, poetic lyrics, Matt Mead’s all killer, no filler three song EP proves to these ears that he belongs on the radio with the best singer songwriters”.
Assembling a trio to perform in local clubs and cafes, he spent the better part of 2002 – 2003 honing his skills as a performer, working on new material for an upcoming release and finishing off the year with a live DVD recorded at Maxwell’s in Hoboken. But instead of heading right into the studio, Mead disbanded the group and continued to perform solo while hosting a popular open mic series called “Phases” at Luna Stage in Montclair, NJ. Through Luna Stage he met a handful of other independent artists and musicians and was eventually introduced to his current rhythm section of Stephen Chopek and Nicholas D’ Amato.
Matt Mead has never been the kind of musician to follow conventional wisdom. Instead he’s always opted for the road less traveled rather than the beaten path. And though New York City is just fifteen miles from where he grew up, it only takes a minute to realize that his music has the potential to reach far beyond the bright lights and broad stages of Madison Square Garden or Radio City Music hall.
© 2006 Matt Mead Music
