InTune: Matt Kearney

It is still hard to believe sometimes that the city where music dreams can come to life is just right up the road from Chattanooga. Many move to Nashville each year, but there are only a few that make it to the big stage. Mat Kearney is one of the few that has begun to make it into the spotlight. However, his journey to Nashville is a little different than most.

photo Matt Kearney

Kearney was born and raised in Eugene, Oregon, but he did not pick up a guitar and get interested in making music until his college days in Chico, California. After playing around in local coffeeshops, he agreed to go to Nashville for a week or so and help a fellow musician make the move there. However, soon the draw of making it himself turned the short trip into a more permanent one for Kearney.

On his first two albums, Kearney mixed his singer-songwriter style of music with a little bit of hip-hop. After songs off of his second album, Nothing Left to Lose, started catching the attention of more folks, he zoomed in on his niche. For his third album, City of Black & White, Kearney dropped the hip-hop and has focused on making more acoustic driven, singer-songwriter styled songs that have become his signature. He has gained praise from all generations, recognized regularly as a successful adult contemporary artist, but also by a younger audience with his songs featured on popular television shows such as 30 Rock, The Hills, Friday Night Lights, One Tree Hill, Scrubs, Grey's Anatomy and Parenthood.

Now on tour to promote his latest album, Young Love, Kearney will take the stage at Track 29 in Chattanooga on Monday, January 23.

ALBUMS:

Young Love, 2011

Hey Mama ' Sooner or Later ' Learning to Love Again

City of Black & White, 2009

Here We Go ' Annie ' New York to California

Nothing Left to Lose, 2006

Nothing Left to Lose ' Where We Gonna Go from Here 'All I Need

OTHERS YOU SHOULD KNOW

THE BLACK KEYS

Ohio blues based rock-n-roll duo

El Camino, 2011

Lonely Boy ' Dead and Gone ' Gold On the Ceiling ' Little Black Submarines

Brothers, 2010

Next Girl ' Tighten Up ' These Days

Attack & Release, 2008

I Got Mine ' Psychotic Girl Lies ' Things Ain't Like They Used to Be

Magic Potion, 2006

Strange Desire

FLORENCE + THE MACHINE

London based pop/rock soul singer and her band

Ceremonials, 2011

Shake It Out ' What the Water Gave Me ' Spectrum ' Leave My Body

Lungs, 2009

Dog Days Are Over ' You've Got the Love

STEPHEN MARLEY

Reggae artist; son of the late, great Bob Marley

Revelation, Pt. 1: The Root of Life, 2011

Break Us Apart ' Jah Army ' Pale Moonlight

Mind Control, 2007

Mind Control ' Hey Baby ' The Traffic Jam ' You're Gonna Leave ' Lonely Avenue

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