Illustrated Feature: Matt Hires
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After I introduced myself to Matt Hires when he opened for Paolo Nutini at a concert during the summer, I knew I had to go see him again; and this time I would have gone for the purpose of seeing him, and not just by some lucky accident. Matt is a 23-year-old singer–songwriter from Tampa, Florida. His father introduced him to many genres of music, and passed along his handmade acoustic guitar from 1977 – the same guitar Matt uses today – when he was sixteen. He was inspired by artists such as Ryan Adams, Wilco, The Band, and Sufjan Stevens, as contrasting as they are. Matt taught himself how to play the guitar, and by the time he was seventeen, he wrote his first song. Soon after, he became the first artist to sign with F-Stop, a subsidiary of Atlantic Records.
I found that just one year after he released his debut EP, Live From the Hotel Café, on October 7, 2008, Matt Hires had no trouble gaining many loyal fans, such as myself, as he probably did when he opened for Tyrone Wells during the performance on October 7, 2009 at the Highline Ballroom. It was a full house of fans, all cheering for Tyrone Wells, but none were disappointed when Matt walked onto the stage barefoot wearing his plaid button-down, skinny jeans, and his signature fedora hat. Touring without his band, he stepped up to the microphone alone, and started to perform with nothing more than his acoustic guitar and stunning voice. His audience, having little to no expectations, can automatically notice the authenticity in his music and his ease with being completely himself.
Knowing that this new group of listeners would probably be unfamiliar with his songs, Matt Hires decided to grab their attention by opening with his cover of the well-known song “You Are My Sunshine.” It was obvious that Matt was really just enjoying himself out there, so feeling his energy and enthusiasm, the audience sang along. This song was then followed by his first single, “Honey, Let Me Sing You a Song,” from his full-length debut album Take Us To The Start, which really captured the essence of his voice and music. With only twenty-five minutes to prove himself to whom he hoped will soon become his loyal fans, he chose the next few songs, “Pick Me Up,” “Out of the Dark,” “A Perfect Day,” and “State Lines,” because those are some of his favorites to play.
The crowd was already hyped up after his second song, but Matt continued to amaze them when he introduced “Out of the Dark.” This song includes three whistling verses. He introduced it by asking everyone to whistle along, and they all foolishly attempted and failed before they realized they would be better off if they just hummed or la-ed along. When I first listened to this song, I thought, he’s a great whistler. The next few times I listened to it though, I closed my eyes and time seemed to stop. His compelling whistling echoes over the melody from his soft acoustic guitar; and before I realize it, I am completely mesmerized. I believe the whistling represents how he feels throughout his whole journey in the dark; and the whole song talks about how he is trapped in this strange world, and tries to escape it.
He closed his performance with the song “State Lines.” It tells of a cross-country trip, which symbolizes his desire to move forward no matter what anyone else says or does. The last two lines of the song, “Yeah, it’s feeling like a free fall now, Nobody’s gonna slow us down,” basically summarizes the whole song, and shows what Matt is trying to portray. He says that it might be a scary ride without actually knowing what to expect, but it might also be fun so at that moment, the adventure cannot be stopped.
Although the audience had not been cheering loudly for Matt Hires at the start, or singing along with his songs throughout the concert, after he concluded, the vibe in the venue had gone from tense to lively. Soon after Matt stepped off the stage, however, it would have been no surprise if the many fans of Tyrone Wells had already forgotten about him. It became obvious that Matt is not a well-known celebrity when he humbly came out from backstage to sit with who seemed to be his personal friends to enjoy the rest of the concert. He definitely did not fall short of expectations from any loyal fans though. As promised, he was found after the concert by the merchandise table, selling his newly released album and signing autographs. Time can only tell how far he will go.
