Tuesday, May 28th, 2013

Sorry for the absence here lately, things have been going full speed ahead!

There are essentially two parts to this post:

1.) I have HUGE news that will be released in the following week or two! This will probably be the biggest news/adjustment that I've ever had on this website!

2.) I will be announcing the release date of the record this week! Not only will the date be set, but the album artwork will be posted as well!

Thank y'all for sticking with me through all of this,
It's about to get wild!

-Matthew

Saturday, May 18th, 2013

I just got to Arlington after an awesome evening in good ol' Terrell! It's 2:00 am, but I just couldn't wait to post this:

To everyone that came out to see me at The Adelaide tonight-
Thank each and every one of you so much for coming out. It was one of the most random, goofy, and awesome shows ever, and I seriously can't express exactly how much it means to me that I have such a fantastic support system from my friends and family.

With that being said, I want to let you guys know that I REALLY really appreciate all that y'all do for me, from checking this blog to coming to shows, so here comes one of the first little "prize"-type things this ol' website will offer.

 To everyone that came to the show tonight, I'll be getting your emails in the next few days/weeks, and y'all will get a song from the record sent to you as a "second single" before anyone else gets to hear it. You guys mean the world to me, and some of you drove quite a long way to see me tonight, so it's the least I can do.

I love y'all, and thanks so much for all of the constant support,
Matthew

Tuesday, May 14th, 2013

The merch came in today! I'll post pictures in the days to come, but I couldn't be happier with the results.

- Album artwork will be finalized this week, so that's VERY exciting.
- Photos should be done right after the design-work is all finished.

There is A LOT going on behind the scenes, and I can't wait to tell y'all what we've been conjuring up.
In the mean time, I might as well promote this thing:
https://twitter.com/MattMcNealTX

This isn't some professional, strictly music-based twitter account, but as things pop up, it's likely that I'll post on there.

Thanks for stopping by, and I'll post pictures ASAP!
-Matthew

Tuesday, May 7th, 2013

I just saw a little preview of the photo shoot with Hunter and I am excited beyond belief at how it's looking!!

In other news, I forgot to mention that Ben and I did something so cool/random in the studio this weekend and I totally forgot to mention it in the studio update posts:

We tracked guitar with a violin bow. Believe it or not, it sounds awesome! That may not be exciting to you unless you're a musician/guitar-player, but we thought it was pretty neat.

Have a good night and thanks for stopping by,
Matthew

Monday, May 6th, 2013

Sorry for not being able to update over the weekend! We worked can-til-can't on the record, so I'll go ahead and give you a rundown of what all got done this weekend!

Studio Update #1 
5.4.13

I made it down to Atascocita and we immediately got down to business.
-- We added a lot more dimensions/layers to a song called "Doubt"
-- We went through 9 out of the 10 songs and made sure we were happy with every single aspect of what we recorded. This took up a big amount of time, but we got to tweak a lot of parts and made the songs really stand out.
-- We continued to work on the gospel-style ending on "When You're Down" (the title track from the record)

Studio Update #2
5.5.13

-- We worked on WYD for a couple more hours, making sure all of the newly-added percussive rhythms sounded good, as well as wrapping up the gospel part from the day before
-- We finally got to track the 10th song to be recorded for the record called "Soldier On". This song was actually one of the first song ideas for the record that we tossed around over a year ago, so it was wild to see how things come together
-- Aside from Ben tweaking the songs...

It's looking like the recording process is just about finished!


Merch will be in soon, photos are being edited as we speak, design-work is being done as we speak, dates for mastering and distributing/printing the record are about to be set, and I couldn't be happier with the way things are turning out.

I thank God not only for all of the love and support y'all give me, but I am genuinely honored to have a friend/brother like Ben Starr. His talent really shines through the entire record, from his audio engineering ability to his ridiculous guitar skills, solid vocals, and just overall awesome ideas. You guys are definitely in for a treat with this record.

-Matthew

Friday, May 3rd, 2013

Just a handful of hours away from heading down to see Ben and start wrapping up the record! I'm packing up as I'm typing this actually. I'll be posting studio updates on here throughout the weekend, so definitely stick around for those!

Thank y'all,
-Matthew

Thursday, May 2nd, 2013

I've been staying really busy today, so please excuse this post for being so quick, but there are so many behind-the-scenes things going on in regard to shows once the record comes out! 

Though I don't want to shoot myself in the foot by releasing out too much information, it's safe to say that the record release show will be absolutely insane. Can't wait to see how things unfold, and I'm getting more and more excited about my trip down to see Ben this weekend!

More news tomorrow!
-Matthew

Wednesday, May 1st, 2013

When I was in town this past weekend, Chuck and I completed some work on a few projects of ours pertaining to my music. We were really happy with the results on this one! Not only will it be used on occasion for live settings, but it will also appear in a handful of the photos Hunter and I shot the other day!

Hope you guys think it's as awesome as I do!


Miss Katelyn had an old drum set, so Chuck and I got a hold of the bass drum, stripped it, and went to work. Stained the shell, repainted the hoops, shined up all of the lugs, and thew on a good ol' American flag (not cut- the rest of the flag is inside the drum) to top it off!

I'm really enjoying sharing everything going on with these daily updates. Thanks for stopping by and I'll have more for y'all tomorrow!
-Matthew

Tuesday, April 30th, 2013

Just uploaded a couple of videos from the Adelaide show the other day. It was such a fun show, just pickin' and playin' around. If you didn't get a chance to make it out, we recorded a little video of some of the tunes and threw 'em up on YouTube. 

This first one is a song by The Avett Brothers called "Laundry Room"


This second one is actually a stripped-down version of a tune from the album.
This song is called "Doubt"


Hope y'all enjoy these! Still shaking off the rust a little bit after a long break from performing, but I'm back in the game and it feels fantastic. I'll be announcing another show within the week!

Thanks for stopping by,
-Matthew

Monday, April 29th, 2013

Not sure if I've mentioned it, but the record officially has a title: When You're Down

Also, I just submitted the order for my first run of merch for the album! Design-work has been approved and it's all in production, so I'll have 'em in the next few weeks! I've been trying to think of really cool merch ideas that everyone would actually want/like rather than some goofy graphic tee with cartoons all over it (thank goodness those days are behind us all).

So, that raises the question of: "What in the world are you getting for merch? Lame graphic tees are so IN right now!"

Regardless of the fact that you need to re-evaluate yourself, this is where things get pretty cool for everyone reading this.

I've decided that I won't get any merchandise that I wouldn't wear if I weren't me (if that makes any sense). Here lately with the warmer weather coming in and days on the lake seeming more appealing, I've become a firm believer in the all-American trucker hat. So that's what I'm getting for merch this time around! This will be the design embroidered on the front of the hats:


I couldn't be happier with how the design turned out. Now that I've given a sneak-peek at what the merch will be like, I've got to find a way to keep some of your interest for the next couple of months before the record comes out in July, so....

Looks like I'll be holding some sort of contest/thank-you-for-sticking-with-me promotion to my handful of readers that have stuck with me from the very beginning. All of those details will unfold once the shipment arrives, so stay tuned.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope y'all love the design as much as I do!
-Matthew


Sunday, April 28th, 2013

Hey everyone! Just got back into Arlington after a weekend with the folks, and I've decided that so much is going on right now that I need to start posting in here just about every day for a while.

I got the opportunity to spend the afternoon with Hunter Sprague, an Adelaide buddy of mine from years back, and he shot all of the promo photos for the record. I really can't speak highly enough of Hunter as a person, and it just felt so natural to be able to work with someone that's cut from the same cloth as I am. I can't wait to see the results and to show all of y'all! 

Also, I leave for Houston again in less than a week. Ben and I will get to really spend all of our time perfecting all of the music and adding some final touches. It's becoming more and more surreal that this is it, THIS is where the "Road To A Record" really comes to fruition and things begin to be fulfilled, and there is no time better for it all than the present. 

Like I mentioned before, updates are going to be written just about every day for the next little while, so stay tuned for a bunch of really cool info on what's going on as the record finally begins to unfold!

-Matthew


Monday, April 22nd, 2013

The show on Friday night was FANTASTIC! Thank you to everyone who came out and had a good time with all of us. After such a long break from performing, it was a great "welcome back" to have so many laughs and yells and excitement. Again, thank y'all so much.

In other news, Hunter Sprague and I are getting together this Sunday to shoot some photos for the record. Check out his portfolio and get excited about how fantastic he is at what he does.
(http://huntersprague.com/#/Gallery/Portfolio/Portfolio)

I got to hang out with my best friends and brothers on Friday night and some of the words said to me were definitely monumental in regard to my music. The hollers and yells, singing and claps that came from the Nichols brothers were some of the most encouraging sounds I could've possibly heard from the stage. Matthew Nichols pulled me aside and we talked about the weekend we went out to camp and shot the video for "When You're Down" back in January. Hearing that one of the songs that I created changed someone's life and helped them get through a dark time made everything I've done with this record worthwhile, especially coming from one of my brothers.

Thank y'all for stopping by,
Matthew

Wednesday, April 17th, 2013

For everyone that plans on making it to the show this Friday at the Adelaide (Terrell, TX), I figured I'd give a heads-up on what to expect:

 It's looking like I'll be playing 3 songs off of the upcoming record. I realized that it's hard to be relevant at a show supporting a return from a performance-hiatus if the majority of your music is covered material, so I guess I'm going to have to start leaking some of these new tunes at my low-key shows until the record is out. I'm really eager to see how the songs are received by all of my hometown friends and family. To build a little excitement/fun and to keep it a little more interesting, all of the songs will be played in a different way than on the actual album. I really want live performances to be a completely new, different, and exciting experience every time, as well as wanting the record to be timeless in itself.

 I really can't thank y'all enough for all of the endless support over this past year. Starting on Friday, it's all going to start paying off. You won't want to miss this gig.

 -Matthew

P.S. - Though it may not be music related, I can't post on here this week without recognizing the current events of our country. Not only has my hometown been hit by murder and controversy, but the bombings in Boston and the explosion in West, Texas are in dire need of prayer. The lives of everyone affected by these recent tragedies are much more important than this website and my silly thoughts. Thank you.

Wednesday, April 10th, 2013

I've spent the last week talking back and forth with Steven, the artist/designer that's doing the album artwork for me, and I couldn't be happier with the way things are turning out. Even though the artwork isn't finished quite yet, I'm really eager to show you guys. BUT, since I want the final product to really blow y'all away, I've got to hold onto it for just a little while longer while we fine tune it. 

In the meantime, I'm happy to announce that I'll be playing a hometown show at The Adelaide on Friday, April 19th. From the looks of it, I'll be headlining the show, so we'll get to have a good ol' time together. I'll be playing a handful of songs from the record, so this will technically be the first time I've ever performed the tunes. In all actuality, this is the first legitimate "show" I've played in over a year! Hard to believe that, but with everything about to happen, I'll be all over the place before I know it. 

Thanks for being patient with me through all of this. Some of you have stuck around for over a year, reading my letters and keeping up with me, and it means more to me than you'll ever know. 

I look forward to seeing some of y'all on the 19th! 
-Matthew

Thursday, March 28th, 2013

Though this update is a little behind when it actually happened, a few weeks ago Connor Oakley (http://connoroakley.bandcamp.com/) and I made a quiet trip out to the Oakley Family's campgrounds to get back to our roots. With both of us working nonstop on our musical efforts, being out in the woods and playing our songs out in the open air really revitalized and lifted our spirits up. As strange as it may seem, a couple of the pictures I took out there really do encompass a general feel of the record. 


With that being said, y'all will get to really see more of our memories out at the camp with the release of the music video. 

Thanks for stopping by,
-Matthew

Tuesday, March 19th, 2013

Sorry for the delay everyone! My past couple of posts regarding my most recent session of studio time down in Atascocita ended up not going through.

To get everyone up to speed, Ben and I spent this past weekend locked up with the headphones on, really getting down to business. From this post on, things are really going to pick up.

To break it down:
-9 songs are fully tracked
          -The songs are in the middle of the mixing process
-The music video has already been shot and is in the process of editing
-Promo photos will be shot by Hunter Sprague
-Artwork is lined up with Steven Schroeder
-Two live sessions have been shot with Garrett Oakley

Updates will begin to be more meaningful, frequent, and worth-while from this point on.
It's now or never.

-Matthew

Monday, March 4th, 2013

Recording will resume in down in Atascocita in less than two weeks! Couldn't be more excited!

In the mean time, check out my friend, brother, and fellow musician Connor Oakley in his latest studio work:
http://connoroakley.bandcamp.com/

I was fortunate enough to be able to record bass on the new tunes, and I couldn't be happier with the results. Connor knows how to write some solid tunes, and you won't regret giving 'em a listen.

-Matthew

Thursday, February 21st, 2013

Change of plans: Ben and I are postponing the recording of the record's first (hesitant) single "When You're Down" and working on editing/mixing for a few more weeks due to other obligations going on. In the mean time, copies the mixes will be sent to my studio computer so I can fiddle around with the tunes until mid-March when things really start to pick up. Just a few more songs to go!

Things to come:
-Design-work by Steven Schroeder
-Photography by Hunter Sprague
-Live session with Cameron Hawkins

Thanks for stopping by,
Matthew

Sunday, January 27th, 2013

Happy to be down in Austin, TX this weekend! I've been at 5th Street Studios tracking bass and lending a fresh ear to help with the Connor Oakley and the Winners EP. Ben was in the area last night so we all had a great evening with him around. 

I'm really having a fantastic time down here. These are some of the greatest people on the planet and I'm glad to call them best friends, let alone family.





From one of the coolest cities on earth,
-Matthew

Sunday, January 20th, 2013

It's been a little over a week since Ben and I finished up our first final production recording session, and I've heard nothing but good news about how everything is sounding so far. I'm becoming more and more thankful that I have Ben Starr, one of the greatest men and musicians I know, on board with me with all of this music. I've heard a sneak peek of how one of the songs has unfolded already, and I couldn't be happier with it!

My buddy Garrett Oakley is still working with us on the music video for the record's first single that we filmed back in late December, so that is another order of business that I'm VERY excited for. 

Kate and I are headed down to Austin this weekend to spend some time in the studio with Connor Oakley and the Winners, where I'll be tracking some bass and helping out as he records his EP. I'm sure we'll end up leaving with a ton of pictures, so I'll post those before too long.


Looking forward to what's ahead,
-Matthew