Overview

Hello! My name is Matt, and I'm a singer-songwriter here in the beautiful city of Bend, OR. 

I’ve been writing songs since my high school years in Oak Ridge, TN. Admittedly, a lot of the songs I wrote in high school are...embarrassing. Over the years, with some practice, I’ve been lucky enough to jam with my family & friends, play at several of my friends’ weddings, sing in a college a cappella group, play in the most legendary band you’ve never heard of called “eNFP”, and occasionally do an open mic night. Lately, I've been writing more music, and I've written a few new songs about relationships, love, and social issues. Now, I’d really love to share my songs with you.  

The material is ready, and the musicians are waiting -- this Plaid Dog campaign is the final step toward creating my first ever, professionally produced studio album.

This campaign is raising funds for my professionally recorded album with Mike Davidson in Boston, MA. Mike is a Boston-based producer and engineer with 15+ years of experience working with both established and up-and-coming musicians. Together, Mike and I are digging into my original material, writing arrangements, and reaching out to local musicians to bring the songs to life. 

We’ve been able to cover the costs of recording and producing one song remotely, which is ready for you to check out right here on this page. This first song is called “Let the Feeling Out” and you can check it out below!

While I’ve been able to fund this initial recording process for “Let the Feeling Out” on my own, to create an album of songs of with full production and studio quality, costs add up quickly. With that said, this campaign can give us a unique opportunity to collaborate and make great art together. Your donation will cover the following costs of my project:

1. Pre-Production: This is where everything starts. Mike and I will start crafting the arrangements for each song slated for the album. We’ll hold rehearsals to fine-tune the songs and arrangements and talk through new and exciting ideas for how to approach the recording process.

2. Recording: This is when we enter the studio and start capturing the music and where the songs become what you'll hear on this album. This campaign will play a huge role in making sure we have enough time to capture great performances for every member of the band.

3. Mixing & Mastering: Each track will get mixed to create the right balance between instruments, texture and color that make up a track. As a final step, the album will be mastered from beginning to end so that the listening experience is cohesive and carefully choreographed from start to finish.

You know I like supporting great causes. And I know you like supporting great causes too.

I am so appreciative and grateful for any support you can lend to this campaign. Rather than make t-shirts to give you in exchange for your support, I’ve decided to give a portion of your donations to some fantastic environmental and mental health charities. So, when you give to this campaign, you will also be planting trees, saving the ocean, and supporting adolescent mental health. In addition, for certain donation amounts, I’ve created some original artwork and a few more perks, available exclusively through your participation in this campaign.

Check out some examples below and a full list to the right!

It's hard to express how much this project means to me.

Songwriting has become a favorite pastime of mine. I love figuring out rhymes, cadences, hooks, harmonies, and instrumental sections to musically express a deep feeling or tell a story. I’ve kept a lot of my songs to myself over the years and shared them with a few close friends and family. Thanks to encouragement from many of you, I think it’s time to share my songs with a larger audience. After all, music is meant to be shared. 

When I think about music in my life, I think a lot about my community. I’m so thankful for the incredible musical friends who have taught me and helped me improve, for my incredible highschool classmates who were the first to explore the art of songwriting and recording with me, and for my amazing family who have always supported me (from the earliest squeaks on a violin, to my most recent songs). Music is all about community and connection. I am doing this project, in part, to reconnect with my community after such a trying year and perhaps gain some new friends and collaborators along the way.

I’ve never taken on a music project of this caliber before. I’m excited! You all know I will do my best and pour my heart into this opportunity.

If you're ready to contribute, just click the "Back This Project" button on the top right of this page! Every little bit counts, and I’m so grateful for all your support.

If you have folks in your network that would be interested in supporting me, please feel free to share this page with them.

Thank you so much for checking out my campaign page. I can't wait to share this music with you.