Matthew McCloskey

Matt McCloskey is a contradiction; the mathematical mind of an orchestral composer combined with the charming wit of an anecdotal humorist. What results is a warm, inviting and sometime surprising brand of music that has been turning heads throughout the Nashville Metro. "If I can make someone look up from their smartphone long enough to ask, 'Did he really just say that?' then I've done my job," says Matt. The opening notes of track 2 on Matt McCloskey's EP Ferris Wheel tenderly glide through listeners' ears, promising a wistful, somber tale of love gone wrong.... until Matt casually reveals (in the sweetest of voices) that this woman has not broken his heart, but his nose. Without fail, expect-the-unexpected is the mantra for Matt's growing fanbase as he continually demonstrates a keen ear for composition and a wonderfully absurd sense of humor. After releasing several albums with Max Armada and AiVry, Matt relocated to Nashville, TN in the summer of 2015. "Back then, I was playing songs about this awful breakup I had gone through before the move.," said Matt. "In a town where 9 out of 10 songs are about breakups, I wasn't standing out at all." Frustrated, Matt began re-writing the lyrics with funny, often surprising, twists. "I had this one song called 'My Animal Heart" that was just awful, so I changed the lyrics to 'Somebody Farted.' The first time I played that song live, it brought the house down."Indeed, Nashville's music scene has started to rally around this unlikely hero - to date, Matt has performed with members of Elvis' backing band as well as number one songwriters Craig Martin and Jimmy Payne. Some have described his music as "Bill Murray-meets-Elton John," while others point to Ben Folds and Bill Watterson as primary influences. "For me, writing a song is a lot like building a house," says Matt. "Melody and composition come first because if the musical foundation isn't strong, no lyric I sing over it will keep it from falling over. When it comes to lyrics, I always strive to make them as original as I possibly can. If I think of a cookie-cutter concept that's been done a hundred times over, I either drop it entirely or try to take it in a completely different direction."Since the release of his EP Ferris Wheel in October 2016, Matt has been writing and touring constantly, both in the Nashville Metro and the surrounding states. "When you're willing to push musical and lyrical boundaries, it polarizes people," says Matt. "The music I'm playing now has closed some doors, but it has created some great opportunities to share my new direction with audiences that want to listen."