When you listen to Matt Hires, what comes across is the sound of an artist self-assured, authentic, and at ease with being completely and utterly himself.  On his debut F-Stop/ Atlantic release, Take Us To The Start, the 23-year-old Florida native fuses the intimacy of the great singer/songwriters with indelible pop/rock hooks and propulsive rhythms.  The result is a mesmerizing collection of songs that are immediately enchanting, while becoming more deeply rewarding with each listen.

Produced by Eric Rosse (Sara Bareilles), Take Us To The Start is filled with delights, most notably Hires’s voice, an instrument striking in its warmth, expressiveness, and ability to convey a multitude of emotions within a single song.  From the first notes of “Honey, Let Me Sing You A Song,” Matt’s vocals envelop the listener, creating an intimate, captivating realm.

It’s that voice that has hooked people since Matt first began playing.  Growing up in Florida, he was introduced to music by his father, a drummer.  “I grew up with music always around,” Matt remembers.  At sixteen, with a growing interest in songwriting, Matt began playing guitar, specifically his father’s handmade guitar that Matt continues to use today. 

Matt initially gravitated toward the punk and post-hardcore scene, becoming a fan of artists like Taking Back Sunday and Dashboard Confessional.  But then his musical interests began to delve into the richer past, with classic artists such as Tom Petty, the Band, the Byrds, and The Beatles.  It has made for a singular combination of distinct sounds.  As Matt says, “When I first started singing, I was into the emo/indie scene.  Then I started listening to Dylan and Petty, and somehow, my vocals ended up being a melding of those different styles – something old and new.”

After playing with friends for several years in his first band, Brer, where he got his first taste of recording, he went his own way.  It was via MySpace that Matt came to the attention of Atlantic Records A&R exec Gregg Nadel, who recalls, “When I first heard ‘Honey, Let Me Sing You A Song,’ I was hooked immediately.  It was the only thing I listened to for a week.  His unique vocal tone immediately drew me in.”  Nadel sent Matt an email, expressing interest in hearing more.

Amusingly enough, Matt didn’t believe the email was real.  He remembers with a smile, “I thought Gregg’s email was a scam at first.  But then I called the office, and it really was Atlantic Records.”  Soon after, Nadel traveled to Florida to see Matt play, and was immediately taken.  Nadel recalls, “He completely delivered on what I heard in the recordings – his voice was the real deal.”  Soon after, Matt became the first signing to F-Stop Music, a new imprint under Atlantic Records.

Matt considered several producers for his debut.  But when he met Eric Rosse, fresh off a smash with Sara Bareilles, he knew he had found his man.  “We just hit it off,” says Matt.  “I started demoing the songs for him and soon enough, we were in the studio.”

While recording in Los Angeles, Rosse brought a focus to Matt’s writing, revealing the multi-dimensional possibilities in his songs.  Matt elaborates, “He helped me grow a lot as a songwriter – he made me re-examine things as I wrote them to make sure the song was as good as can be.  He really pushed me to evoke the right kind of emotions, in both the songs and my vocals.”

Take Us To The Start opens fittingly with “Honey, Let Me Sing You A Song,” the track that has been a signature of Matt’s since he first wrote it.  “It’s a special one to me – it was a breakthrough for me as a songwriter.  From the first time I played it, it just got a reaction.”  Both a plea and an irresistible invitation, it’s a pop song in the best sense – gorgeously captivating, but grounded in real longing and emotion.  It resonates with the sense of discovery – of the wonders of love, and the wonders of Matt’s blooming talent.

“Perfect Day” tells the tale of a break-up amidst a musical setting that glows with perfectly arranged instrumentation:  electric guitar that beautifully complements Matt’s lead vocals, piano arpeggios that convey immense longing, and shimmering background vocals that evoke the deep melancholy at the heart of the song.  “It was the hardest song to get right,” Matt remembers.  “We made several changes and at one time I thought we might have to save it for the next album.  But it all came together,” he says with a smile.

Matt’s first tour last year became the inspiration for “State Lines,” a song that reflects his experiences on the road.  And his going through a Tom Petty period around the time of recording contributed to the classic-leaning sound of “Pick Me Up,” which jangles with Rickenbacker guitars, gleaming bells and percussion, and a rock’n’roll sound that, like Matt’s voice, is a sublime combination of both the old and the new.

“You In The End,” co-written with Sara Bareilles, is the dramatic heart of the album, a ballad filled with both emotional resonance and rich musical textures.  “Writing with Sara felt really natural,” Matt recounts.  “She has a fluid style – her contributions just came right out of her, and the feel was obvious.”  Matt’s falsetto in the choruses adds an angelic quality that enhances the inherent beauty of the song.  “It was the first time I ever sang falsetto.  Sara encouraged it, and it really helped me grow as a vocalist.”

Matt Hires’s music comes from an authentic and powerful place within him.  “I’m not doing this to be the next big thing,” he declares.  “I want people to see that I’m sincere in my songwriting and that I mean the words I say.  I’m trying to make something that is as uniquely me as possible, making popular music that is a little bit different.” Take Us To The Start fully delivers on that intention, sparkling with the life of a gifted new singer, songwriter, and performer.

                                                                                                                                    4/09