Matt Harlan - ProfilesArchive

About Me

Matt Harlan is a songwriter's songwriter. He composes landscapes and statements disguised as songs. Often non-linear, but always melodic, Harlan's works confront social norms, celebrate lives overlooked, or just wax poetic about coffee and bus-stops. Whatever the inspiration, the music is always heartfelt and genuine.
Born and raised in Texas, Harlan soaked up the richness of the state and its song-smiths while bouncing between big cities and small towns. Always in love with music, he eventually learned to play and write it. Harlan draws from a range of influences interpreting a generation steeped in plastic and filtered through the Hill Country limestone.
After gigging in rock bands around San Antonio and Austin, Harlan dropped the pick and the power chords to develop his own unique fingerstyle guitar technique. Now back in Houston he is working to promote his earthy, socially conscious sound, which is continually evolving.
Matt's songwriting has been getting some recognition lately with awards from American Songwriter and the Houston Fort Bend Songwriting Association at the end of 2006; as a finalist in the Wildflower Arts and Music Festival, Mountain Stage New Song Festival and regional finalist at the Kerrville Folk Festival New Folk competition, all in 2007.
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My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 8/8/2005
Band Website: mattharlan.com
Band Members: Matt Harlan - guitar / vocals / songwriter
Influences: Townes Van Zandt, Bob Dylan, Gram Parsons, Lyle Lovett, Uncle Tupelo/Wilco/Son Volt, Gillian Welch/David Rawlings, river banks, highways, solitude/togetherness, nightlife, etc., etc., etc.
Sounds Like: Something you would like.
Record Label: Open to offers...
Type of Label: None

My Blog

"Over the Bridge" on Longtown Sound

Hey y'all, My song, "Over the Bridge" is on the webcast Longtown Sound. These guys are a great help to musicians like myself. You should go check out their archives. http://wlso. fm/wordpress/arc...
Posted by Matt Harlan on Tue, 14 Oct 2008 10:30:00 PST

Another New Song - "Elizabethtown"

Well y'all, after writing the last newest song (the lyrics aren't posted, you have to come hear it live) in that weird-ass Peter Case tuning I just learned I figured I needed another one with the same...
Posted by Matt Harlan on Sat, 05 May 2007 10:55:00 PST

I'm a Wildflower Finalist (and New Folk Honorable Mention)!!

I got notice last week that among 200+ folks, I've been picked to compete against 9 other great songwriters at the Wildflower Music Festival in Richardson, TX!! I'm pretty damn excited abou...
Posted by Matt Harlan on Tue, 01 May 2007 10:22:00 PST

New Songs Posted

So, I recently recorded some demos at Lucky Run studios outside of Houston and they came out pretty good. I decided to post one of the newer tracks here ("Something New") so y'all can check it out and...
Posted by Matt Harlan on Thu, 18 Jan 2007 10:47:00 PST

Austin Connection Podcast Available!

Hey y'all...the podcast I recorded with Jeff Tveraas at Cheshire Moon Studios in Austin is now available!! Check it out at www.austinconnection.net . The recording really sounds great and I think I ma...
Posted by Matt Harlan on Wed, 10 Jan 2007 10:41:00 PST

Another New Song

Well, I've been writing alot recently...sometimes it just comes out of nowhere. This latest one I wrote last Tuesday when I got the guitar in the mail from the American Songwriter contest. I don't typ...
Posted by Matt Harlan on Sun, 24 Dec 2006 04:49:00 PST

Life Is Strange or Joe Ely at the Tunnel's End

Man, I was having a tough run for a little while...my last gig got cancelled because of the intermittent Texas weather, then, when I got home to Houston my car broke down...right outside my apartment ...
Posted by Matt Harlan on Tue, 12 Dec 2006 08:04:00 PST

New Song Added To Myspace Playlist (above)

So, after fretting over putting new tracks up here (not wanting to lose the numbers...I know, it's silly) I finally posted a new track to the playlist above. It's a song I wrote about how you're perce...
Posted by Matt Harlan on Fri, 01 Dec 2006 08:50:00 PST

First Place in American Songwriter Lyrics Contest

Man, I'm pretty excited about this one...I just got notice that my song "Waiting for Godot" won first place in this month's lyrics contest for American Songwriter Magazine. The lyrics will be printed ...
Posted by Matt Harlan on Thu, 02 Nov 2006 02:01:00 PST

Clarks setlist

This is the setlist for the "Live at Clark's" CD. I've been meaning to post this for awhile since I gave out a lot of these CDs without tracklists. Here you go... Live at Clark's Ã¢ Track ListLMR Intr...
Posted by Matt Harlan on Thu, 24 Aug 2006 08:30:00 PST