Matt Lax and Nearly Beloved

I grew up in California and Texas playing bluegrass and country in my youth. I was taught by my brother Paul Lacques, after that, I learned mostly by ear. Guitar was my voice for most of my musical life (though I did a mean Ernest Tubbs imitation in 9th grade). I learned to play electric blues inspired by Albert Collins and the many elements of the Texas blues sound. I started playing African music when I moved from Austin TX back to LA in my early twenties. After moving to San Francisco (God bless those who stay in LA, theirs will be a oxygen-pure afterlife), I started playing with an Oakland based South African group called Zulu Spear. We were together 10 years and toured around the country. We recorded an album for Liberty records (A.K.A. Capitol Nashville who signed us on all the money that Garth Brooks made them). It was around then that I started singing and writing country tunes. The music I love to write and play is heartfelt and reckless, and I like to mix genres a bit. The same three chords and twangy guitars are in both the American roots, and African musics I love. Anyhow, I lean more toward the country style these days.Nearly Beloved has been together since 1992, and the many band members over the years have been gracious enough to help me get my music out.I edited my profile with Thomas' Myspace Editor V4.4