Wichita-based Matt Allison has spent nearly twenty years leaving his mark on life. Friends know him as the guy who instigates pranks and other “accidental†adventures. Whether he’s filling a car with packing peanuts or catching a girl’s hair in the vacuum cleaner, he’s always in the middle of the excitement, and he’s usually the one initiating it. But these days he’s embarking on a new journey, and you can bet that he’s going to leave a mark on the music industry as well.
Matt spent three days recording his self-titled debut EP alongside Phil Taylor (Future Leaders of the World, Machina) in St. Louis. “Wichita is not known as a music town,†he said, “And I really wanted this to be a professional album, so we pulled out all the stops and went straight to the house producer of one of the largest studios in the city.†They worked late nights, sometimes fifteen hours straight, from 8:00 at night until 10:00 in the morning.
The result is a melodic, pop-infused acoustic album that will have you tapping your feet and closing your eyes with every song. It’s a driving-with-the-windows-down type of album full of light and beauty, and it never shines brighter than on the lead track, “Sunshine.â€
The songs are reminiscent of Lifehouse and Matt Wertz with their infectious melodies and hopeful messages. “I want people to come away from my songs and my concerts knowing that there is so much more to live for. People are living for the wrong things and they aren’t really satisfied with anything they find along the way. I believe people were created for a purpose and if they don’t aim their lives in that direction, then they will feel empty and unfulfilled.â€
While the industry is saturated with naïve, guitar-playing guys fresh out of college, Matt is a cut above. He has a unique and refreshing approach to his career. “I don’t really care about being famous,†he said, “I’m just passionate about playing music, creating great songs, and meeting people. I always love those moments after the show when I get to talk with the audience members.†And he’s looking forward to many more opportunities to meet the listeners. He kicked off 2008 with a bang, already playing one of the biggest shows of his newfound career by sharing the stage with Ares Records recording artists Jonah33.
Matt’s music will stay with you, and his words of hope and encouragement will be ones that you want to hear every day. And just like the rest of his life, his music refuses to leave without making its mark on everyone who hears it.
- by Tara Leigh Cobble
www.taraleighcobble.com
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