 Courtesy: MTS Management Group Hailing from Pittsburgh, Matt Westin pursued various passions, including academics, sports, and acting, until, after years of searching, he walked away from a promising engineering career when he found true fulfillment in the creative outlet of singing. With the influence of many legendary artists, ranging from Johnny Cash to Garth Brooks to Frank Sinatra, Matt found his voice. Recorded with Bryan Cole, Westin's new album, 'Legacy,' is due January 29th and here, he answers his Essential 8 and talks about songwriting, the story behind his album's title, and much more! Did you have a musical mentor? If so, who was it and how did they influence you? Seeing as this is my debut album, my producer Bryan Cole has been my mentor from day one of the project. He’s got a lot of experience in the industry as a musician and producer in a couple different genres of music, and his insight and guidance have been invaluable. He took my vision and helped bring it to life, making sure I made the right moves and pushing me to be better than I ever was. What’s the story behind your album’s title? My album’s title is really reflective of how and why the album came to be. After my father passed away, I was lost and utterly broken. Somehow, deep inside, I knew in my heart that I finally needed to pursue music as my father had encouraged when he was here. I needed something positive to focus on. I needed something to help me rebuild myself. The decision was almost spiritual, because I didn’t think about it at all. I just felt it in my soul and knew what I had to do. So, I named my album “Legacy”. It just clicked. It made sense to me. I am part of my father’s legacy, and he would be so proud to see me accomplishing my dreams and leaving my own legacy behind that will last forever. Legacy is the lifeblood of this album and what drives me to keep working hard. When/where do you do your best writing? I’ve never been able to pin down a place where I just write. Inspiration comes to me randomly sometimes, and I could be in the car, at work, in bed, or at the gym. It’s always been that way for me. So I’ve written everywhere from a hotel room, to recording on my phone when I’m driving, to sitting at a desk the old fashioned way. My best writing is just whenever I’m in the moment, the emotions are welling up inside of me, and it just flows. Do you write about personal experience, the experience of others, observations, made-up stories, something else or a combination?
When I write, many times it comes from my own experience or how I feel or think about things. I do write about things that are outside of my experience, but there’s always my perspective and my imagination in the writing. Inspiration can come from anywhere if you are open to it. What’s the best advice to give to a musician just starting out? Stay true to yourself and your vision and be the best YOU that you can be. It seems to me the greats have always been unique, not knock-offs or reproductions of someone else. If you can surround yourself with good trustworthy people who believe in you and support you, and vice versa, creating music will be a beautiful experience. What do you love most about being on the road? I’ve driven across the entire country 4 times. I can tell you first hand that America is an unbelievably beautiful country. When you live in a city or suburb, there is no sense of how vast this land truly is and how spread out we all are. The incredible beauty, the vastness, and the remarkable history and cultures spread out across America are something special to witness first hand. Is drinking at gigs a positive or a negative? Drinking is a two edged sword. I like to loosen up a bit before a show with a drink or two. Taking the edge off can be a good thing. But being drunk at a gig is never a good idea and I feel it’s unprofessional. A few drinks is ok, but don’t cross that line! The audience deserves your best. Favorite thing to do on a day off? Being from Pittsburgh, it depends on the time of year! It’s either catching some sun by the pool, drinking beer and grilling out with family, or cuddled up on the couch buried in cats and blankets watching TV. Basically, zero stress situations are my favorite. With booze. And snacks. Website Purchase
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