Interview with Country Artist Matt Bailie
by Brenda L. Madden

Matt Bailie, a young, hand some and talented newcomer is making waves in country music circles. His traditional sound mixed with a charisma and charm rarely seen is reminis cent of an early Garth Brooks.

That magnetism appeared at the early age of 15. He was performing with a rock band at the time, but it was a trip to Pensacola and an evening of karaoke that determined his musical direc tion. Although a fan of country music, it was not until that night that he realized his true calling. He remem bers, “When I started singing, everybody in the room stopped.” After returning home, Matt left the band to follow his heart.

Shortly thereafter, he tried his hand at songwriting. He and friend, Donnie Van Zant of 38 Special, began writing the song, “Man Behind These Eyes.” Tragically, Matt never knew his father, who died in a plane crash when Matt was barely a toddler. The song was born out of his emotion and the question he so often asked, “What would it be like to know him if he were still around?”

By age 19, Matt was in Nashville taking the next step in his musical journey -studying studio engineering, performing late nights on lower Broadway and honing his songwriting skills. All were important pieces on the road to his dreams. During a writing session with Aaron Scherz, Matt pulled out the unfinished and very personal song, “Man Behind These Eyes.” Matt em phasizes, “If I haven’t lived it, I won’t sing it.” He believes, in order to interpret the song and bring the emotion to the forefront, it must be experienced. As his songwriting skills grow, he still pulls from his per sonal experiences or that of a friend; but nonetheless, there is a thread of something personal in each song even if it is simply an idea about his camouflage hat.

While writing and recording are a rewarding part of his career, the live performances truly get his adrenaline pumping. From the time his foot steps off the bus and he makes his way to the stage, Matt is going full throttle and giving as much to the fans as he can possibly give. He enjoys interacting with fans during and after a show. Prior to the show, he will walk to the farthest seat and ask himself the question, “How am I going to reach this person?” Commenting about the fans, he says, “Without them, you’ve got nothing.”

Although only in his early 20s, Matt Bailie shows a lot of maturity in his music (as evidenced by his self-titled debut CD) and wisdom in building a strong life foundation with his wife and three-year old daughter. While Matt inherited his father’s musical ability, it seems Matt’s young daughter may carry on the family tradition as well. Recently she grabbed a micro phone and joined her father on stage unexpectedly; it was a crowd-pleaser and the smile on Matt’s face as he relates the story is priceless. Always a perfectionist, Matt states,” I want to make sure I give everybody the best performance possible.” It is that determination and integrity as well as his talent that will take him to his dreams!

www.mattbailiemusic.com