A Chat with Matthew Killough
The Songwriting Journey with Matt Kilough: Denver, the South, Nashville and Influences
In this reflective conversation, singer-songwriter Matt Killough shares about his transition from living in Denver to returning to the South and how it ignited his songwriting process.
Matt, who currently lives in Nashville, has family ties in Florida, Georgia, and Alabama. The podcast discusses influences for his first album, including traditional American roots music and British folk artists. The focus is heavily on his storytelling approach to songwriting and how his Southern heritage played a role in his first album's creation. Matt also opens up about his struggle with performance anxiety and how it contrasts with his passion for writing and recording music. In closing, the host compares Matt's struggles to themes shown in the series 'Ted Lasso' as they discuss the power of belief and confidence in their respective fields.
00:10 Introduction and Background
01:36 Meeting Matt Killough: A Journey Through Music
02:47 The 30A Songwriters Festival Experience
05:56 Exploring Musical Influences and Inspirations
12:19 The Making of the First Album
18:11 Deep Dive into Song Lyrics and Stories
26:26 Facing Challenges and Future Aspirations
34:02 Reflections on Ted Lasso and Personal Growth
37:04 Closing Remarks and Performance
Transcript
You gotta
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:understand too, coming from Denver, back
to the South, I mean, when I left for
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:Denver, I'd been living in Atlanta and
Athens, which weren't, they're not exactly
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:small towns, at least not anymore,
and, it had been a long time since I had
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:actually lived in the rural, South or been
and spent any time in the rural South.
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:It was all school for me, and then
I left and went out West, and that
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:return, you know, sort of to the
Southeast, and all the culture.
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:All those things that you think you
hate, you don't realize how much
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:you miss them until you move away.
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:Coming back really, helped
the songwriting process.
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:It was, it was magic for me.
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:Jason English (Host): Today, we're
spending time with Matt Kilo, who
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:currently lives in Nashville, but
can claim Florida, Georgia, and
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:Alabama as part of his heritage.
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:Matt is a great example of why I wanted to
do this podcast to meet interesting people
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:who have fascinating stories to tell.
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:I hope you find that's the case
in my conversation with him.
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:Since speaking with him at the 38th
Songwriters Festival in Florida,
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:Matt was recognized by Nashville
scene as one of 10 artists to watch.
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:It's recognition well deserved,
and I'm sure there will be more
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:in the coming months and years.
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:We covered a bunch of
topics, including sources of
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:inspiration for his first album.
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:And just wait until you hear some
of that, as well as his borderline
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:obsession with British folk artists.
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:It's not every day you meet someone
from the Deep South who can also
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:go deep on someone like Nick Drake.
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:Grateful that Matt played some songs
too, including Birds of Crenshaw County,
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:off that first album, which we hear
a lot about, but also an unreleased
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:tune called Poor Prometheus, a nod to
Matt's interest in Greek mythology.
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:If you enjoy the episode, please give
Matt a follow on Instagram and Spotify.
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:His last name is spelled K
I L L O U G H let's dive in.
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:I'm talking with Matt Killough
down here at the 30A Songwriter
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:Music Festival in Florida.
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:Matt, thanks for your time.
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:Matthew Killough: time.
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:Ah, very welcome.
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:Glad to be here.
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:Jason English (Host): Is this
your first year playing at the
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:Matthew Killough: This is, yeah.
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:Never, never been down
here for this before.
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:Jason English (Host): But
you've been to the area, right?
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:Matthew Killough: Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
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:We, uh, like I say, my hometown's
only about a, maybe two and
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:a half hour drive from here.
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:So we were down here all the time.
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:My mom learned to water ski in the bay,
and my dad used to come down here all
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:the time, water skiing with his buddies.
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:Our families, used to spend a
lot of time, you know, three,
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:four trips a year probably.
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:That's
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:Jason English (Host):
Yeah, it's a nice area.
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:Today's not so much, but,
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:Matthew Killough: yeah,
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:Jason English (Host):
This festival is crazy.
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:We were here last year just, as
fans and, it's just different.
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:Cause there's what, like
30 venues, 175 artists.
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:How did you get involved?
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:Matthew Killough: To be honest,
I wasn't that familiar with it,
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:but my best friend's parents live
down here now and they've been
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:pushing me to do it for years.
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:And, , and this year
they, his father sent.
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:Sent some of my music and an album review
to the guys that organized the thing
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:and they essentially said they'd take
me if I applied, he forwarded me that
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:email and, essentially put it in my lap
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:Jason English (Host): (laughing)
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:know,
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:Matthew Killough: I couldn't,
couldn't turn him down on that
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:after he did all the leg work,
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:,
Jason English (Host): That's amazing
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:Matthew Killough: I'm glad I did it,
like it's, it's been great thus far.
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:Jason English (Host): it.
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:The number of artists that are down
here, is really good I guess do you plan
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:to make connections, like I say, with
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:Matthew Killough: you know, as
much as we can, like you say, with
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:the weather and everything else.
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:And then today I've been kind of tied up.
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:But it's funny, I know the
guy that's playing after me
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:at the Hilton, Tim Easton.
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:He's a Nashville guy.
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:Um, and I've I've run into
him several times around town.
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:And, I know some other
folks that are down here.
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:You know, I feel, I feel like half the
people that are here probably living
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:in Nashville and in some capacity,
but, yeah, much as I can, I'd
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:like to, and we'll definitely be
out, out and about more tomorrow.
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:Have some more free time.
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:Your
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:Jason English (Host): Your backstory,
can you just give us some headlines,
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:you know, where you're from?
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:It sounds like you live in Nashville now.
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:Matthew Killough: I was born in,
Tallahassee, Florida, but my, my parents
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:at the time were living in Bainbridge,
Georgia, which is a tiny little town,
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:sort of in the Southwest corner, right
near the Alabama and Florida borders.
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:My dad and my mom were both from
South Alabama and he moved over.
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:To Bainbridge to take a coaching
job and, he's a teacher, till
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:he retired a few years back.
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:I went to high school in Bainbridge,
went to a small college, there, and
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:then, then went up to UGA after that
and, , graduated, , lived in Athens for
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:a while, lived in Atlanta, went to Emory
for grad school, was there for about
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:three, three and a half years, and then
after that I moved to Denver and I was in
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:Denver for 12, And I moved to Nashville
in '18, , and I've been there ever since.
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:Most of my family, almost all of them
are from, Alabama, either Silicoga.
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:Talladega area or South Alabama
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:So,
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:Jason English (Host): how
long have you been into music?
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:Did that start pretty, early?
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:Matthew Killough: well,
always loved music.
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:I didn't really pick up a guitar until
my middle brother brought one home.
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:I think they had one sitting
in the band room at the high
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:school that nobody was using.
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:One of Ben's friends had said, Hey,
you know, you should start playing.
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:He brought it home, tried it
for a little while, and just
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:didn't, didn't pick it up again.
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:But I kept messing around with it.
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:Kind of grew from there really slowly.
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:High school, I played here and there, but
I was mostly into electric stuff like most
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:kids are, you know, it's rock and roll.
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:College, I really started getting
more into the acoustic stuff.
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:I was a big Led Zeppelin fan and it's
those kind of British folk tunes,
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:you know, those acoustic numbers,
uh, and the altered tunings between
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:the really big heavy songs that
Jimmy Page does that, captivated me.
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:And when I heard him playing that
kind of stuff, it's like, man, I
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:have to know how he's doing this.
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:And it took me forever to figure out
that it wasn't in standard tuning.
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:So I was trying to make it
work and it just wouldn't.
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:And it was so frustrating.
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:But, from there, it's like,
you know, you just start.
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:Kind of getting into the other British
folk guys, Bert Yanch and, early John
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:Martin and, some of those guys, Nic Jones
has been a big one for me here lately,
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:and Roy Harper and, guys like that, Robin
Williamson from Incredible String Band.
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:I don't know if you've
ever listened to his early
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:Jason English (Host): Oh, wow.
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:Matthew Killough: but, uh, blew my mind.
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:He plays in this weird C minor tuning.
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:It sounds so witchy.
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:It's, it's very, uh, very
strange, but I don't know.
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:That's the stuff that really kind
of made me want to put down an
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:electric and pick up an acoustic.
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:And I sort of haven't been back really.
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:Jason English (Host): Are you
familiar with Nick Drake at all?
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:Matthew Killough: Dude.
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:Love him, found out about
him in college, Pink Moon
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:was on a car commercial,
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:Jason English (Host): then, yeah,
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:Matthew Killough: and yeah, he had this
huge resurgence, and, then he was on, I
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:went to watch Garden State when I was in
grad school with a girlfriend of mine,
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:and they had a Nick Drake song, there
too, and so it's just always kind of
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:away by what he was doing.
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:Um, nobody else sounds like that,
you know, and he uses more open
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:tunings than anybody I've ever seen.
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:Every song he does is in a different
tuning, I can't imagine sitting there
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:watching him live because most of
the show would have been him turning
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:pegs, you know, but, um, but he's
great and I've tried to mess around
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:with some of his stuff and it is.
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:Endlessly frustrating like he's a
virtuoso, and I don't I don't even
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:know I wouldn't know where to start
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:Jason English (Host): I don't know if
I've even heard someone try to cover him
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:Matthew Killough: if you get on
YouTube There's English guys that do
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:it like they can play it note for note.
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:There's a guy from Indiana Josh Turner.
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:I think is his name he Has played
more, , Nick Drake songs, covered
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:more on YouTube than anybody I've seen.
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:And he plays them note for note.
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:I think he was a music major, in college.
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:But, it's not easy.
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:It's really not.
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:There's another guy.
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:Chris Brain is his name, and he's from
Leeds area, I think, and he sounds,
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:similar, in a way, to Nick Drake on
some of the stuff that he does, and he's
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:covered a lot of Nick Drake stuff, you
know, just on YouTube, but, yeah, you
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:should check those out if you haven't seen
them, it's, uh, it's crazy to see it in
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:Jason English (Host): out if you haven't
seen them, tell me about Athens, obviously
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:thats a famous hub to see it in person.
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:Well, it's funny, what kind
of influence did that have
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:Matthew Killough: well, it's funny, when
I When I first showed up there, all I
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:cared about was post punk, you know?
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:I mean, I was kind of in the moment
and Zeppelin and the Stones and, there
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:was this Zeppelin cover band called
Zoso and they may still be around.
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:I tried to catch them in Denver
one time and it sold out.
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:You know, uh, that far away.
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:I couldn't believe it, but in the
Southeast they had a dedicated
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:following and I was there for every
show they played, no matter what,
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:even if I was alone, I was going,
then there was a cover band when
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:I was there called sticky fingers.
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:That was a pretty good stones cover band.
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:But, uh, other than that, though,
I was on, I, I roomed with a guy
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:from my hometown that first summer,
and he had a fairly extensive.
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:Cable plan and he had VH1 classic
and at the time they were playing old
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:school like post punk bands like split
ends and some of the stuff from The
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:Cure, Suzie and the Banshees you know
stuff like that and I Would sit on the
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:couch all day and watch that stuff.
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:At the time You know old B 52s
and REM and all that stuff living
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:there was almost Almost cliche,
but now, if I find a jukebox, a
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:lot of times that's what I put on.
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:But, uh, yeah, I wish
I'd had more time there.
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:I, had this kind of life pivot,
this changing moment, where I
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:was sitting in this Kaplan class
trying to get ready for the MCAT.
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:And It was right across the
street from the Georgia theater.
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:And I saw these people lining up
for these shows day after day.
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:And I was just absolutely despondent,
you know, like, what am I doing here?
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:And it made me so sad.
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:And I finally, the end of the summer,
right as I was getting ready to take the
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:test, I burn out and I got over it and
I had to call my parents and say, look.
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:I'm sorry, I don't think I can do this.
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:And they were very patient,
alright, we understand, you know.
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:But you gotta, you gotta come up with
something else, because there's three
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:kids coming behind you that we have to, we
have to help, that was kind of that, one
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:of those moments I wanted to, you know,
to physician assistant school instead.
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:It probably salvaged my sanity,
kept me from going off the
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:Jason English (Host): off the deep
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:Matthew Killough: Uh, and allowed.
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:Time for music, because, you're talking
about eight years of med school at least.
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:I don't know if I'd have, uh, I
don't know if I'd have had any
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:music left in me if I'd done that.
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:Jason English (Host): That's a
lot, tell us about your album
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:Matthew Killough: Man, that's,
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:Jason English (Host): the
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:Matthew Killough: the thing about first
albums is, you know, they say you have
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:your entire life to write your first one.
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:You know, you've got years and years and
years, and it's Sort of a compilation
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:of everything that you've done up to
that point and you just pick what you
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:want You know, whatever fits I guess
It's that second one that gets you,
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:you know where you're on a timetable.
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:It's like, all right Well, can you
really come up with other material or
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:pick some material that you have before,
you know Have you got enough left?
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:For me it was that album is a
combination of songs that I wrote when
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:I was in Denver, which just a couple
of them, weren't many of those left.
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:And then, songs that I wrote, when
I first, moved to, Nashville and,
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:my sister and her husband live near
Talladega, they live in Pell city.
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:Her husband,
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:My brother in law, Zach, he worked
on a hunting preserve and like a clay
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:course, you know, so every time I
went down there to see him, I would
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:spend all day out there with him.
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:It was so much fun.
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:Just, even if he was doing maintenance
stuff or whatever, and occasionally
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:they'd let me get out and shoot
and, there were people that he
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:worked with that were a lot of fun.
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:I went fishing with them several times
a lot of those interactions and that
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:setting really fed into, the album and it
became, kind of a origin story, I guess,
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:with, my family and, where we were.
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:Where we had lived and, all that stuff,
how my parents were brought up and
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:what I had been through and all that.
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:And it just came together really
well, those, you know, times visiting
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:them, in Sylacauga and Talladega.
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:Really sort of cemented
the whole thing for me.
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:And there's, old cemeteries.
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:We went off in the woods.
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:I mean, this place, and he
had to ask around about it.
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:It was so overgrown.
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:It was off the side of the road.
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:You can't see any of it, but
after, hacking through all this
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:vegetation and everything else, you
get to these old stones, you know,
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:they're only about that tall and.
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:you know, really small.
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:But yeah, there's people with my
last name, buried back in the woods.
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:This used to be a cemetery and,
it's just stuff like that, all
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:that sort of in a new light for me,
really brought it to the forefront
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:and it made it, made it easy, man.
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:It came, all of it came
together really well,
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:Jason English (Host):
And it's called, uh, Oslo
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:Matthew Killough: Siloam, yeah.
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:And yeah, Siloam is a Siloam Baptist
Church, or like they say down there,
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:they say Siloam, but um, Siloam Baptist
Church, which is in South Alabama, and
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:there's a cemetery there with a bunch
of, my relatives buried, in it, and so
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:it's kind of an important spot for us.
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:My dad always talked about it, it's
just, my great grandfather was the one or
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:great, great grandfather was the one to
move from central Alabama, you know, sort
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:of hill country down to south Alabama.
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:We think it was because he was
farming and the land was cheaper,
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:but you know, uh, all bets are off.
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:Like there's, there's no telling.
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:Jason English (Host): you know, you
said it's pretty easy to come together,
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:was the songwriting the easy part
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:Matthew Killough: Well, to be honest,
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:You gotta
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:understand too, coming from Denver, back
to the South, I mean, when I left for
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:Denver, I'd been living in Atlanta and
Athens, which weren't, they're not exactly
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:small towns, at least not anymore,
and, it had been a long time since I had
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:actually lived in the rural, South or been
and spent any time in the rural South.
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:It was all school for me, and then
I left and went out West, and that
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:return, you know, sort of to the
Southeast, and all the culture.
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:All those things that you think you
hate, you don't realize how much
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:you miss them until you move away.
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:Coming back really, helped
the songwriting process.
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:It was, it was magic for me.
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:The other thing about moving, back
to the Southeast and Nashville in
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:particular is that you are hit.
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:With all this traditional music, you
know, as soon as you hit city limits.
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:And, when I moved there, I
was more traditional country.
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:I mean, that was what we
were listening to out West.
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:And they had a good scene
for that, in Denver.
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:But when I was in the process of moving
to Nashville, I started doing more finger
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:style stuff, you know, listening to.
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:Townes Van Zandt and Guy Clark and
some of Steve Earle's stuff and, Willis
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:Allen Ramsey who was a big inspiration
for me on this particular album.
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:That album was supposed to be my
Willis Allen Ramsey album and it
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:came out way too hillbilly for that.
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:But, it made me want to play.
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:more involved guitar instead of just,
sitting up there strumming three
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:chords and the truth like you do with
traditional country a lot of the time.
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:I started turning a corner there and then
the longer I've been in Nashville, the
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:more I've sort of gotten away from that
and kind of come in full circle and headed
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:back towards these British folk guys
and open tunings and all that, that I, I
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:liked so much when I was in, in school,
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:So yeah, it's been a, it's been a
neat trip, all things considered.
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:I'm
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:Jason English (Host): I got to say,
Matt, when I first connected with
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:you a few weeks ago and listening to
your songs and this album, I was so
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:excited to meet you because on one
hand, your, your voice is familiar for
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:some reason, and the melodies and the
tunes are familiar, but it's so unique.
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:It's like you're this
like combination of Jimmy
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:Matthew Killough: I
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:Jason English (Host): Dwight Yoakam,
you know, and like whoever, I
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:mean, it's just, it's so different.
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:Yeah.
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:I mean, it, it really, it really is.
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:And I, what I'd like to do is, spend a
couple of minutes on some of these songs.
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:Matthew Killough: of
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:Jason English (Host): I've got
some of the lyrics and, we'll
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:start with the opening track.
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:It's called birds of Crenshaw County.
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:I'm going to read a few of the lyrics
and if you could just expand on, the
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:backstory and whatnot, I think maybe it's,
it's part of this, origin story that
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:you mentioned too, about your family.
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:These are, these are incredible lines.
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:So it's birds of Crenshaw
County and it goes like this.
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:Me and Hazel Carver Jenkins
barreling down a County road.
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:Towards the beaver pond grocery
living fast and flying low
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:and Hazel's cradling a pistol.
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:She's looking like a bird of prey
in a town full of buzzards spinning
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:around waiting on judgment day.
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:And it gets better.
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:Actually, the next verse is, I've
listened to this so many times.
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:I'm like, where in the
world does this come from?
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:The old man and his lady were
living in a room around the back
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:around the 4th of every July.
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:They made all the money they could stack.
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:On Black Cats and Roman Candles,
folks raining fire all over town,
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:people here in Crenshaw County love
to see a pretty thing burn out.
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:Matthew Killough: Yeah,
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:Jason English (Host):
in the world does that
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:Matthew Killough: all right.
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:So, um, so Crenshaw County, if you
drive down here from Nashville, you
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:go through there and, let's see, Lou
Verne is, I think maybe the county seat.
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:I'm not sure.
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:Brantley,
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:and then Brundage is in there too.
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:But, um, tiny little area,
not, not a whole lot going on.
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:Really small little towns, but that's
where, my great grandparents essentially
350
:and my great great grandparents set up
and they have a little house, not far
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:from Lou Verne that's still standing.
352
:It's condemned, but they still
own the land and everything there.
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:That was their, stomping ground.
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:And my great uncle Homer was his name.
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:, he.
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:Jason English (Host): had this little
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:Matthew Killough: general store, and it
was called a Beaver Pond Grocery and it's,
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:I could not tell you exactly where it was.
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:I know it's since been taken down.
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:When I was a kid, some of my earliest
memories walking in this place he and
361
:My great aunt both chewed tobacco,
and they had spittoons in the house.
362
:And there was always a space heater
on full blast around Christmastime,
363
:and they'd have football on TV.
364
:But they lived, like, in a Their house
was essentially attached to the store.
365
:Like, it was part of the store,
and so they just lived in the back.
366
:And they always gave me Firecrackers.
367
:Like, that was the thing they'd
send me home with, you know.
368
:A lot of that, comes from, from them.
369
:Now, the part about the buzzards.
370
:My hometown, Bainbridge,, over
the past several years, I guess,
371
:has become a buzzard roost.
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:And I don't know why.
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:These things, I had a video on my
phone, I should have saved it the
374
:last time I was home for Christmas.
375
:I mean, they fly around in clouds, and
if anything, anything is dead, anywhere
376
:in town, you can pinpoint exactly where,
because these things, I mean, just
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:in droves, and there's a water tower.
378
:And you can pass by the water tower on
the bypass or whatever and look up and
379
:they're all perched completely surrounding
this thing and they're just sitting
380
:there, you know, and I thought, you know,
it's like they're passing judgment on
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:Jason English (Host): Yeah.
382
:Seriously.
383
:But,
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:Matthew Killough: uh, but that's, you
know, and some of that small town people
385
:to, can, can be a little judgy sometimes,
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:Jason English (Host): so who, who's Hazel?
387
:Matthew Killough: you know,
I honestly just made her up.
388
:Hey, yeah, I don't know why, but
I always loved the name Hazel.
389
:And, I'm big on rhyme and
meter, and making sure everything
390
:matches or trying to anyway.
391
:And Hazel Carver Jenkins just made sense,
but yeah, the whole thing is about.
392
:You know, like I say, an
attempted robbery and, the actual,
393
:the robbery never happened.
394
:,
Jason English (Host): yeah, it's, it was like, it's like a Bonnie and Clyde sort
395
:Matthew Killough: exactly right.
396
:Yeah, and it just sort of
came together that way.
397
:But, uh, but yeah, I think I had the,
398
:to,
399
:think I
400
:I
401
:had the riff first.
402
:And if you listen to Willis Allen
Ramsey's only done one album and
403
:it's legendary, especially among.
404
:The Americana crowd.
405
:You talk to anybody, Kelly Willis,
any of these other folks, around
406
:here, and bring up his name, they
will have plenty to tell you.
407
:There's a song he does called Satin
Sheets, which Waylon Jennings ended
408
:up covering, you know, uh, a bunch of
the stuff from his album, that album,
409
:bunch of those songs got covered.
410
:I think almost every song on
there, Anyway, I think the riff,
411
:comes from listening to Satin
Sheets, because he plays that in
412
:Open G and I always loved, Open G.
413
:So, but yeah, I had the riff first
and then, just started writing
414
:down the story as it came to
415
:me.
416
:Jason English (Host): I
mean, it's incredible.
417
:Matthew Killough: Well, thank
you, it was fun to write, that
418
:wasn't one of the difficult ones
419
:Yeah.
420
:Jason English (Host): What
about, is it Calcimine
421
:Matthew Killough: So calcimine is, it's
sort of a type of, uh, like whitewash.
422
:That used to be used a lot more often.
423
:Nowadays, we don't use it because we
have latex paints, a lot tougher, but.
424
:I, the first house we lived in,
my roommate and I in Nashville,
425
:East Nashville, had a dirt
cellar, down below the house.
426
:And I had a motorcycle and I would
keep the motorcycle down in the
427
:dirt cellar and I'd work out down
there sometimes and stuff like that.
428
:So I spent a lot of time down there
and they had buckets of paint,
429
:you know, just spare paint sitting
up, on these shelves on the wall.
430
:And one of them.
431
:The shade of it was called calcimine blue,
and so I looked it up, found out, oh,
432
:calcimine is this pale color, blue, it's
like whitewash, but it's like sky blue,
433
:and the living room was painted that
color in that house, and it's just
434
:sort of sitting there in that house.
435
:Day after day, on my days off, like
trying to write, and that color was always
436
:there, that just sort of materialized.
437
:Jason English (Host): So these, stories
from your, kind of the family heritage,
438
:are you trying to convey a meaning?
439
:Is there a, is there a lesson here
or are they just kind of stories that
440
:Matthew Killough: not really.
441
:I just, uh, like you say, especially
back then, just loved telling a good
442
:story, I was never one of those people.
443
:A lot of my favorite bands, the
post punk bands and a lot of
444
:the English folk guys, they wrote
445
:Some of them in these abstract
terms and I'm sure you've
446
:heard the quote before that
447
:the
448
:the best poetry is You know open
to interpretation, you know by
449
:the reader and I'm paraphrasing
450
:Right.
451
:I wanted to write more like that man,
but I was just so linear, you know,
452
:and So stories just made sense to me,
like it just, that's the direction I
453
:ended up sort of getting pushed in.
454
:But,
455
:Jason English (Host): getting.
456
:What's the story behind Calcimine Blue,
457
:Matthew Killough: man, that's an,
I think that's an ex girlfriend
458
:song, , and that was, was, it
wasn't really much of a relationship.
459
:It was an infatuation, really,
that, I tried desperately to date
460
:this girl for three weeks or so.
461
:It just didn't work out.
462
:And, this is really nobody's fault,
but it took me forever to get over that.
463
:She was just, I just knew she
was the one, she was the fish
464
:that got away, the big one.
465
:And, for years it bothered me.
466
:And I blame myself, but then
eventually, you know how things fade,
467
:and you almost begin to miss that.
468
:It's like, oh, all this, these
terrible feelings and all that
469
:is as crazy as that may seem.
470
:It's like as soon as they start
to fade, you begin to, wait
471
:a minute, where'd that go?
472
:And, um, that's sort of what that one
is about, when you're just sort of
473
:left, you're not hurting anymore, not
really, not like you were by any means.
474
:But you're just sort of drained and you
know, you kind of feel sort of empty
475
:and diminished and and that one That's,
that's more along, I guess that's,
476
:that's what I was going for there.
477
:Jason English (Host): So this first album,
you made a comment earlier about it.
478
:You have like a whole life to sort of
put the first album together and then the
479
:next one may be a bit more challenging.
480
:Are you working on another album?
481
:Matthew Killough: man, I,
that's, this will be the third
482
:gig I've played all year.
483
:Like this year was supposed to
be slated, as the writing year.
484
:Because I really wanted to put out
another album within a year of when
485
:the first one got released, you know,
and try and try and keep that momentum
486
:and set a precedent for myself,
a goal of just, you know, always
487
:writing and always being productive.
488
:But, I went down a huge rabbit
hole with the whole English
489
:folk thing, and that was fun.
490
:It really was.
491
:I loved it.
492
:Um, and it led to a lot of, guitar
parts, uh, being figured out and
493
:things like that, a lot of melodies,
but not a whole lot of, lyrics.
494
:I've sort of come to realize you
can sit around and noodle on a
495
:guitar and you'll find things
that you like, and that's great.
496
:But I think, and I didn't
understand this until now.
497
:You have to be living, you know, in
order to have things to write about.
498
:You gotta get out into the world and
experience things, and it's tough
499
:to sit at home and make up songs.
500
:I'm almost never happy with
them when that happens.
501
:That's why the first one, was so much
easier was because I had something
502
:to write about, when you just post
up in your house, all right, well,
503
:I'm just gonna, I'm gonna write
a whole album, that got tougher.
504
:I did get better at being
abstract though, and, you know,
505
:writing more sort of like in a.
506
:Poetry style, which I'm, I'm happy about,
507
:Jason English (Host): How
do you get to that point?
508
:Matthew Killough: Desperation, I think,
you know, not having stories to tell.
509
:It's like, there went my
crutch, all right, I've told almost
510
:every story I got, worth telling.
511
:And we all say that the truth is
you have that conversation with
512
:somebody else and they'll bring up.
513
:Three stories that you've never
utilized that are totally worth
514
:telling and you don't even think
about it But there's got to be in for
515
:me a lot of times like an emotional
attachment there something like that
516
:Some sort of watermark, you
know so that I remember.
517
:Okay.
518
:Yeah, that was that was a rough time
Or that was a great time or whatever
519
:So, you know, we all have
material that we can use
520
:You know, it's just it doesn't always
show up on your doorstep, you know
521
:That's where couch time comes in.
522
:Like you just kind of have to
sit there and think, which is not
523
:the most pleasant thing in the
524
:in the world
525
:Jason English (Host): Well,
you've mentioned a few
526
:different genres that you've.
527
:If you experimented with or have been
into, we're at a festival, if you had
528
:Car Blanche to put together an evening
lineup at a festival with four or
529
:five acts, what would that look like?
530
:Matthew Killough: man.
531
:I don't.
532
:Well, to lead.
533
:You gotta have Radiohead
in there somewhere.
534
:That is contrary to, to, you know,
the style of music I play and,
535
:uh, everything we've talked about.
536
:They are my favorite
band of my generation.
537
:You know, my living years, I listen to
more of their stuff than anybody else.
538
:And it's always fascinated me.
539
:And they're one of those, one of
those bands that I feel like you
540
:sort of have to, it's almost like a
project when they release a new album.
541
:It's almost like homework.
542
:Like you, you know, for me anyway,
I have to bring it home and I
543
:got to live with it for a while.
544
:And sort of try and make sense of it.
545
:Some of them are more
user friendly than others.
546
:They'd have to be in there somewhere.
547
:And I would love, God, I'd love
to have seen Nick Drake just once.
548
:You know what I mean?
549
:, that would have been great.
550
:You know, Nic Jones is still around,
but he had this terrible car accident
551
:back in the early eighties and he
has never been able to quite play the
552
:guitar the way that he, he did, before.
553
:If you could get pre 80s, late 60s,
mid 70s Nic Jones, then, uh, It's funny
554
:too, they have, they have recordings
from folk clubs from, like,:
555
:1974 in the UK that they've posted
on YouTube, and you can actually
556
:hear the guy, uh, from back then.
557
:They don't have him live
in a video or anything, but
558
:Jason English (Host):
Who's who's closing it out?
559
:Is it Radiohead or is it
560
:Matthew Killough: Oh, yeah, I mean,
Radiohead's definitely, um, they're
561
:the headliner, like I say, because you
can't, you don't want, you don't want
562
:Radiohead playing and then putting a
folk act up there, that'd be a real
563
:problem, nobody's gonna follow those guys.
564
:What else?
565
:There's a band called the Chameleons
that I really liked, , they were from
566
:the post punk group from Manchester,
back in the 80s, and, sort of
567
:along the lines of, Interpol or Joy
Division or something like that.
568
:Jason English (Host): That's good.
569
:Alright.
570
:Matthew Killough: I was gonna
say, so you got two folk acts
571
:and you got two Rock acts and,
572
:Jason English (Host): That's good.
573
:Matthew Killough: happy.
574
:Probably not, but,
575
:Jason English (Host): So,
a couple more questions.
576
:in terms of where you're at in your
career and your aspirations, do you
577
:think about, hey I want to be known.
578
:As an artist that is blank, you know, like
do you do you consciously want to have
579
:intention around that or is it like hey?
580
:I just want to make good music that I
like and then if people like it, so be it
581
:Matthew Killough: that's, you kind
of summed it up right there, man.
582
:Considering how anxious I was about
even coming down for this thing.
583
:Like, can you imagine me on the road?
584
:You know, I would die.
585
:I would never make it.
586
:I'd be a head case.
587
:I already am.
588
:So it would just make it worse.
589
:It'd be a downward spiral.
590
:I wouldn't mind, touring
the UK at some point.
591
:Cause that's where so many
of my influences come from.
592
:And they love a lot of American
roots music, country blues, and story
593
:songs like are on that album, and
traditional country even, but, That
594
:and the Southeast are all I really care
to, I feel like I've seen most of the
595
:country in one capacity or another,
it's mostly, getting this stuff out of
596
:my system and, and putting it down.
597
:The recording is important because I
just, I want a record of that, you know.
598
:Jason English (Host): Where do
you think the anxiety comes from?.
599
:Matthew Killough: Man,
600
:I've never, I've never
done well under pressure.
601
:I was a kicker in high
school and, can you imagine?
602
:Jason English (Host):
you're a field goal kicker?
603
:Awful.
604
:Matthew Killough: yeah, yeah, terrible.
605
:I was the worst, maybe, in Decatur
County history, they, when I
606
:was a sophomore, the guy that we
had, I didn't even play football.
607
:I was a baseball guy.
608
:And, um, they said, hey, look, we
know your dad taught you how to
609
:punt, you know, when you were a kid.
610
:Dad was a punter and a quarterback
and, like we want you to punt, but
611
:we want you to learn how to kick.
612
:And so it's like, I was a sophomore.
613
:I was like, alright man, I'll do
614
:Jason English (Host): there's no pressure
615
:Matthew Killough: Yeah, I was going to say
I'll do the best I can, but I don't know.
616
:They sent me to camp at Auburn.
617
:You know, I kicked on at Jordan Hare.
618
:You know, on the field and everything.
619
:I actually made it to
the finals of the thing.
620
:But, learned a lot in
a short amount of time.
621
:And I loved it.
622
:It was a lot of fun.
623
:But, kicking in an empty stadium
versus kicking in a full stadium.
624
:Two different things.
625
:When you got 11 guys coming
at you, that's awful.
626
:And a crowd full of people watching.
627
:So, I don't know.
628
:That was, that was my first inkling
that maybe I'm not the guy, that
629
:likes to be in front of a crowd.
630
:For me, the writing and the recording
was always, what I enjoyed the most.
631
:That's where all the payoff was.
632
:The live performances,
they always just made me.
633
:Curl up into a little ball, you know?
634
:So, uh, and I've gotten
better, you know, at it.
635
:But, uh, but it's never easy.
636
:It's never easy.
637
:Jason English (Host):
Just in to wrap things up.
638
:So the, inspiration for this
podcast has a lot to do with music,
639
:but it's also about, Ted Lasso and
the mindset, positivity, curiosity.
640
:He deals with some anxiousness,
with his, panic attacks.
641
:You've seen the show.
642
:What, what are some of your takeaways
from either the show itself, certain
643
:character, what, what are some
of the themes for you personally?
644
:Matthew Killough: Uh, I don't know.
645
:I wish I could have been on his team.
646
:I wish I had a coach like that.
647
:You know what I mean?
648
:Uh, I've never known a coach like that.
649
:I'll tell you that much.
650
:Jason English (Host):
What about the character
651
:Matthew Killough: well, to be honest,
he's just, he's so encouraging.
652
:You know, everything has a silver
lining, and that's the way it's always,
653
:uh, It's always been with that guy.
654
:It seemed like through the series, there's
always Something we can take away from
655
:this some some positive aspect, you know,
or learning experience So we can get and
656
:uh,
657
:you know, and that's that's a great thing.
658
:Like I say
659
:My dad was more of a John
Wayne guy, you know, like,
660
:you
661
:know, which classic Southern coach
and that has its advantages too.
662
:They fire you up, you know, it's more
about, like some of these old Southern
663
:preachers, they yell and they scream
and it gets you, it gets you excited
664
:You know, or Kirby Smart like you
see him doing Locker room speeches,
665
:you know, it's like no wonder
666
:Jason English (Host): Yeah.
667
:Seriously.
668
:Matthew Killough: this, this
dude's, uh, inspiring people, but,
669
:um, but I always like Danny Rojas.
670
:Danny, Danny Rojas is
671
:Jason English (Host): my favorite.
672
:Yeah.
673
:Matthew Killough: I mean,
how, how could he not be?
674
:He's endless positivity, he's got
tons of energy, he is youth, and
675
:he's also a really hard worker, , and
well mannered and, you know, uh, knows
676
:who he is, knows where he comes from.
677
:I mean, he's the perfect guy.
678
:You want that dude on your team, you know.
679
:Jason English (Host): Well, for, this
conversation, I think what's relevant
680
:to me that what comes to mind is,
it's kind of cheesy, but the whole
681
:believe sign, you know, above the
door, yes, there's tactics in soccer.
682
:There's probably tactics with music,
you know, how do you write lyrics?
683
:How do you, how do you, you know,
strum a guitar there's technical
684
:aspects that you need to know.
685
:But.
686
:When it comes down to it, it's actually
self confidence, it's belief, it's,
687
:and I see this in the corporate
world, do you agree with that?
688
:Matthew Killough: Absolutely.
689
:, I, just from a point of, uh, point of,
um, Vulnerability have never, you know,
690
:uh, that's, that's one of the things
that always plagued me, you know, like
691
:say being in pressure situations and
things like that, if you are confident
692
:with a certain song or whatever,
overwhelmingly, uh, you know, most of
693
:the time, anyway, you, you're going
to play that well, no matter what.
694
:And, if you're not, Man, it's crazy what
your mind can do, how it can work against
695
:you and, so I think that's everything.
696
:I agree,
697
:Jason English (Host): Yeah.
698
:Well, for what it's worth, you
should have every reason to believe.
699
:Matthew Killough: I sure appreciate
700
:Jason English (Host): I mean, seriously,
you said something on Instagram and I
701
:commented, I'm like, I think you're going
to own this festival because you have
702
:such a unique, voice and perspective.
703
:And I'd love if you played a couple songs.
704
:Are you cool with that?
705
:Matthew Killough: sure, man
706
:Jason English (Host): All right.
707
:All right.
708
:Let's do it.
