New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Memphis-born and Mississippi-bred, Matt Hectorne understands the musical pedigree of his home states. And while he is clearly indebted to the blues, country, and rock n' roll the Mid South has created, he isn't beholden to any one genre. With a healthy dose of the
Heartland rock of the 1970's and 80's, inspired by such artists as Tom Petty, John Mellencamp, and
Bob Seger (along with the gospel and country he grew up on), Hectorne has developed an amalgam of sound both familiar and distinct. With that foundation, mixed with the 90's and 2000's indie-rock that shaped his teens and 20s, Hectorne has found a space in the slice of life storytelling and well-worn heart-on-the sleeve ethos that gave way to cultivating his craft and worldview. A craft that fans and industry alike have described as vulnerable yet confident and strikingly human.
Feeling disenfranchised in his small conservative town, Hectorne moved across country at a young age to find kindred souls in his quest to create his own take on the American catalog. The ensuing years saw Hectorne form bands, narrowly evade homelessness, and fall into a lifestyle of partying and scraping by. Now newly sober, Hectorne comes out of his 20s with a fresh perspective on a life of making art for a living, marriage, and our very existence as impermanent beings.
While not a purist by any means, Hectorne's goal isn't to push his music into the newest trends, but to build upon the traditions laid before him and tell his own story through the lens of American music. The journey through which he guides the listener is one to be enjoyed in a moment of pause, canceling out the noise and flash of today's media landscape. Succinctly put by influential music blog The Wild
Honey Pie: "The formula is simple, as it should be, but also highly inviting."