Sometimes it seems like every musician in the country has an Arkansas connection. Although he is from Canada, Matt Andersen is no exception. She won't be with him at the Blue Lion in Fort Smith, but Amy Helm -- daughter of The Band legend and Arkansas-born Levon Helm -- recorded a song with Andersen on his latest CD, "Halfway Home by Morning."
"When it came time to select songs for the new album, I knew I wanted this song and that I wanted to sing it with Amy," Andersen says of "Something to Lose." "Amy and I have been trying for a long time for the opportunity to write together. We ended being on a tour together and found ourselves with a day off and sat down to tackle a tune. It ended up being the last song we recorded for the album, and it was definitely one of the highlights of my time in the studio.
FAQ
Matt Andersen
WHEN — 7:30 p.m. Oct. 23
WHERE — The Blue Lion at UAFS Downtown, 5210 Grand Ave. in Fort Smith
COST — $25
INFO — 788-7300
BONUS — Andersen will be joined by special guest Monica Rizzio.
"I'll sing with Amy any time I can. She's the real thing and always brings her own genuine and infectious joy into the room and into any song," Andersen says.
Nearly two decades into his career -- and with more than 18 million views on YouTube -- Andersen's "room-shaking, heart-quaking" voice has won many awards, including two European Blues Awards, seven Maple Blues Awards and an International Blues Challenge. He comes to the Blue Lion on a solo tour following a summer tour with superstars Steve Miller and Marty Stuart.
Andersen answered seven questions for What's Up!
Q. What was your first musical influence -- someone in the family? a friend? a particular recording?
A. My grandfather. He played fiddle. He never took a dime for playing but was always happy to play. When everybody else would take their tea break, Grampie would keep the music going. He was the kind of player that would lift the rest of the room when he joined in.
Q. When did you realize this was something you wanted to do as your life's work?
A. I always knew I wanted to be involved in music, [but] I never thought it would be performing. I went to school to work on the technical side, working in studios and live sound. I more or less stumbled into playing live.
Q. What was your big break?
A. Being a part of The Vinyl Cafe tour across Canada was a massive boost for me. That was the first time I'd really played in anything bigger than local clubs. That tour put me in front of so many people that I was able to hang onto as fans for my own shows.
Q. How do you define your music as far as genre? And why?
A. Roots and soul. My music pulls from a lot of different influences. Those two words pretty much cover the breadth of what I do without committing to anything so specific as blues or folk.
Q. If you're introducing someone to your music, what song on the new album says it all?
A. "Quarter on the Ground." That song is a pretty solid representation of where I'm at lyrically and vocally. Also the stripped down nature of the track is how I do most of my touring. Just me and my guitar.
Q. What's more fun? A big tour like the one with Steve Miller and Marty Stuart? Or an acoustic tour like this one?
A. The tour with Steve and Marty was amazing. I got to play in some fantastic places. I did find myself after a few nights of only playing short opening sets that I was ready to be able to settle in and do a full show.
Q. What do you hope audiences take away from a performance shared with you?
A. I like people to leave my shows with the feeling they were part of something. Feeling that they were happy they came out and excited to do it again.
NAN What's Up on 10/20/2019