Today we’d like to introduce you to Matt Grigsby.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I like to say I came out of the womb singing, which is admittedly a disturbing image, but accurate, as I can not remember a time when I did not sing. It’s always been a source of comfort for me. My family was always at least somewhat musical. I never met him but I was told my maternal grandfather could play anything with strings and he and my Mamaw used to sing Bluegrass Gospel songs on the radio in Kentucky. My dad strummed guitar enough to sing hymns and my sister and I used to sing together at church. I was in choir throughout my school years and eventually also did Theatre. I did a couple years at Kilgore Junior College in East Texas as a Theatre major and a couple of the guys in the program played guitar and sang and had even written their own songs. That was the first time I really became interested in learning guitar. That year Santa brought me a Squire Telecoustic and I began my guitar journey. After college I moved to Denton, TX, where I still reside to this day, and that was the first time I was exposed to an actual music scene and serious songwriting. I started frequenting open mics and local shows and meeting all the great musicians Denton has to offer. I eventually had written a few of my own songs and got up the courage to start playing in public, probably before I was actually ready. A really important local place that was vital to my development was Banter Bistro. They had one of the best open mics ever, which I would get the great privilege of hosting for a few years, and the place served as an incubator for young talent. I played there dozens of times and met many of my closest friends in the process. After the owners retired and Banter closed down, some of the songwriters I had met there and I got together and created the Denton Songwriters Guild. We’ve been getting together for over 8 years now to do songwriting challenges, and writing exercises, and whatever it takes to keep each other inspired to keep honing the craft. Through my involvement with the guild and being a full time musician and songwriter, I will have written around 200 songs by the end of this year. And being co-founder and president of a songwriters guild is not a bad thing to have on the resume! You can now find me singing my songs around the DFW and beyond, either solo or with my band, The Matt Grigsby Fiasco. I’ve also done work putting music to other people’s lyrics, or vice versa, and have also done vocals on other people’s tracks. I recently released an acoustic single “Changing My Stars”, which was recorded for the Cafe Solo Songwriter Series and is available both as a YouTube performance video and on all streaming platforms.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It’s been more of an uphill battle in acid rain than a smooth road. It’s no secret that the music industry can be pretty brutal. There’s no shortage of well respected musicians and songwriters that died broke as hell. I forced myself to do music full time about six years ago, so that, come what may, I was focused on making art with my whole being. That’s been rewarding in many ways; creatively for sure, but also in the experiences and travels, and people I’ve met along the way. But relying on your art for income comes with many caveats. A bad weather day or a double-booked gig could throw off your finances for the whole month. I spent the first couple years as a full time musician living on basically no money, the “starving artist” life. And when you rely on your artform for money you may end up taking gigs you wouldn’t want to play otherwise, because you need the money to live. So that’s been a struggle but it’s definitely gotten easier over time. Then, of course the pandemic was a struggle for everyone and musicians were no exception. I did a lot of livestreaming and writing for other people to survive. Coming out of the pandemic I lost my mother and a close friend within a couple weeks of each other. My mental health spiraled after that and I accomplished very little for many months. Nobody ever teaches you how to grieve, it’s something we have to learn on our own. But I’ve made it through to the other side stronger and feeling optimistic about the future.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
When people ask what I do for a living I generally respond that I’m a full-time musician but in reality that’s many jobs in one. I’m a songwriter, for myself and for others, and my songs are performed by myself and others. That involves being a lyricist and composer. I’m a multi-instrumentalist with my biggest focus being on guitar, harmonica, and Native American Flute but I dabble in others as well. I’m a performer, which puts to work skills I learned from being an actor and I even try to involve as much comedy as possible. Being an independent musician means I’m also my own agent and promoter. I also teach from time to time, having been asked to give guitar or voice lessons, and through my role in the Denton Songwriters Guild, I help guide others on their songwriting journey. But I’m most proud of how that all comes together. When the song is well crafted and performed raw and honestly in front of a receptive crowd, there’s a certain power to it. When everything is aligned just right I can make an audience feel every word and every note and that’s cleansing for everyone involved.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
For me risk-taking means leaving yourself vulnerable and vulnerability is essential in songwriting and performance. To craft a song that’s unique to you, full of the essence of your own experiences, takes a deep dive into the self. Anyone can string pretty words together but the most effective writers delve into the places they most fear, where they learn about themselves, their loved ones, and their humanity. Writers wander into realms others may never experience, and those realms are not always readily available. As Leonard Cohen once said, “If I knew where the good songs came from, I’d go there more often.” And once this arduous journey is complete and a song has been born, that same level of vulnerability must be carried forth in the performance of the song as well. A musician can play a song as accurately and mellifluously as possible but unless they live the song it falls flat. The words must be taken off the page and brought forth with as little filter as possible, bringing the song to life in a way where the musician has no idea what will happen next. I’ve always felt my journey as a songwriter and musician aligns with my pursuit of life and understanding and vulnerability is key.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://mattgrigsbymusic.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattgrigsbymusic
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mattgrigsbymusic/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/GrigsbyMusic
- Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/@mattgrigsbymusic
Image Credits
Bob Ralph – Tiny Couch Productions Timothy Marek – TradeMarek Photography
