The band:

Matt White

Location:

You just played in New Orleans, how was it?

It was good!  It was a small show.  We’d never played there before, so there were like 30 people there.  The other shows have been REALLY good!

…and where are you playing tonight, you are in Texas correct?

Yeah, we’re in Austin.

Wow, that was quite a trek for you!

Yeah, we drove like 500 miles strait through and got here this morning.  I did some TV this morning and now I’m resting.

Oh no kidding, like a local TX show?

Yeah it’s a music station.  Then the radio show was KISS FM on the Bobby Bones show, which is a big station here. 

Ok, so “Best Days” came out September 18th, and you are currently on a headlining tour.  Tell me your thoughts on the past month; has it been a total whirlwind?

Yeah it has, it’s been very very exciting, to have it hit stores and to SEE it.  The video just went to VH1 last week, so the video is being spun and the radio play is starting to really build.  You know its fourth quarter, so kind of just go through… and fourth quarter is mainly for huge established artists.  It’s been really good.  The album is selling nicely, and the reviews are great.  People are starting to show up to the shows.  It’s all kind of coming together. 

Am I going to have to start elbowing my way in? 

Noooo, not you!  None of the Bleeker Street Kids… Ever!

A couple of my favorite tracks on Best Days are “Love”, which is my new favorite if you would and “Play” is my favorite live performance song.

I love “Play”!

Do you have any specific favorites?

Play is definitely one that I just love.  I also love “Just What I’m Looking For”, and I love “Moment of Weakness”.  I don’t know they’re all different, but “Play” is really my favorite.

It’s a wonderful song live, it’s perfect for your closing tune.
I saw an article yesterday on Gibson.com, they have a little feature on you, saying that “The six-string is encoded in your DNA” that’s quite a complement.

Yeah, well my grandmother was the first female conductor, and she and all her brothers and sisters used to travel around the country and play.  They were like 6 or 7 years old to 15 years old playing around the country, and they were like little geniuses. 

They focused on your guitar a bit; explain to our readers why it’s so special.

Well your guitar is something that you sort of bond with, you become comfortable with it.  It keeps in tune when I need it to keep in tune, it’s a good guitar.  A bad guitar gets out of tune when you really need it to stay IN tune.  But, there is definitely a bond.  I’ve tried to play other guitars, but I really love my Gibson J-200.

You’ll be playing some neat little venues.  Is there any place you are looking forward to playing most?

Tonight we are really excited to play Studs, because we get to eat!  Some people might be able to tell I’ve been eating a lot! Nah, we get to eat, it’s Texas and it’s just a great city!

This is kind of silly but the other day I spoke to Johnny Rzeznik, he is going to be a judge on the new American Idol spin off The Next Great American Band, any chance you are going to be watching cause it sound like it’s going to be pretty sweet.

Really?  No.  I’ve heard of it, and I know its going through Interscope.  But, I think when you have a thing like American Idol, it’s such a huge thing.  I don’t think it’s going to hit like American Idol.  I can’t believe Johnny Rzeznik is going to be a judge!! 

Ok, Back to you.  We talked about your video “Best Days” hitting VH1, and we have you on the VSPOT Top 20 vote-able countdown, and on McDonald’s Live…

Yeah, I’m winning that one.

Vote for Matt!

Um yeah, hello, why do you think you are winning? 

Beause you guys are kicking ass!! 

Yes, you are winning that competition so far, and the winner get their music featured in a future McDonald add campaign?

Yes, there is a big 2008 campaign, so that would be a big score!

…and then I watched the video on mcdlive.com of you guys playing a show, and Lee kind of gave you a hard time for adding “Love” to the set list.

Yeah, Lee didn’t want to play “love” right…

What’s up with that?

I don’t know man, but now he knows!  Now it’s built into the set so we’re all good.

So you’ve got this headlining club tour, an upcoming appearance on Carson Daly…

Yup, Carson Daly on November 1st, a November northeast club tour when I’m coming to you.  Then in December a doing a bunch of radio shows.

Will you be doing any more of the late night TV tour circuit? 

We have some tentative dates for December.  But I don’t want to say too much.  Then come January that’s when things will hopefully start going bananas.

Bananas is good!

Alright Mattie, good luck, and we’ll see you in New York!

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Matt White’s Official Website
Matt White on MySpace

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