Eureka native Matt Jordan is focused on writing country songs Midwesterners can relate to.
Country music often focuses on Southern living and has shifted to a decidedly pop sound, Jordan said on Tuesday’s St. Louis on the Air. Jordan, who is influenced by Bruce Springsteen and John Mellencamp, offers a different sound.
“To me, country music is just story songs,” he said. “I think that if Bruce Springsteen or John Mellencamp was coming out today, they would be considered country artists. Their genre has kind of gone away.”
After a three-year stint in Nashville as a professional songwriter, Jordan moved back to St. Louis with his wife, Jenna, to start a family and a cybersecurity business. Instead of trying to perfect catchy pop choruses for others, he said he realized he’d rather sing his own country-rock songs.
“I really did continue writing a lot,” he said. “But it was more writing for my sound and trying to figure out what my sound was, and not trying to write what was commercial or hitting on the radio at the time.”
In 2019, Jordan sold his business to pursue country music full time in St. Louis. Despite having two toddlers and a 3-month-old at home, his wife fully supports him.
“She's a good dreamin’ partner,” he said. “When I'm not sure about a song, I send it to her and get her thoughts.”
The coronavirus pandemic hindered Jordan’s ability to play live shows, but it gave him more time to write songs and work on his digital presence as an independent artist. In 2020, he released a single nearly every six weeks.
Last month, he released his first single of 2022, “Heart of the Heartland.”
A prolific writer, Jordan pens hundreds of songs a year and said he is itching to return to Nashville for studio recording and to resume live performances — but only once his new baby starts sleeping through the night.
Jordan will be performing at Blueberry Hill’s Duck Room this Friday.
Related Event
What: Matt Jordan opening for Jordan Suter and The High Road
When: 7 p.m. March 4
Where: Blueberry Hill’s Duck Room
“St. Louis on the Air” brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. The show is hosted by Sarah Fenske and produced by Alex Heuer, Emily Woodbury and Kayla Drake. Jane Mather-Glass is our production assistant. The audio engineer is Aaron Doerr.
