Matthew Perryman Jones - Topic

A performing songwriter by trade, Matthew Perryman Jones is a seeker at heart. With each entry in his discography, his musical and moral compass points toward an artistic horizon he has yet to explore. Sometimes, he turns his gaze to examine his own inner world. Other times, he looks to the inspirations found in the letters Vincent Van Gogh penned to his brother Theo, in the idea of duende as proffered by Federico García Lorca, and in the poetic verses of Sufi poets Hafiz and Rumi.

American Songwriter wrote that, “MPJ’s songwriting acumen could easily be used as a musical template to demonstrate how less can be so much more. Land of the Living sounds cinematic and slowly worms its way inside your brain, feasts upon your emotions, and ultimately burrows down into your soul.” It could be said that Matthew makes soul music — not based on how it sounds, but on where it originates and where it resides.

Originally from Pennsylvania, MPJ grew up in Georgia and cut his artistic teeth in the ATL music scene before heading to Nashville in 1999. His albums include Throwing Punches in the Dark (2006), Swallow the Sea (2008), Until the Dawn Appears (2011), Land of the Living (2012) and The Waking Hours (2018). Songs from across his catalog have been featured in dozens of film and TV placements, and tours have taken him across the U.S. and abroad to share stages with legends like Shawn Colvin, Patty Griffin and Mindy Smith, as well as the Ten Out of Tenn songwriter collective.