Mat Kearney's self-titled, 8th studio album (released May 15 through Middle Kid Records) adds a dash of the early '80s to his highly crafted songwriting. Mat was enamored by the band The Brook & The Bluff, he tells Billboard's Behind the Setlist podcast, and had them back him in the studio to capture the exact sound he wanted (he also went for the sound of one of his favorite albums, Paul Simon's Graceland). Mat also talks about the contentedness he feels at this stage in his career, why he loves playing mid-sized theaters, his creative process in the studio, his popularity on the West Coast, the joy of touring and performing as a trio, the rising cost of renting a tour bus, and that one time he played Camila Cabello's "Havana" at a show in Oakland.

Links

Mat Kearney's home page

Mat Kearney's tour dates

Jay Gilbert @ Label Logic

Glenn Peoples @ Billboard

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