VLAZE.com

Matthew Jordan

Artist Stats

Genre : Rock
Year Formed : Unknown
Location : Burbank, CA
Profile Views : 1036
Subscribers : 4

Community Actions

Matthew Jordan's Stash

Artist Bio

"Charismatically gifted... his voice is remarkably expressive... Jordan's musical ability is often stunning." - Bernard Baur, Music Connection Magazine

"He's a pro, he can just do *anything*."- Vanessa Carlton on MTV "Duets"

"A welcome addition to the family of piano songsters."- John Ondrasik of Five For Fighting.

"Think of Mayer and Mraz with the jaw-dropping piano skills of Ben Folds, and you just might get an idea of this 22 year old wonder."-Steven Stewart, Nokia Music Supervisor, Helsinki, Finland

There was never a time when Matthew Jordan didn’t want to play piano and sing.

“I can remember telling the teacher in kindergarten that I was going to grow up to be like Billy Joel,” he says, with a soft-spoken smile that suggests a quiet self-confidence. “There was a kid I knew back then who used to sing "We Didn't Start the Fire" on the playground. I came home and asked my dad about it, and he pulled out this huge stack of Billy’s old albums. That was it. I was totally hooked.”

Having released his debut full-length CD "Horizon" (Quiet Thunder Records) on March 13th, this twenty-two year old wonder has already established impressive credentials: Nearly 30,00 fans on MySpace; chosen as a featured artist by NOKIA Corp. with his music included in their official Podcast at MIDEM 2007; a finalist on MTV “Duets” with Vanessa Carlton; and a starring role in Five For Fighting’s iconic and award-winning video "100 Years" in which he plays the wistful 15 year old pianist (“Fifteen – there’s still time for you”).

He recalls the day of the video shoot as the most grueling and exciting day of his young career. “We had to be on the set at 5:30 AM, and we shot for thirteen hours, during which time I had to repeatedly fall out of a giant tree, my own personal Fear Factor,” he laughs. “Then we had to rush back to Hollywood, because I had a huge gig that night at the Hotel Café.”

In fact, Matthew Jordan live performances are really something special. The ability to be passionately into his music while playing, and disarmingly vulnerable and open in between songs is rare, and Jordan has it a hundred times over. Whether performing with his band, as he frequently does at venues all over Southern California, or solo, as he will be on his upcoming Summer 2007 tour, Matthew forges an instant bond with his audience.

Of course, it helps that his songs have lyrics and themes to which everyone can relate. "I'm On My Way" is an exhuberant anthem to finally breaking out on your own, featuring percussive machine-gun piano and an insanely catchy chorus. "Eventually" is a plaintive prayer that a deep love will grow in a heart where none currently exists. That's a sentiment that nearly everyone has shared at one time or another.

“Most of the time, I bleed my emotions out with the music first,” Matthew says. “I latch on to a feeling and just let it play through my fingers. Then the music tells me what the song is about… Sometimes the meaning of a song isn’t totally clear until weeks after it’s written.”

Mostly, Matthew's music has a hopeful edge to it. "I try to keep my eye on the big picture," he muses. "There's something pretty overwhelming about being an ant on a marble floating in a random corner of an infinite cosmos. That makes it kinda hard for me to take myself too seriously."

Please Support Our Sponsors!