Possible future pop sensation Matt Wertz, 24, wrote his own reflective lyrics, played a mean rhythmic acoustic guitar and used his strong, airy voice to pour his proverbial heart out on his debut CD, Twenty-Three Pieces.
He will remind you of John Mayer, Jack Johnson, Matt Nathanson, Jason Mraz and maybe a young Marc Cohn.
The adjectives used to describe Wertz’s style, voice, and guitar skills, though, have been often used lately to describe other up-and-coming artists. So, what makes him worth listening to?
His target audience will like him. His music is beautiful, soulful, commanding, serious, witty and friendly.
Luckily for Matt Wertz’s publicity team, most college-aged music fans have been searching for the next lovable Dave Matthews and then the next adorable John Mayer for a few years.
Maybe, like all the others, it will be Wertz. Or maybe he’s just happy with simply getting his voice heard.
“When I began writing songs, I never intended for anyone to hear them,” said Wertz. He started writing the songs for this CD in 2001 and his official biography attributes his success to providence.
Yet it could also have something to do with his national touring for almost his entire existence as a songwriter.
“It was good to have those early songs, letting me play for people and get used to performing,” said Wertz.
Maybe Matt Wertz is lucky to have the necessary qualities to be appealing to one of the largest age groups in America, or maybe he’s a hard worker. But he lacks one crucial adjective if he wants to last: fresh. He’s new, and he’s ripe, but on this CD he could be fresher.
While he is not the product of a Jack Johnson or John Mayer cookie cutter, you may have difficulties differing between Wertz and others like him.
Wertz said that “from a fan level, those associations are good; to be mention in the same sentence as a seasoned pro. From an industry level, the influx of singer/songwriters has definitely made people bored with it. I don’t deliberately try to set myself apart, though. I try to stay true to myself I guess.”
Among the best songs on the CD are tracks one and 10, “The Day Forever Died” and “Wade through the Night” respectively, because of their funky melodies and witty wordplay.
His songs are about playful love, lost love, needed love and death, themes that are significant in the lives of young adults. Some songs that would be fitting for an intimate evening include, well, all of them.
Matt said in the interview that he expects the song “Marianne” to be his first single once he gets his next CD out, hopefully with the help of a major record label.
He is currently independent, in the way that Matt Nathanson is. They both rely on word of mouth as opposed to airtime.
But Wertz is seeking out a record deal.
“I feel like my songs are geared toward the masses,” he said. “I want to sell a lot of records. I know that’s a stupid thing to say, but I would love to reach as many people as possible. I can’t do that independently.”
Fortunately, he knows what he is looking for. “What is most important is I don’t want to compromise who I am and what I’m doing,” he said.
Wertz will be appearing this Saturday at The Acoustic Café in Bridgeport on Fairfield Ave.
He will open for Stephen Kellogg, another acoustic singer/songwriter, at this show. Doors open at 5 p.m. and the cover is $15.
Wertz is currently on tour with Kellogg and a band called Virginia Coalition.
Wertz said he is excited about the whole experience of his current 17-show national tour and “it will be nice to kind of get in there a little better and spread myself out a little more.”
As far as covers go, you won’t see many. Wertz sticks to his original music for the most part because it’s what he says the crowd wants.
“During the shows, I usually segue between some fun cover songs only to get to my own. I don’t ever play the whole song. I usually feel like people get distracted and lose interest.”
His favorite food is lasagna; his favorite movie is Wes Anderson’s Bottle Rocket.
His favorite concert was a Ben Folds Five show; he dreams of playing with Stevie Wonder and if a blue genie were to jump out of a lamp, he would ask it for a 1963 Corvette Stingray, split-window coupe.
Twenty-Three Pieces is entertaining, easy listening. His music will be bought or downloaded and ultimately shared and enjoyed.
Popularity will likely for this providential young man who seems grateful for the chance to work hard at making music.
Leave a Reply