Mat Kearney acclimated his fame through songs about love and finding God in this life.
The Gospel contemporary singer-songwriter turned popular through hit singles like 'Nothing Left to Lose' dishes on what it's like to perform in front of a live audience and how excited he is to play in Salt Lake City tonight.
Kearney said he loves the city, mostly because he can drive farther when he plays golf because of the altitude. But he did admit he plans to film part of his new music video for 'Ships in the Night' in the Beehive State.
The Daily Universe caught up with the performer on the phone recently for an impromptu Q&A session:
DU: Have you ever been to Salt Lake before?
MK: I love it. It’s a beautiful country here. I played golf, and I felt like an animal because I drove twice as far.
DU: What new song are you most excited about to perform?
MK: I’m really excited about 'Ships in the Night.' Mostly because we are recording the music video in Salt Lake. We’re filming part of it in Salt Lake. We love the atmosphere there.
DU: What’s your favorite song you’ve ever performed or written?
MK: You write songs in different moods. Different nights, it changes. I love 'Nothing Left to Lose' because it’s been a good friend to me.
DU: What do you love about performing live?
MK: I love that shared moment. You record an album and it means something to you. Then the audience experiences it. They both come together for the show. The songs become bigger than the both of you.
DU: Where do you find inspiration?
MK: Our music is like a journal on how I process and experience life. Anything from finding love or total despair or being mad or hopeful.
DU: How did your experiences in college help form you into the person you are today?
MK: I think I became more refined. With that seed, it comes hope and redemption. In this idea of there’s more to this world than I had experienced before. When I first started writing music, it was to express that. I was trying to find God and trying to find meaning in my life. That’s what my music was about. It wasn’t to entertain. That’s still a big part of what I do.
DU: How has being married changed your touring?
MK: It changes a lot. It adds a little bittersweet quality. As much as you’re setting out to conquer the world, it’s just part of life when you’re part of someone to make sacrifices for that person. She realized that she was signing up for the circus together. But one plus is we get to see the world together.
DU: What do you listen to get pumped up?
MK: I listen to a lot of hip hop. I listen to so much strange and non-strange music. I get pumped up always. Rusko Jehovah. I put it on and start a dance party everywhere I go. I’m known for putting on dance parties. I like to have one-song dance parties to that song.
DU: What’s the most challenging thing you have faced in the music industry?
MK: It’s a demanding lifestyle. I’m out there. I’m living in my boxers in front of the world a little bit all the while trying to get people to come to shows and see that i’m true to what i know and believe. It requires a lot of me.”
DU: What’s a song that best describes you and why?
MK: For one by another person, I would say 'Every Grain of Sand' by Bob Dylan. He talks about how all the tears he’s cried are all the tears that have watered his life. My own song would be Rochester. It’s a deeper song. It connects with a lot of what I'm doing.