Matt Andersen Releases Tenth Album, Halfway Home by Morning

photos courtesy of Blair Clark & Scott Doubt

New Brunswick, Canada native Matt Andersen just released his tenth album, Halfway Home by Morning. It was recorded in Nashville and produced by Steve Dawson. On working with Dawson, Matt says "he understood my vision and what I was trying to say on the album." Like most artists in Nashville, Matt brought on several co-writers for the album, only writing one song on his own.  Guest vocalist Amy Helm also makes an appearance on "Something to Lose." The album incorporates elements of several different musical styles, which is important to Andersen, who doesn't like to limit his music by adhering to a solitary sound.

photo courtesy of Colin Robertson

As for the role music played in his upbringing, Matt grew up with a fiddle-playing grandfather, a banjo-plucking cousin and a vocalist aunt. He was exposed to artists like Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash and other old country legends. As he got older, the sounds of classic rock and soul started to make an impression on him and made their way into parts of his songwriting. And while he has won several Maple Blues Awards, including Male Vocalist of the Year consecutively from 2012-2016, he doesn't consider himself a blues artist.

The songs on Halfway Home by Morning, while inspired by personal experiences, are tales that many of Andersen's fans connect with. One song that hits especially close to home for Matt is "Quarter on the Ground (A Song for Uncle Joe)," a song he penned about his late uncle that features The McCrary Sisters. It wasn't originally intended to be on the album but Matt brought on the sisters to have a special recording of the song for his mom.

When it comes to playing live, Matt says he has fun playing the song "Free Man" and is quite fond of the horn instrumentation that is found on the tune, as well as others on the album. And while Halfway Home by Morning is full of instrumental blends and a combination of sounds, Matt's summer tour to promote the album will be an acoustic affair. The tour just kicked off and takes him across Germany, Canada and the U.S. through mid-July, with a Nashville date set for June 4 at City Winery.

Below is the music video for "Something to Lose," featuring Amy Helm.

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