Inspiration is the influence of thought and strong feelings on actions. And to witness an artist delivering a product with genuine conviction and passion is truly inspiring.

Matt Mead is a performing songwriter whose devotion to his craft has led to nearly two decades as a professional guitar-slinger, founder and mentor for several successful bands. A sideman for the majority of his career, Matt has now stepped out from behind the band and up to center stage as a solo artist. Evoking a smoky, soulful voice with straightforward acoustic-led songs, references to George Harrison, Lenny Kravitz and Tom Petty pop out immediately.

Mead's debut comes in the way of a three song CD recorded, produced and mixed entirely in his home based studio in Hoboken, NJ. With the help of Greg Mattison (Non-Fat Tuesday) filling in on keyboards and Sal Mormando (Billy Squier, Patti Smith) doing the mix, Matt's songwriting has garnered the respect of the critics and signaled the arrival of an artist coming into his own. Bob Bert of BB Gun Magazine writes, "With strong, poetic lyrics and beautiful instrumentation, Matt Mead's all killer no filler three song CD proves to these ears that he belongs on the radio with the best singer songwriters. To quote Matt "That's the way I see it from the street."

With intelligent, visual stories punctuated by guitar driven melodies and poignant lyrics, there's no wonder why the critics are singing praises. Opening with a crisp acoustic guitar riff on "See it from the Street" his story details the sidewalk perspective of an artist going about his daily routine, while finding inspiration in the people that he encounters. The mainstream rock approach of "Sudie" snaps a picture of the inner child watching a loved one's struggle with mental illness. With the sparse and spatial cabaret blues of "Breathing Room" he divulges the need for separation when his morals are questioned by the decision to cut himself loose from a relationship.

Born and raised in the suburbs of Essex County New Jersey, Matt is the middle child in a family of seven. He was a member of the church choir until around the age of eight when he discovered Peter Frampton, Elton John and KISS in his older siblings record collections. As a youngster he learned to play the electric organ by ear. By the age of nine his parents had bought him an old acoustic guitar at a garage sale so he could pursue his interests in music. "The guitar was in such poor condition that I could fit my whole hand underneath the strings, he says. I later discovered that the phrase "play until your fingers bleed" wasn't based on folklore."

Since taking up the guitar as a youth, Matt has logged an average of 200 plus shows a year and as many hours in the studio with the hardest working outfits. He has shared the stage with artists as diverse as the Badlees, Biohazard, Sick of it All and Scatterbrain. With regional radio support on WXRK (92.3 K-Rock, NY) WZZO (95.1, Allentown, PA) and WPLJ (95.5, NY) his bands have headlined First Night International, Princeton Ski Shop performances at Giant Stadium, Bethlehem Musikfest and WDHA's (105.5, North Jersey) Rock-N-Ride, in addition to standard venues. An aspiring songwriter on his own, his band-mates appropriately nicknamed him "Riff Meister" due to his constant flow of song material. In time, he was writing a lion's share of his own music, and longing to make his own voice heard.

Now with the first fruits of his labors reaping a decade of seeds sown in earnest, we arrive at the heart of inspiration through the mind of an impassioned artist on the rise.

ASi is proud to represent Matt Mead

Matt Mead - Guitar and Vocals
Ken Silverman - Bass
Dave Falcon - Drums

Matt Mead

Audio Samples 1. See it from the Street 2. Sudie 3. Breathing Room 4. See it from the Street -MP3