With a Bullet
Not long ago, Mat Kearney was a relative unknown behind the music scenes. Now with a mainstream record deal, this rapper/singer's star is rising fast.
by Andree Farias | posted 2/28/2005
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A careful, rather pensive talker who measures every word, you'd never guess this guy is the same Mat Kearney behind the articulate, well-versed rhymes and lyrics of Bullet, his indie and soon-to-be major label debut. After spending some time behind the scenes in Christian music, Kearney may now be on the verge of a mainstream breakthrough. Kearney talked to Christian Music Today about how music is the love of his life, so much that he was willing not only to rap about it, but also to learn to play guitar and piano—and even to sing.
When you first started four years ago, did you always have that style of mixing spoken word and Brit-pop as you do now?
Mat Kearney I didn't really have a style! I was a writer. I knew what I loved. It wasn't like all of a sudden I found my style. The years of music that I've listened to and my love of music have led me to what I am.
I've noticed that your flow is very thick. Before I ever saw a picture of you, I even thought you were African American. Do you get that a lot?
Kearney Yeah, people say that. My dad is from New York, so I guess I have some of that East Cost attitude. I guess you can call me black Irish. I don't know.
Besides the urban inclinations, there's a side to your music that's very Brit-pop. It reminds of me artists like Coldplay or Travis. Was that intentional?
Kearney It probably goes back to my love for U2 and different bands I respect. We never set out to make anything British-sounding. I just love epic music. The Joshua Tree is probably still one of my favorite records of all time. I've also been listening to War, early U2 stuff. The Beatles are a big influence. Bands like Travis, I've always loved. British pop is very appealing to me. It's music that appeals to the masses, but it's not narrow, watered-down, and shallow, like American pop.
Would you consider yourself a pop artist?
Kearney I guess so. I'm not trying to be pop. I do tend to naturally gravitate toward catchy melodies. What I write, people tend to like. But my goal isn't necessarily to write that type of music.
Speaking of pop, you've collaborated with other artists for many years, like ZOEgirl, Katinas, Stacie Orrico. Why did it take you so long to break out on your own?
Kearney I guess I wasn't ready to move forward. It was more of a timing issue. I moved to Nashville because (Gotee Records owner) Toby McKeehan brought me out four years ago. My buddy Robert Marvin and I moved out there, but at that moment I'd only written or collaborated on three or four songs. The doors were opening up for me. A lot of those contacts were just relationships with people I have. Robert, the guy who produced my record, would give out the music for other people to hear, they'd like it, and would then ask me to perform on their songs.
So if people were gaining interest, why the delay?
Kearney I didn't feel comfortable making a record that early on, because I was still trying to figure out my style of music. I didn't want to do the kind of easy record that everybody wanted me to do. I knew that I had something else in me so I just kept working and crafting my guitar and piano playing. And I started singing. So there was a lot of stuff I was developing that I didn't feel it was the time to make a record.
Is that all? I mean, if the owner of Gotee Records flies you out to Nashville, it's for a reason.
Kearney There's the spiritual side, too. I even quit music for a while, became a youth pastor, and started working with kids. I was offered a developmental deal, turned it down, and went through a whole season of feeling that God wasn't in it. So eventually I just laid it down for a while, began working with kids, and really began to soul-search if music was what I really wanted to do.
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