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.

At what point did you decide to get back into music? Any important self-revelation?

Kearney: Sometimes even our dreams can stand in the way of our relationship with God. For me, I just had to lay it down and take a step back so that when I got back, it was for the right reasons. It was a season after which the doors started to open for me again. I started writing. I consulted with one of the ministers at the church, and he kinda kicked me out of the staff and told me, "Go make a record!" He knew I was supposed to do it.

You said you didn't want to do this unless it was for the right reasons. Were you doing it for the wrong reasons before?

Kearney: No, I don't think I was doing it for the wrong reasons. I was just immature. Sometimes what you're called to do, you're not ready to do yet. You're not mature enough to handle it. And I didn't know all that God had for me, especially the doors that have opened for me now with Aware and Columbia Records. Looking back, I feel like the last few years have led up to all of that, and I wouldn't have wanted it any earlier.

Since you brought it up, how did that come about? How did you hook up with Aware Records?

Kearney: When I made Bullet, I didn't make it to be completely exclusive to the Christian market. I'm a Christian, but I felt like I had a message for a lot of people. So I made a record that I felt could stand up to any artist out there, from any market, based on excellence of music.

[Booking agency] CAA tracked me down a booking agent. The people at CAA were the ones who brought John Mayer to Aware. The president of Aware, Gregg Latterman, came to a show in Chicago, took me to the backroom, and said, "I love what you're doing. I want to sign you. We'll put an offer together this week." So it just happened really fast.

How did you react when Latterman said that?

Kearney: It was cool. I was very excited, but at the end of the road, that was only the beginning. Being given a chance doesn't mean that you've made it. It's only the beginning.

Did you see it coming, though? Did you intentionally shop your album around in order to "make it big"?

Kearney: Yeah. I knew that's where I was going. When it happened, I knew. There was just a peace about the whole thing. Even playing at that show, I wasn't really nervous. It was like I almost expected him to say that. I hope that doesn't sound arrogant. But I knew that this was the next stage for my life.

So what's next? Is the album getting re-released? Are you making a new one from scratch?

Kearney: We've been in the studio, and I've recorded some new songs. The same record is going to come out again. But there may be a few additional songs, plus new mixes of already-existing songs. But that won't be for another six months. The cool thing is that Aware's president looked at me and said, "How the heck did you make this record on your own?" So he decided to give me total creative freedom over the new songs.

It seems you're on the brink of something big. Are you afraid the "Christian" tag might scare away potential listeners?

Kearney: Aware is not scared of that. That's why I like them. The whole "Christian artist" tag is a little strange sometimes. I know it's just semantics. I feel like, hopefully, I'm a good artist that's a Christian and that people will like the art. But no, I'm not scared of the "Christian" tag.

So if someone were to ask you what your song "Undeniable" is all about, you're not going to pull any punches about it?

Kearney: No, I'm not going to pull punches.

Are you sure? Pop audiences are very sensitive to any mention or reference to God or Jesus.

Kearney: I don't know. I can't speak to that. All I know is that I plan to honor God with my music.

For more about Mat Kearney, visit our artist page, where you'll also find our review of his debut, Bullet. Visit Christianbook.com to listen to sound clips and buy the music.

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