Matthew Perryman Jones

An articulate Nashville-based singer/songwriter with a versatile tenor voice and a thoughtful acoustic rock-driven sound, Matthew Perryman Jones rose to national attention in the late 2000s when his song “Save You” — off his third album, Swallow the Sea — appeared on major television shows like Kyle XY and One Tree Hill. Subsequent albums like 2012′s ambitious Land of the Living and 2018′s The Waking Hours displayed the singer’s poetic reach, philosophical themes, and gift for storytelling. Beginning in 1997, Jones spent a few years cutting his teeth in Atlanta’s singer/songwriter scene, honing his songs and playing at folk venues like Eddie’s Attic in nearby Decatur. By 2000 he’d relocated to Nashville, where he self-released his debut album, Nowhere Else But Here, followed in 2003 by an EP titled For the Road. Teaming up with producer Neilson Hubbard, Jones began moving in a more contemporary rock-driven direction with his sophomore album, 2006′s Throwing Punches in the Dark, marking somewhat of a career sea change for him. Working once again with Hubbard on 2008′s Swallow the Sea, Jones’ shift toward pop continued, landing him a deal with Thirty Tigers and some high-profile television placements for his song “Save You,” which appeared on the ABC science fiction series Kyle XY as well as the WB drama One Tree Hill, increasing his national exposure significantly. While riding this newfound wave of popularity, he added two more EPs to his catalog in 2010 with the digital-only Crash, Boom, Bang followed quickly by The Distance in Between. That same year, he also landed his song “Out of Reach” on the soundtrack to the show Pretty Little Liars. For his next project, 2011′s Until the Dawn Appears, Jones revisited songs from his earlier albums in a purely acoustic — though by no means minimalist — setting. During this period, he also became a member of the Nashville-based songwriting collective Ten Out of Tenn, appearing on their compilation Ten Out of Tenn, Vol. 4. Turning to the crowdfunding platform Kickstarter to fund his next album, Jones emerged with 2012′s Land of the Living, an ambitious rock-oriented set that was heavy on philosophical themes and partly inspired by the letters of Vincent Van Gogh and his brother Theo as well as Federico García Lorca’s concept of duende. Another EP, Cold Answer, appeared in 2015, setting the stage for his fifth proper studio album, 2018′s Josh Kaler-produced The Waking Hours. ~ Timothy Monger