When it comes to making music, Chase Matthew was “Born For This.” But he wouldn’t have had the opportunity to pursue his dreams if it weren’t for the help of those around him. Now that the Nashville newcomer’s career is skyrocketing, he’s able to repay his supporters in the best way.
Matthew took the time to sit down with Music Mayhem while backstage at Illinois’ Tailgate N’ Tallboys music festival to discuss giving back to his family, getting signed to a label, upcoming performances and more.
The title track to the Tennessee native’s latest full project, Born For This, details how he was able to show his dad some gratitude for all he has done. The music video behind the song showcases the moment Matthew gave his dad the ultimate surprise using the first check of his music career.
“My dad had had this car since he was 19 years old. And during his divorce in 2017, which a lot of things happened in 2017, he had to sell that car. And I remember, I grew up watching TLC’s Overhauling with him, the TV show where they restore those old cars. So I remember when he had to get rid of that car to pay for that divorce and to survive, it broke him. Like I said, he had it since he was 19. At the time, I was 19. And so I remember my manager and co-owner of Holler Boy Records Big Snap asking me, He’s like, ‘What’s the first thing you want to do when you get your first music check?’ I said, ‘I want to go buy that old car back for my dad.’ And we did it.”
Matthew’s dad wasn’t the only one who got a heartfelt piece of the pie. His grandmother, who was known for hosting the whole family and cooking for every holiday, was gifted a new, updated place to cook in her home. Matthew revealed that there are some plans in the works to also give his mom’s home an upgrade one day.
“We had a huge family on my mom’s side and my dad’s side, but she deserved a new kitchen. I mean, her kitchen, her oven about caught on fire one time. Gave her nothing but trouble. Her microwave, she had to replace every two years because of how it just wasn’t up to code. Man, we went the distance and got her kitchen done together.”
He added, “I’m working on helping my mom pay off some stuff and we’re going to get her a house. There are just a lot of cool things. I’ve always been the person to put my people first. I guess I get it from my dad. I’m a low maintenance man.”
The young singer explained that it’s a “huge blessing” to be able to help those around him who have provided him with endless amounts of support and love over the years.
“My whole family has been into music their entire life. It’s been my grandmother on my dad’s side, my grandmother on my mom’s side, grandpas, cousins, uncles. I mean, literally everybody in my family is musically talented in their own way, whether that’s like a musical instrument or they could sing. And so, when my dad comes around to ‘Born For This,’ he gave it the title, but my family really pushed me and got me excited for them too. Because I know how bad they wanted to do this. So I’m doing this for my family and doing this for my family.”
Hailing from a musical family, Matthew already had the drive and the strong foundation to pursue a career in the music industry, but TikTok gave him that extra boost. With just one post, he was able to go from 2,500 followers to about 80,000 followers in only eight hours.
“I was like, what the hell just happened?” he told Music Mayhem. “That one post, man, changed my life. And then every time after that I started posting, I’d now had followers that had gained and they started giving it more traction.”
In 2021, he took things up a notch when he signed with Holler Boy Records, the label started by Ryan Upchurch. With all the success he’s already seen from this partnership, Matthews teases that there are “even bigger” things in the works that are staying under wraps for the time being.
“Ryan pulled me aside one day and said, ‘Man, we really like what you got going on. You got any new music that you’re working on?’ I showed them what I had. And they were like, ‘We really think we could take this to the next level.’ Holler Boy Records partnered with a distribution company. And then we went on to partner with a touring booking agency and we’ve taken it to the next level.”
However, there have been snippets of new projects shared on social media, including music videos and unreleased songs such as “Long Time Coming,” which he said could be part of a forthcoming project. Plus, Matthew has made it a goal to go to radio by the end of this year as it would be a “big game changer” for him.
“I mean, if I die tomorrow, man, I’ve got enough songs to make my next album, maybe two. And they’re good. So really, we’re just selecting the ones that we believe in the most.”
With the next few years already in mind, Matthew has made a promise to himself and his fans to push aside anyone’s doubts about him by playing Bridgestone Arena one day.
“You mark my words. By 2024, I will have a show or at least a date booked of a Chase Matthew headliner at Bridgestone Arena. Hold me to it.”
But before finishing up the year, he has a bucket list show set for the fall. While currently on his headlining Born For This Tour, Matthew will take the stage on September 23, for a very special performance in his hometown. He will be headlining a show in Nashville for the very first time. Not only will the productions be “huge,” according to the singer, but he also has plans to invite some guests up with him, including his dad.
“I’m going to be bringing my dad out on stage to sing ‘Born For This’ with me. Then, I thought about maybe cutting like a studio version of the song with some of my family members in it, like my grandmother and stuff. That’s actually always been an idea of mine. My dad’s got a lot of old songs. My mom does, grandmother too, that they were like, ‘you should recut these and rerecord these and we should make them popular.’ So we’re debating it.”
Currently, there is only one night in the books for Nashville, but a second show is possible if tickets sell out. If that does happen, Matthew shared that fans should expect “two badass nights, huge production, fricking crazy light show. It’s going to be like watching a movie and my town deserves that. My hometown deserves that. My city deserves that.”