Chase Matthew Talks New Song “Darlin’,” Upcoming Jason Aldean Tour, Teases A Triple Album And More

Matthew sat down with Music Mayhem to chat about his music, friendships with artists like Jelly Roll and Colin Stough, upcoming tour with Jason Aldean, and more.

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Nicole Palsa

Nicole Palsa is a freelance writer based in Nashville, Tennessee. Since 2012, she has written about the newcomers, superstars, and legends of country music for publications including Music Mayhem, Country Now, and Country Music Tattle Tale. Nicole has served as a volunteer guide with Musicians On Call since 2016 and is a Troubadour member of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. She graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University, where she earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Mass Communications and her Bachelor of Arts degree in French. In addition to being a devoted country music fan, Nicole is a family historian and genealogist who can often be found in stacks of research. She is also an avid traveler with a passion for wildlife and nature photography.

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Posted on April 10, 2024

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Chase Matthew, Photo by Jeff Kravitz/Getty Images for CMT

Nashville native Chase Matthew is a rising star in country music, climbing the country radio charts with his current single, “Love You Again.” The 25-year-old burst onto the scene in 2021 with his viral hit “County Line,” from his EP of the same name. He followed up that success with his first full-length album, Born for This.

He caught the attention of record labels and signed with Warner Music Nashville, releasing his first major-label double album Come Get Your Memory in 2023, followed by the six-song EP We All Grow Up in February 2024.

Matthew sat down with Music Mayhem to chat about his music, friendships with artists like Jelly Roll and Colin Stough, upcoming tour with Jason Aldean, and more.

Story Behind “Love You Again”

Written by Matthew along with Casey Brown and Taylor Phillips, “Love You Again” came together in about 30 minutes while they were in the studio together. “It’s a very provocative song, but it’s a song that we’ve all been there before. Sometimes you get in the heat of the moment.”

Not only did the song come together quickly, but he ended up using the vocal from the original demo on the final record. “It goes to show that technology has made studio time very, very accurate these days.”

Reacts To The Song Being On Country Radio

“Love You Again” has climbed to number 23 on the Mediabase country radio chart so far, amplifying his sound to listeners across the nation. “To hear it played on your hometown stations is just really cool,” says Matthew. “I have friends out of state too, and they’re all like, ‘Dude, I finally heard you on the radio,’ and they’re seeing videos, and it gets you excited.” Hearing that feedback helps him soak in his accomplishments. “You work really hard your whole life towards this goal in music, and you want to make sure it’s worth it, and that definitely is a moment where it pays off.”

His success at country radio is due in part to the relationships he’s formed.

“I can tell you, country radio works off of relationships,” says Matthew. “If you’re a genuine person, if you’re a good person, man, people will help you out.” He also believes that character and integrity are important because of the platform artists are given through radio airplay. “You’re going to be a role model and in the limelight for so many people. You got to make sure you’re good. You make sure you got a good heart. And that’s what I love about Country Radio. Everybody’s got a great heart, and they are so authentic to staying true to what they believe in. And I think that’s what country music’s built on.”

Chase Matthew; Photo by Andrew Wendowski/@AWendowskiPhoto
Chase Matthew; Photo by Andrew Wendowski/@AWendowskiPhoto

We All Grow Up EP

“Love You Again” appears on Matthew’s EP We All Grow Up, which was inspired by the authentic experiences of his childhood and the life paths of his friends. “A lot of people went north, some people went south, some people went up, some people went down, and some people are behind bars. Some people became preachers, some people did this, some people did that. And it’s part of growing up. Some people went one way and some went the other. And if you grew up in a small town, then you can relate to that song.”

The album cover artwork features Matthew at just two years old, playing a miniature guitar and singing into a microphone while sitting on a stool, paying homage to his upbringing.

In addition to the title track and “Love You Again,” the EP also includes fan-favorite “Darlin’,” “Makin’ You Miss Me,” “I Don’t Carolina,” “Small Town Shit,” and “Dirt Road Does.”

Story behind “Darlin’”

One of Matthew’s personal favorites from his latest EP is “Darlin’,” which has quickly become a fan-favorite as well. The upbeat “poppy” tune questions his love interest about a potential relationship with another man.

Why’s he call you darlin’? Why’s he call you daily?/ Why you tryna act like I’m just out here being crazy?/ How’s he know your mama? Does he drive your Mercedes?/ You can say whatever, baby, what you wanna call it?/ But why’s he call you darlin’? Yeah/ And if he’s just a friend, then tell me why’s he always calling? (Why’s he callin’?)

Matthew was touring in Montana when he wrote “Darlin’” with part of his band and crew. “We were sitting at a casino in Montana. We had three days to kill because we didn’t want to drive the bus back to Nashville and then just turn right around and come back. So we stuck around and this awesome casino let us hang out. They gave us a really cool suite and I set the studio up in there, like a little mobile recording set up, and we wrote the song, me, my guitar player and my lighting guy. I mean, we keep everybody involved.”

The music video features his band, as well, performing together in a garage while Matthew records the performance as a response to his girl’s cozy photo with her supposed “friend.”

“These are the same guys you’re going to see if you come to a show running the front of house console or running the mix board, playing guitar, sitting side stage. These are people that really work with us and it’s genuine. It’s a real fun thing to do.”

Touring With Jason Aldean

Fans can catch Matthew on select dates of Jason Aldean’s “Highway Desperado Tour” this summer, starting July 11 in Syracuse, NY, making stops in arenas across the country through October 5 in Macon, GA. 

Matthew says it’s always been a dream to collaborate with Aldean, and that he “manifested it a really early age.” He was stunned when his manager got the call. “I’m like, what happened? What’s wrong? He had the craziest look on his face. I thought somebody done died or something crazy. He said, ‘Well, you’re going on tour with Jason Aldean.’ And I was like, ‘What? You’re kidding. The Jason Aldean?’ He’s like, yeah, yeah, yeah, you’re going to do a bunch of arenas with him. I’m like, holy crap. It’s crazy.” Matthew is excited to learn from Aldean. “I have a lot of questions, but I’m going to add up the important ones first.”

Support from Jelly Roll

\Matthew has developed a friendship with fellow Nashville native Jelly Roll, who has served as both a mentor and an inspiration. 

“He’s killing it right now. But he’s just such a smart person and very strategic, and I admire that about him because I want to be a smart businessman too. And the guy has just always kept me under his wing and given me great advice when I needed it. I feel like I could call him at any time, and he would always give me great advice, whatever I needed.”

Friendship with Colin Stough

American Idol alum Colin Stough, who made it to the top 3 in Season 21, became roommates with Chase Matthew when he first arrived in Nashville. 

“We stayed at my house and I had a spare bedroom, and we had a lot of fun times tearing up motorcycles and riding four wheelers and just being country boys, good old boys,” recalls Matthew. The pair toured together this spring on Matthew’s “Come Get Your Memory Tour,” and he says that they have “a very similar flavor” in how they write. “There’s probably a collaboration coming. I would definitely keep your eyes out for it.”

Opry NextStage Class of 2024

Chase Matthew was named part of the Opry NextStage class of 2024, alongside eight other artists including 49 Winchester, Anne Wilson, Charles Wesley Godwin, Ella Langley, Flatland Cavalry, Josh Ross, Madeline Edwards, and Wyatt Flores. The program spotlights country music’s rising talent on the Opry stage and across Opry Entertainment Group platforms. The honor means the world to Matthew, who reveres the Opry institution. “Country music lives there.”

Matthew had visited the Grand Ole Opry multiple times as a fan before making his Opry debut on March 14, 2023. “Being a [Nashville] native and just flying that flag for Music City, it means a lot. Having family there and people I went to school with, we had a big turnout.”

Eleven months later, he was surprised on the Opry stage with two plaques for his first RIAA PLATINUM-certified “County Line” and GOLD-certified “Love You Again.” It was a defining moment for the high-school dropout. “I never got to hold a diploma, but I can tell you holding the record has got to feel better than holding the diploma. It’s got to feel better. It just has to.”

A Triple Album In The Works?

Fans can expect even more music in the future. “We probably have four albums worth of songs ready to go,” says Matthew. “So just know the triple album’s coming.” That large volume of music will likely cover a wide variety of influences.

“I want to make all kinds of music, not just country music, because I don’t listen to just country music. I listen to music that I would listen to that I love, and I make music that I would listen to and that I love. And if you’re not doing that, then why are you making music? It sounds like you’re making music for everybody else and at some point it does become about the fans and I love it about the fans because the fans resonate with what I’m doing because it’s genuine, and it’s authentic and that’s how it should be. That’s the formula to win, in my opinion.”

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Nicole Palsa is a freelance writer based in Nashville, Tennessee. Since 2012, she has written about the newcomers, superstars, and legends of country music for publications including Music Mayhem, Country Now, and Country Music Tattle Tale. Nicole has served as a volunteer guide with Musicians On Call since 2016 and is a Troubadour member of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. She graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University, where she earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Mass Communications and her Bachelor of Arts degree in French. In addition to being a devoted country music fan, Nicole is a family historian and genealogist who can often be found in stacks of research. She is also an avid traveler with a passion for wildlife and nature photography.

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