About Mike Mathis

With today’s seemingly endless supply of Texas singer/songwriters, Mike Mathis is doing all he can to set himself apart. Whether he’s telling stories with his acoustic guitar or fronting a three-piece electric band, his soulful voice and thought-provoking lyrics make it hard to mistake his music for anything else you’ve heard. His first full-length studio release, Drive Them Nails, is a perfect example of his efforts to gain recognition for himself and his music.

“No two songs on the new album sound alike. I didn’t really plan it that way, but when I got the final mix I was surprised by my own diversity”, he laughs. “Several people have told me that. It feels good to know the folks who buy it are listening to the whole thing”.

All modesty aside, Mike Mathis is a skilled performer and a talented songwriter. He attributes the latter to his father, 1976 winner of the Kerrville Folk Festival’s New Folk Competition. In the studio, he had the pleasure of working with Phil Pritchett, who recorded, produced, and even provided his own talents to the project.

“I’ve been a Pritchett fan for years, so I was happy to let him cash my check”, Mike says. “Phil had a lot to do with the overall sound of the album. I’ve always been really apprehensive about recording in a studio, but Phil’s a great producer and he's easy to work with”.

While many still regard Mathis as a newcomer to the Texas music scene, the 27-year-old Belton, TX native has been involved in music his entire life. He picked up the guitar when he was 12 years old and has been writing and performing music since the age of 15. He spent his early years playing guitar and bass in high school garage bands. He went on to graduate from Texas A&M University. His college years gave him the opportunity to sharpen his songwriting and performance skills by playing his original songs at open mics in College Station. In the summer of 2007, Mike relocated to Fort Worth to pursue career as a singer/songwriter.

“Starting out [in Fort Worth] was tough. I was completely unknown and practically begging for gigs”, he says. “But by the end of the first year I had released a full-length CD and played over 100 shows, so I can’t really complain”.

While the release of Drive Them Nails is a significant accomplishment, Mike is already focusing on new projects. He’s planning to begin recording a new album in 2009.