Today we are introducing you to a singer-songwriter that hails from the tristate area. Matt Koziol is a true-blue country-rock artist that you are going to want to keep on your radar. We chatted with the entertainer about his love for music, his move to Nashville, and everything in between.

Growing up in New Jersey, Koziol was surrounded by hardworking blue-collar people. Although most of his family was not musical, the singer knew at just two years old that he was born to do music for a living. “I had to be two or three, and someone put on a video tape of Elvis and I was like “that’s what I want… and it still hasn’t changed,” shared the singer.

Growing up, Koziol went on to sing in talent shows, choirs, and wherever he could. “Probably since the age of 7, I was singing,” he shared. “I was singing in choirs and doing all that, and then at 12, playing in bands.”

Finding inspiration in all kinds of genres, such as Motown, rock, and bluegrass music, Koziol chased his dream to perform and sing. “I played New York a ton. I played Philly a ton. The whole northeast was my wheelhouse,” shared the singer.

After a stint in Los Angeles, a town where he started songwriting, Koziol found himself moving to Nashville to continue to pursue his dream. Armed with influences like Bruce Springsteen and James Taylor, the young twenty-something year old at the time was ready for more.

The Turning Point:

After moving to Nashville, Koziol kicked his songwriting into high-gear, even signing a publishing deal with RX Songs. “I was brought on to be their country writer,” shared the singer-songwriter. Koziol added later, “When I moved here, I always called it the greatest masterclass in songwriting.” Later, the singer also signed on as an artist to RED Creative Group.

While in Nashville, the singer continued to study different artists and songwriters in the genre. Koziol shared a love for modern-day artists like Cody Johnson and HARDY, as well as, old-school country pros, like Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings. “When you go down the rabbit hole of the older generation like Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson, it really makes you think. Willie Nelson was a really prolific writer to me,” shared Koziol.

Most recently, the singer also expressed an admiration for Kacey Musgraves, even covering her song “Rainbow” on social media. “When you look at the caliber of the three people who wrote that song, that’s what got me to want to sing it,” shared Koziol. “When I have a melody that I don’t have to work out and it just feels like, I go “okay, this is it.” It’s such a beautiful song.”

Today:

Of course, Koziol is also releasing music of his own. With a ten song album in the works and slated for release sometime in the spring, the singer is excited to be sharing his own music with the world. Most recently, the artist released his song “Slow Burn.” Written by Koziol with Wes Harllee, the song is enticing and emotive.

“We talked about past relationships […] and they ended in kind of similar ways,” shares the singer, when asked about the inspiration for the new track. “Being the people that we are, we didn’t take a lot of the anger that we had, we kind of tucked it back.” The song is a true personification of the grieving process that we all go through after a break-up.

Koziol shares, “It’s such a slow burn to get over something that took so much of our energy,” adding later, “We tried to write things that were visually honest and somewhat visceral.” It is safe to say that the singer-songwriter accomplished that!

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