Jacksonville Independent Recording Artist, Matt Collins, Releases Americana Side Project on Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Matt Collins, Jacksonville, Fla. based singer, songwriter and recording artist, will be releasing an Americana side project, “The Collins Brothers” on June 16, 2009.
Jacksonville, Fla. – June 16, 2009 – Matt Collins, independent recording artist based in Jacksonville, Fla., has recently announced the release of his newest recording project. The project is called The Collins Brothers, and is a collaboration with his brother, Bo Collins, a Charlotte, NC based musician. The new CD is a collection of Americana music as interpreted by The Collins Brothers, featuring their versions of songs originally written and performed by some of the artists that have influenced them the most.
“We have been singing and performing together for a long time, and wanted to put a collection together of some of our favorite songs,” Matt remarked. “We have recorded together on several of each other’s projects, but have never released a full collaborative album together. We thought it would be a great idea to do an Americana-style album, and record it in our homes to get that ‘live, down-home” feeling to the record. We even got our Dad to sing on one of the songs with us, so it was very special for us,” Matt continued.
The aptly-titled “The Collins Brothers” album includes songs originally written and performed by artists such as Ryan Adams, Patty Griffin, Toad the Wet Sprocket, Whiskeytown, Son Volt, Sam Cooke, The Beatles, Martin Sexton, Dan Bern, Fountains of Wayne and Cast Iron Filter.Other musicians involved with The Collins Brothers CD are Michael J and John McMillan, both Gainesville-based recording artists. Michael J played bass guitar, lead guitar and was the mixing engineer for the project. John McMillan made a special guest appearance on harmonica for the song, “My Winding Wheel.”
About Matt Collins:
Matt Collins is the epitome of the “do-it-yourself” musician. Matt is a self-taught guitarist, singer and songwriter, and a successful independent recording artist. Matt began writing and playing music professionally while attending the University of Florida. For over 10 years, Matt was the lead singer and guitarist for nationally accomplished Independent Pop/Rock band Longwood (later named The Treatment.)
Matt enjoyed numerous accolades and successes with this band including winning an international songwriting competition in 2004, 2 nationally released albums, “Top 20 Most Played” on XM Unsigned Radio, showcases for major record labels, Gator Growl performance at the University of Florida for over 60,000 people, and several national brand endorsements.
More recently, Matt has had music featured on the hit TV shows “The Ghost Whisperer” on CBS, “Whistler” on CTV, and “Lincoln Heights” on ABC Family. Matt’s music has also been featured in a national ad campaign for MTV’s Road Rules and Jeep Automobiles, as well as a promotion for “Clean & Clear” in the United Kingdom.
In 2007, Matt released his debut album “Short & Sweet” to great reviews and in 2009, released a side project with his brother Bo, called “The Collins Brothers.” Matt has also begun work on his second full-length studio release. Matt’s music is available on iTunes, as well as most major music download websites.
Fans of Matt’s are drawn to his powerful, soulful vocal style coupled with a rare ability to write insightful, sometimes witty, lyrics with infectious melodies. Matt is the epitome of the “do-it-yourself” musician by taking control of his career and has found a way to find success in an increasingly crowded marketplace. Matt finances his own recordings, marketing and merchandise, and continues to build a rapidly growing fan base with only the power of his music and forward-thinking marketing practices.
To hear streaming audio of Matt Collins’ debut album, and for up-to-date news, visit Matt’s website at http://www.MattCollinsOnline.com