Cape Breton’s Brett Matthews has quickly become one of the East Coast’s most talked-about new artists. Matthews first garnered attention about five years ago, when hip-hop star Classified helped launch his career. Since then, he’s grown from newcomer to seasoned performer. His hard work was recognized earlier this year when Matthews won Country Recording of the Year at the East Coast Music Awards for his single “If I Die Today.” Now, he’s stepping into new territory with his debut album “Tomorrow.” The project blends acoustic, folk, hip hop and pop elements, and includes many notable collaborations. “I wrote a couple of the songs with David Myles. Classified, he produced the whole thing, and Ria Mae was a part of it,” said Matthews in an interview with CTV Atlantic’ Katie Kelly. The Cape Breton singer-songwriter says he never wanted to be locked into one genre. “The running joke with me is I put out music and every song sounds different than the last one,” he said. “I won country release of the year for ECMAs but I don’t necessarily think I’m a country artist. It is multi-genre and it’s just kind of the way I’ve always done things.” While there’s no specific theme tying “Tomorrow” together, Matthews says the songs reflect his imagination and his life. Some tracks are deeply personal, while others were born from ideas he envisioned in his head. “I just want people to enjoy what they hear and maybe it resonates with them and sticks to them,” said Matthews. “Tomorrow” is available now.
