Rising Music Star Matt Koziol On The Five Things You Need To Shine In The Music Industry

An Interview With Edward Sylvan

…Work smart, not hard — Though there is the element of the hustle that I love and believe you need to have, I have found myself leaning into this more and more as I’ve gotten older. Mainly to take advantage of time and not burn out! It’s easy to work yourself to the ground, but being smart about that work will take it far!

As a part of our series about rising music stars, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Matt Koziol.

Matt Koziol has collaborated with John Paul White, Joy Oladokun, Jimmie Allen, Charlie Worsham, Steve Moakler, Abby Anderson, Bre Kennedy, and more as a writer for Prescription Songs. And has spent the last few years playing guitar and singing BGVs for Bre Kennedy.

Koziol is a vibrant songwriter, and personality, who’s developed a style of writing, and playing, that appeals to the traveling heart. He focuses on creating a homelike environment for each session; setting his collaborators at ease and making each person feel special. Matt has a knack for pulling remarkable stories from his peers to use as inspiration in the songwriting process.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?

Thanks for having me! Well, I grew up in a town called Linden, New Jersey. A Smaller city in the suburbs of New York, but a true blue-collar town. My father is a graphic designer, and my mother works for the local public school district in my hometown. I also have one brother, who also works for our hometown school district in IT. I grew up part of a Polish/Italian-American household. My family came to America in the early 1900s on both sides, all through Ellis Island, and they resided in the Tri-State area. Needless to say, you don’t have to be from a small town for it to be a small town. The roots of my family and myself run deep through New Jersey — It’s always going to be home. I went through the Linden Public School system and graduated from Linden High School, and followed that with a few years (unfinished) at Kean University. I spent the majority of my 20’s traveling between NY, LA and other musical cities to find my space, and in 2015, I moved to Nashville.

Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?

I grew up loving music and submerging myself in it. There are no musicians in my immediate family but all are true lovers of music, so when it came time for me to start my education in songs, it came very naturally. I started really playing and understanding music through two great teachers in the Linden Public School system (Mr. Tuner / Mrs. Lorenzetti). I followed music into college where I really started to understand the practice of music. I had a wonderful professor (Richard Hobson), who helped me learn that not all things come from talent alone, but also practice. I was a massive Elvis Presley fan (still am) as a child. Watching him on my tv as a kid was like watching magic happen. I also had the early Saturday morning cartoon of the California Raisins to introduce me to soul and Motown music. It didn’t take long before I promised myself that, no matter what, music would be the career path I chose.

I never gave myself a plan B. I always thought “well, if you have a safety net, you’ll always know it’s there… so, if you don’t have one, you’ll work hard enough to not to hit the ground.”

Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?

To be honest, there have been so many! I tell friends all the time, this may not be the best paying job — but it sure ain’t boring. I always found myself going “how did I get here?”

I think one of the most interesting things happened around 2017, here in Nashville. I was playing at a local venue with a fellow artist (Bre Kennedy) on a pretty slow night. We didn’t think anything of it, but there were two men and some friends sitting in the back of the bar and clapping for every song. We played into it and invited them up for a song, and they got us around — then we said “hey, do y’all want to go out for the night?” So, we took them to some local bars and showed them a proper good time in Nashville.

Come to find out, they were the CEO and advisor for a large bank in Seattle. We became instant friends and while we were out, they made a joke saying “hey, you both need to come play our Christmas party!” So of course, we laughed and said “sure.” We didn’t expect to hear anything about it. The following morning, we receive emails asking us for travel times and dates. Needless to say, we were surprised!

We wound up being flown out to Seattle, performing for this company and having the same hospitality shown to us as we showed them in our hometown. It really was a magical trip, and we have stayed friends with these folks. I still receive Christmas cards from some of them as well!

It just shows that what we do as musicians really is an outlet for folks who watch and listen to our stories. We have the ability to say and create things others can’t find the words for. We strive for people to connect and what’s most important is when we connect right on back. It was a trip I’ll never forget, and I’m so thankful for it.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

Oh man, this one could be miles long! I always try to be very observant of things that could be mistakes and avoid them, but sometimes you just can’t!

When I first started, I was playing bars and small clubs around New Jersey and New York, and there was always a common theme of “what was said, was never what happened.” I would agree to play a show at a bar, but the terms were never set in stone. I would go off people’s word. Now, if anyone has ever watched old movies about club and bar owners before, you know, there’s always backhanded ways where something goes wrong, and you wind up playing for no one and not getting paid.

This was unfortunately the lesson I had to learn the hard way.

I would be told I was “opening” for an artist, and when the band and I got to the club, we’d be playing as the show ended, on a side stage, while everyone was leaving.

Needless to say, the lessons learned were tough but it made me more aware of who to trust and how to set things in stone.

What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?

Currently, I’m working on writing another album for myself, all while continuing to write for other artists. My publisher (Prescription Songs) keeps my schedule fairly busy, and I truly love it. Even with the learning curve from 2020, I’ve developed a great habit of organizing my writes and being mindful of the time I need to balance.

I finished a record with my friend Matt Odmark (Jars of Clay) who produced it. Currently releasing those songs under a development record deal with the great folks of Red Creative Group (Jeremy Stover/John Cantu). That’s the main focus for the first part of 2022. We released the first single in November 2021 titled “Work All Day.”

We are very interested in diversity in the entertainment industry. Can you share three reasons with our readers about why you think it’s important to have diversity represented in film and television? How can that potentially affect our culture?

There’s an old saying: “If everything and everyone were the same, life would be boring.”

I felt very fortunate to grow up in the Tri-State area. It was overflowing with culture. I could experience food, music and art from around the world with a simple train ride or a drive down the street.

Diversity is what makes us grow. It’s the center point for our education. How can you be a better person to your neighbor or yourself by not embracing diversity?

In my opinion, the three most important reasons to have diversity in entertainment are for growing, understanding and sharing. We all live such different lives and have different experiences. I will never claim to understand what it’s like to walk in another person’s shoes, however, I am always willing to learn and understand. Art has such deep-rooted influence from every corner of the earth, and it would be an absolute shame to not experience all of that richness. It’s our common language between cultures and something we should celebrate in its diversity.

Without it, art would be nothing. Colors would be monochrome, food would have no flavor, and music would have no harmony.

What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why. Please share a story or example for each.

Work smart, not hard-

Though there is the element of the hustle that I love and believe you need to have, I have found myself leaning into this more and more as I’ve gotten older. Mainly to take advantage of time and not burn out! It’s easy to work yourself to the ground, but being smart about that work will take it far!

Know how much your time is worth -

I had a session when I first moved into Nashville recording a vocal for a demo, and the engineer asked me how much it was for me to cut a vocal. My response was “whatever you think is fair.” I didn’t feel completely comfortable with my knowledge of what a session would cost at the time and their response stuck with me. They told me to know how much my time is worth or I’ll be working for free the rest of my life. They said “You didn’t put in years of learning and work to be free — Know what your time is worth.”

Don’t burn a bridge you may need to cross again one day -

I think everyone learns this lesson at some point, but I wish I understood it better then.

I’ve never burned any but I’ve left a few in the rear view that needed to be. It’s important to understand that you never know if someone you’re dealing with will return in your life. I’ve had it happen once or twice, and I’m glad I kept those relationships open!

Don’t rely on talent alone -

Moving to Nashville has been a masterclass of songwriting, musicianship and becoming a professional. When I was younger, I became really good at relying on pure talent. I could learn music quickly and perform without any preparation. I had been to Nashville before I had moved and, in that time, realized how much of a small fish in a big pond I would be in terms of talent. Instead of it scaring me, I used it as the fire to make me want to educate myself and work. Some of the greatest musicians I know are a few years younger than I am, and I always laugh when I tell them I feel like the old man just trying to keep up, but I’m just insanely inspired — I’ve been pushed to work, and practice and not rely on talent, and it’s made me a better writer/musician because of it.

If you’re on time, you’re late -

One of my great friends and mentor, Cliff Goldmacher, taught me this very valuable lesson. He would hire me for vocal and demo work, and I would show up to the session right as it started. I would be flustered and sometimes need some extra time to prepare for the day’s work. I had also been guilty of double booking myself. So much so that I would beg to reschedule the session due to my negligence. One day, Cliff called and said plainly “Matt, I’m going to tell you this because I care about you and your success. If you don’t shape up, there’s someone working twice as hard right behind you and they’ll take your place.” He wasn’t wrong either. I was taking things as they came, but wasn’t being prepared. It was that day I started putting my session in my calendar an hour early to make sure I arrived early. I blocked out time for rehearsals and really put myself in the driver’s seat of my career. I’m eternally thankful for this lesson, and him.

Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?

Balance.

If 2020 taught us anything, it’s that we need balance in our lives.

A dear friend and colleague, Ryan Kravontka, has this saying “A little bit of everything.” The idea of the grind only works when you have the energy, and you can only be inspired by living life to be inspired by.

There’s the famous Ferris Bueller quote, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you might miss it.”

I’ve learned over the last two years to stop and look. I’ve taken more time to do the things that fill my cup instead of emptying it. With that, it’s helped me be more inspired, which in turn creates better work.

I think we’re told if you don’t work and hustle, you’ll be passed up — I believe there’s an ebb and flow to the hustle and the time off. You need both for great work. A little bit of everything.

You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)

I’ve always been a believer in the ripple effect. Something as simple as pay it forward, or a smile, maybe even a wave — it goes a long way.

I think a grand movement sometimes doesn’t have the legs to be done by everyone, but small gestures are something everyone can succeed in. I would love to see a movement done of less screen time! I would love to see a movement of people holding the door — saying thank you. I would love to see people give grace to those who may not be having the best day, month, or year.

Maybe that’s it — Grace. Not so much in the biblical sense but more in the act of it.

A small showing of grace will ripple through the world.

To quote the great Jeff Buckley,

“Grace is what matters, in anything.. That’s a quality I admire quite greatly. It keeps you from reaching for the gun too quickly, keeps you from destroying things too foolishly. It keeps you alive and it keeps you open for more understanding.”

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

It’s always tough to pick one person. In a career (even as it unfolds), you have so many people who have helped you in so many ways.

If I had to choose though, I would say my family. They’ve always had my back even if they didn’t understand the method to my madness all the time. They have always been there. My mother, the graceful one — always smiling and laughing when I would do something wild, and promise it would make sense. My father, the logical one — would always make sure I kept my head up and not be taken advantage of. My brother, the quiet supporter — without saying anything, I know there’s true love and honest respect we have for each other, and it means to the world to see him proud of what I do. Finally, my Grandmother, Viola. I call her the nails and the glue. Without her, many of my moments of wanting to give up would have happened. She has been the persistent one to hold it together for all of us, but I know for myself, I would not be doing any of this without her love and words.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

I was about 14 years old, and I was lucky enough to record a 4 song EP at a local recording studio in New Jersey. I was so proud of the work — something that made me feel like I was meant to do this. Also, at that time, I was really into the debut record of a new artist named John Mayer. I learned his guitar riffs and even changed my voice to sound like his. So needless to say, I hadn’t found my voice yet.

I took that cd and brought it to my old music teacher, Mr. Reggie Turner at McManus Middle School. He was the person who introduced me to the world of being a musician. I gave him the CD, asked him to listen — he said he would play it for his students and have them write their reviews. He did, then a few days later, handed me their written reviews and told me to read them on a long walk home.

If you ever want the brutal truth, have a 10-year-old review your music and write it down.

“His voice sounds like he has a frog in his throat,” “i like the guitar, but this guy can’t sing.” It was brutal. So, I asked him, “why would you give me these?”

He looked and me and said the greatest advice I was ever given — “If you’re always trying to sound like someone else, you’ll always be number 2. If you sing and write something that is TRUE to you, you’ll always be number 1. No one can ever recreate YOU”

It’s been a lesson I’ve taken with me since that day.

Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. :-)

Easy answer — Matthew McConaughey.

I’ve always respected him for his work, even in his comedic roles. I would watch interviews with him and look beyond the southern charm and wit. He’s brilliant. To me, he embodies a lot of what I find in myself in terms of my respect for family, and friends.

I watched a speech he gave talking about the pillars of life, and how it’s important to not tend to one more than the other — you need balance (see the theme here?).

I would love to sit over a glass of bourbon with no agenda, and just …chat.

Would be the coolest thing!

How can our readers follow you online?

The easiest way to find me is on social media (Instagram/Facebook)

@MattKoziolMusic.

Website: https://www.mattkoziol.com/

More info: https://shorefire.com/roster/matt-koziol#

I make sure to keep things up to date there — and post some great photos of my dog!

This was very meaningful, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!