this tour's totally ruling! huge thank you to everyone who has come to (or has tickets for/or tried to get tickets for) a show. and as a little mid-tour appreciation gift, we recorded “used to be” from the dallas show (@ kessler theatre). ENJOY! 

this is way rad… valntn did a remix of “used to be” and it TOTALLY RULES. it moves in this way that makes me feel all european and sexy, and the pocket in the chorus is 🔥 huge thank you to valntn for reimagining my song. i am flattered and inspired!

check out “used to be (valntn remix)” it’s up everywhere NOW!

SF Sketchfest is my favorite two weeks of the year… san francisco gets overrun by the best comedians on the planet and it's constant, wall to wall funny! i'm SUPER PSYCHED to be a part of the festival again this year. i'll be making two appearances:

first, i’ll be telling a story and singing a song as part of an amazing line up for “bring the rock!”… it’s kinda like comedian karaoke. i’ve done it a bunch of times over the last few years and i ALWAY end up laughing so hard i cry. it’s friday, january 25th @ 7pm @ the swedish american.

next up, i'll be musical guest / ed mcmahon for a live taping of janet varney's JV Club podcast. the other guests are being announced in the next week or so, but janet runs Sketchfest, so she always gets amazing guests and we always have a total blast. it’s sunday, jan 27th @ 1pm @ gateway theatre.

tickets here.

if you are in or around the bay area, and feel like getting your laugh on, come hang!!

most of the feb/march acoustic headline tour is sold out (which totally rules, btw!)… i know it was frustrating to a lot of you that some of the shows sold out as fast as they did… truthfully, it took us by surprise... so we went back to see what we could do to make more tickets available. we were able to do a couple things:

- we added a 2nd show in boston. get tix

- we added a 2nd show in san francisco. get tix 

- we moved the ORLANDO SHOW to a larger venue and it is the ONLY FLORIDA SHOW on this whole tour (and it’s a saturday night which is perfect for a lil’ roadtrip… you feelin’ me jacksonville / tampa /miami / etc.) get tix 

also, there is a low ticket warning for a handful of the shows that aren’t yet sold out… so, if you plan on coming, don’t sleep on getting tickets. this tour is gonna be SUPER fun (we will be bringing out the song wheel again!) and all the shows are definitely gonna go clean. so head on over and get tickets HERE

big day.

i called the album “sings his sad heart” because i was trying to be funny about the fact that almost all the songs are about loss. i don’t know why either, because my life is real full of beauty these days. not a lot of loss going on. i guess i’ve got some deep seated stuff i still need to work on... or maybe i got it all out with these songs. who knows, we’ll see.

i’m proud of this record. i’m proud of all of them, actually, but this one is the only one i've ever made that i like listening to. so that’s real fun! from the first claps of “mine” to the reverbed out background vocals in “sadness,” i still get swept up in it. most of the time, when i listen, i forget it’s me. my inner assassins take a nap and i can just enjoy it. that's probably the highest compliment i can give the album…. i forget i’m involved. ha.

"my friend lynn said “your problem is you let other people's music save you, but you don’t let your own music save you.” harsh but true. i’m working on it, though, lynn. and this feels like a good first step."

and so, ladies and gentleman, without further ado, i present to you my 9th(!!!!) studio album:

"matt nathanson sings his sad heart”

by the time i got to butch’s last november,
i just remember feeling relief.
after a couple of years of feeling lost,
the album was FINALLY in focus.
and almost done.
and the year was winding down.

butch's studio is on the west side
close to the ocean
(and a killer comic book shop).
the air moves there.
it's different than the rest of los angeles.
it’s really hard to feel stuck
when you’re surrounded
by that much movement.

we worked fast,
butch is all gut and confidence
and inspiration when he makes music.
it’s easy to follow him.

i had the “different beds” lyric in a poem.
i wrote the rest of the words
up in tahoe, during thanksgiving break.
i love the words so much.
i love the story.

i live with the delusion
that i can change the outcome
of things by just trying harder.
it’s a recipe for constant disappointment,
for sure. but i still do it.
this song is an exercise
in writing about the opposite.
about surrender.
about coming to terms with the fact
that you can only change the “you,”
not the “us.”
and not being bitter about it.
just facing facts.
we’ll see the sunrise again...
we’ll find happiness again...
it’s just not gonna be together.

the demo was sparse.
but when i got back to butch’s
in december, he had taken it all
“avalon”-era roxy music.
dreamy and washy and sexy.
way better.

the part of the song
that really lays me out though
is the middle 8.
when everything drops out
and there’s just that rhodes,
and that guitar
and my voice. all dry and up front.
resigned.

“sometimes the things you love /
don’t love you back”

brutal stuff.

stream + download “different beds”

as you all know, we're within spitting distance (OCTOBER 5th!) of the release of my new album, “sings his sad heart.” this has pretty much been the longest lead up to an album launch in the history of recorded music, so i don’t need to tell you how psyched i am for you all to finally have the whole thing. hope you’re psyched too. with that being said...

I’M GOING ON AN ACOUSTIC HEADLINING TOUR!!
I’M GOING ON AN ACOUSTIC HEADLINING TOUR!!
I’M GOING ON AN ACOUSTIC HEADLINING TOUR!!

that’s right, my people... aaron tap & i are hitting the road this february / march for an intimate, duo acoustic tour of these beautiful united states (and toronto!).

now onto the ticket info...

1st TICKET PRE-SALE: october 2nd

if you pre-order (or if you have already pre-ordered) my new album “sings his sad heart” from MY WEBSTORE by sunday night (sept 30th), you get first shot at tickets for the tour. this doesn’t guarantee you tickets, but it guarantees you will have first crack at them thru the first pre-sale @ 10am/local on OCTOBER 2nd. (we will send you a special code monday afternoon, OCT1st)

2nd TICKET PRE-SALE: october 3rd.

if you DON’T pre-order my album (for shame! you should, it's awesome.), sign up to my mailing list & you will be part of the second ticket pre-sale. that will take place @ 10am/local on OCTOBER 3rd (we will send you a special code tuesday night, OCT2nd).
now please note, these shows will sell out… and if you wait for this second pre-sale, you have a significantly smaller chance of getting tickets. so your best bet is to pre-order the album and get in on the 1st ticket pre-sale. but this is all up to you… maybe you like taking chances / living on the edge. i respect that about you.

3rd TICKET GENERAL PUBLIC ON-SALE: october 5th.

any tickets left over after the 2 pre-sales will go on sale to the general public on OCTOBER 5th, the day the album comes out. again, don’t wait for this on-sale if you want to come to the tour (and you want to come to this tour), cause there probably won’t be many (any) tickets left by this point.

february 9th - orlando, fl @ the social
february 10th - atlanta, ga @ terminal west
february 12th - austin, tx @ antone’s
february 13th - dallas, tx @ kessler theater
february 15th - nashville, tn @ the cowan
february 16th - carrboro, nc @ cat’s cradle
february 19th - alexandria, va @ the birchmere
february 20th - new york, ny @ irving plaza
february 22nd - philadelphia, pa @ theatre of living arts
february 23rd - boston, ma @ paradise rock club
february 24th - fairfield, ct @ the warehouse
february 26th - toronto, on @ mod club
february 28th - burlington, vt @ higher ground
march 1st - rochester, ny @ anthology
march 2nd - ann arbor, mi @ the ark
march 3rd - cleveland, oh @ beachland ballroom & tavern
march 5th - indianapolis, in @ the hi fi
march 6th - madison, wi @ majestic theatre
march 8th - minneapolis, mn @ varsity theater
march 9th - chicago, il @ thalia hall
march 10th - des moines, ia @ wooly’s
march 12th - saint louis, mo @ old rock house
march 13th - kansas city, mo @ madrid theatre & cafe
march 15th - denver, co @ the oriental theater
march 16th - salt lake city, ut @ the commonwealth room
march 19th - seattle, wa @ neumos
march 20th - portland, or @ aladdin theater
march 22nd - napa, ca @ uptown theatre
march 23rd - santa ana, ca @ the observatory oc
march 24th - san diego, ca @ music box
march 26th - los angeles, ca @ el rey
march 28th - san francisco, ca @ great american music hall

hey all… tickets for my SUPER intimate record release party in san francisco at Inforum at the Commonwealth Club on 10/5 are ON SALE NOW!! very psyched for an evening of music & conversation (with author Kelly Corrigan interviewing me!) see you there!!

beautiful people! 

on OCTOBER 5th (the day my new album "sings his sad heart" comes out), i'm going to be celebrating w/ a SUPER intimate record release party thing here in san francisco. 

it's gonna be a hang out/in-depth conversation with my friend (& NYT best selling author) Kelly Corrigan & a solo acoustic performance. i'm psyched to talk about the album, creativity and whatever else kelly has planned. audience Q&A too! 

tickets are SUPER limited (this is a tiny joint) and go on sale TOMORROW @ 10am PST. link is here.

p.s. - we're gonna be giving a cool ass, limited edition, signed lithograph to everyone who comes to the party!

hello beautiful people… NEW SONG TIME!!!!

no better way to celebrate a friday than to release another new song from my album “sings his sad heart”! (out Oct 5th! pre-order it over at https://mattnathanson.lnk.to/singshissadheart)
this time, it’s a song called “long distance runner”. i wrote a bit about it below. dig in & enjoy!!

matt

…….

nolan and i wrote most of "long distance runner" in los angeles. the title's a nod to this sea wolf song i love.

we tracked most of it @ crush in NYC. during recording, whenever things started to get good, amir & adam would bust into these absurd dance moves… just totally throwing shapes. it was HILARIOUS... that happened a lot with this song. i think it’s cause the kick drum is so ruling… and because amir’s background vocals make every song feel like sly & the family stone.

i went back to los angeles to finish up the track with stacy & craig.  stacy’s buddy laid down the rad “graceland” bass part which tied the whole thing together for me. made it feel like a living, breathing organism. stacy's tireless like that... always down for making the song better.

the lyrics took me a while. screwdriver work. but i’m super proud of them:

“grew up believing love was a grudge / and home was a place where you lived with your guard up.”

“people keep saying memories fade / mine are all drunk and they just keep calling”

i’ve spent most of my life with my past hanging around my neck (kinda like a big, unfun flavor flav clock.) less and less as the years go by, but still… i think the hardest work we do is unbraiding ourselves from habits that don’t work for us anymore and clearing space in our lives to just enjoy the moments we’re in.

very psyched for you to finally hear this song!

click the link to hear “long distance runner”.

SUPER EXCITING NEWS!!!
my NEW ALBUM is called: 

“Sings His Sad Heart”.

and it comes out OCTOBER 5th!!

- i made it with a bunch of friends. in a bunch of places. over the last 3 years.
- it’s an album about being the only one left hung up on the past.
- i wore a blazer on the album cover.
- i am super in love with it! (the album, not the blazer).

you can pre-order it from my webstore RIGHT HERE RIGHT NOW! we pulled together a bunch of real cool pre-order bundles for it, 
and we’re including a VERY LIMITED EDITION vinyl release of my def leppard EP “Pyromattia” (on WHITE VINYL!!!!) with the 1st 500 bundles ordered!

and finally, i couldn’t decide on the next song i wanted you to hear off “Sings His Sad Heart", so i picked two… “Used To Be” AND “Mine”!

“Used To Be” has taken the mantle of “favorite song i have ever written”. i LOVE it. check it out! 

“Mine” is the kind of song i've always wanted to write. groove! groove! groove! it’s my nod to prince. check it out! 

I AM SO VERY PSYCHED YOU ALL FINALLY GET TO HEAR THESE SONGS!

i wrote ‘way way back’ with sean
in a basement in los angeles.
i had the first line. he had the hook. 
the rest came REAL fast. lyrics too.
i've never written a song this good that fast.
i recorded the bulk of it with adam & amir
last summer. at a studio in the village,
on the top floor of an old building
with a death-trap elevator
and janky air conditioning.
i finished it with butch
back out in LA, by the beach,
just as the year was ending.
john KILLED the mixes
and then jade shot the video
in three hours
@ a supermarket in the valley.
it’s magical, my job.
collaborating with friends.
human collision at its finest.
psyched for you to finally hear it.
 

if you've been paying attention to my posts this week you’ve probably figured out that i LOVE the band Def Leppard. (and i like leg day @ the gym)

now, i love A LOT of music… but def leppard is one of the few bands that live in rarified air for me. top tier greatness. so aaron tap (he is a HUGE DL fan too) and i decided that we would… yep, you guessed it:

RECORD AN ENTIRE E.P. OF DEF LEPPARD SONGS!! 
CAN I GET A 'HELLS YES'!!!

the E.P. is called “Pyromattia” (get it?!) and it is out RIGHT NOW!
so take it for a spin. live with it. love it. it’s my crazy-ass metal super nerd fan gift to you.

Stream + download

ps- it sounds REALLY great on headphones. (and you’ll feel invincible with them on… ha!) and stay tuned for a whole lot more info coming VERY VERY VERY SOONISH about my “you know what” that you have been waiting for since my last “you know what” (for those not good at hints, i’m talking about my new album).

i'm VERY happy to announce that i'm heading out on the just like paradise tour this summer with my very dear friends in O.A.R.

a special pre-sale for my mailing list will begin tomorrow at 9am pt /12pm et. the code will be sent out to the list later tonight, so make sure to sign up now! the general on sale begins friday at 12pm local.

p.s. if you come out to these shows, you just might hear a new song or two (SAY WHAT?!). it’s true, my new album is SOOOO close to the finish line, but more on that in the near future.

July 24 - Kettering, OH @ Fraze Pavilion for the Performing Arts
July 25 - Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium (pre-sale 2/20 @ 10am; on sale 2/23)
July 27 - Irving, TX @ The Pavilion @ Toyota Music Factory
July 28 - Austin, TX @ Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheatre
July 29 - Houston, TX @ House of Blues
August 1 - Atlanta, GA @ Coca Cola Roxy
August 2 - Clearwater, FL @ Ruth Eckerd Hall
August 3 - Pompano Beach, FL @ Pompano Beach Amphitheatre
August 4 - Orlando, FL @ House of Blues
August 5 - Jacksonville, FL @ Daily’s Place
August 7 - Charlotte, NC @ Charlotte Metro Credit Union Amphitheatre
August 8 - Raleigh, NC @ Red Hat Amphitheatre
August 13 - New York, NY @ SummerStage, Central Park
August 14 - Boston, MA @ Blue Hills Bank Pavilion
August 16 - Hampton Beach, NH @ Hampton Beach Ballroom
August 17 - East Providence, RI @ Bold Point Park
August 18 - Middletown, PA @ Vineyards @ Hershey
August 19 - Bethel, NY @ Bethel Center for the Arts
August 21 - Philadelphia, PA @ Festival Pier
August 22 - Lewiston, NY @ Artpark
August 23 - Cleveland, OH @ Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica
August 24 - Toledo, OH @ TBA
August 26 - Grand Rapids, MI @ TBA
August 28 - Indianapolis, IN @ Farm Bureau Insurance Lawn at White River State Park
August 31 - Council Bluffs, IA @ Stir Concert Cove
September 1 - Moorhead, MN @ Bluestem Center for the Arts
September 2 - Chicago, IL @ TBA
September 7 - Minneapolis, MN @ Mystic Lake Amphitheatre
September 8 - Kansas City, MO @ Starlight Theater
September 9 - Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre
September 10 - Salt Lake City, UT @ TBA
September 13 - Valley Center, CA @ Harrah’s Resort SoCal
September 14 - Anaheim, CA @ House of Blues
September 15 - Saratoga, CA @ TBA
September 16 - Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom
September 18 - Seattle, WA @ Showbox SoDo

home now. los angeles next week. hopefully closing in on finishing my f@#$%n album. thank you to everyone who came out to the shows & a HUGE thank you to matchbox twenty for letting aaron & me tag along! (pic by joshua burch)

this was a pretty cathartic release. 
2 nights ago in denver with 7k of my new best friends.
(and the one guy who walked in front of the camera)
singing one for the king, TP.
togetherness at it’s finest. check it out…

we been locked away in a rehearsal room in hollywood getting ready for the 'summer mini-tour'. our friend james came by and shot this for us... on his iPhone! dig aaron's suit! first show is tomorrow night in livermore, CA... see you there!

fun times ahead with my friends in matchbox twenty!! 

August 11th - Southaven, MS @ Bank Plus
August 18th - Orange Beach, AL @ The Wharf
September 19th - Toledo, OH @ Toledo Zoo
September 29th - Cedar Park, TX @ HEB Center
October 4th - Denver, CO @ Pepsi Center
October 6th - Council Bluffs, IA @ Harrah’s
October 7th - Moline, IL @ Mark of the Quad

i’m happy to officially announce my little west coast, summer, mini-tour!!!

LIVERMORE, CA - JULY 18
@ Wente Vineyards

SALEM, OR – JULY 19
@ Riverfront Park

ALBANY, OR – JULY 20
@ Monteith Riverpark
this is a free show.

JACKSONVILLE, OR – JULY 21
@ Britt Music & Arts Festival
don’t sleep on these shows, because these are the only headline shows until the next record (more on that later).

(photo by Shameless Photography)