Matt Stell

Last updated
Matt Stell
Birth nameMatthew Neal Stell
Born (1984-04-19) April 19, 1984 (age 40)
Center Ridge, Arkansas, U.S.
Genres Country
Years active2006–present
Labels Arista Nashville
Website www.mattstell.com

Matthew Neal Stell is an American country music singer, guitarist, and songwriter. His song "Prayed for You" and his EP Everywhere but On were released in 2019.

Contents

Early life

Stell was born in Clinton, Arkansas, and raised in Center Ridge, Arkansas. He played basketball during high school in the Amateur Athletic Union summer league, and from 2002 to 2006, he played college basketball for Drury University for four years on an athletic scholarship. [1] [2]

After college he worked farming and construction jobs while studying for a master's degree in communications at the University of Arkansas. A medical missions trip to Haiti inspired him to apply to a post-baccalaureate premedical program to complete pre-med coursework not taken as a religion and philosophy major. [3] He applied to Harvard University's Extension School part-time pre-med program, and he was accepted. But in 2014, shortly before the program would have begun, he had the opportunity to sign a publishing deal with Wide Open Music, and he chose music over starting the part-time pre-med program. [4] [5]

Music career

In the late 2000s and early 2010s, Stell played as the lead singer of the band The Crashers. [6] During this time, he released three albums independently: The Sound & the Story, Vestibule Blues, and in March 2013, A River Through It, [7] the latter two of which were on the label 124 Records. He continued playing gigs, and opened for major artists including Luke Bryan and Eric Church. He also wrote for other artists, including Bart Crow, Casey Donahew, and the John D. Hale Band. [8] He moved to Nashville in 2014.

Stell released an EP, Last of the Best, on March 16, 2018. [9] He also released the single, "Prayed For You", which he co-wrote with Allison Veltz and producer Ash Bowers. [10] Rolling Stone named "Prayed For You" one of the "10 Best Country Songs to Hear Now". [11] The song captured the attention of Barry Weiss, former president and CEO of Jive Records, who signed Stell to his label, RECORDS, in July 2018. [12] Keith Gale, president of Good Company Entertainment, signed on to promote the song to radio. [13] Also in 2018, Stell was named a CMT Discovery Artist. [14]

In February 2019, "Prayed For You" reached No. 36 on Billboard 's Hot Country Songs chart [15] and in March 2019 it reached No. 54 on Billboard 's Country Airplay chart. [16] The song received over 15 million plays on Spotify and 44 million altogether within just over a year. The official music video for the song starred reality TV star Savannah Chrisley and her fiancé, hockey player Nic Kerdiles. It premiered at People on July 9, 2018 [17] and received over 4.3 million views on YouTube in its first 10 months.

Matt made his Grand Ole Opry debut on April 27, 2019. The same month, Arista Nashville and Sony Music Nashville joined the team working to promote his career. [18] [19] He makes a return appearance at the Grand Ole Opry on June 12, 2019, with Old Crow Medicine Show and the Del McCoury Band. In May, Taste of Country named him an Artist to Watch. [20] His major label debut EP, the seven-song Everywhere But On, released May 24, 2019, on Records/Arista Nashville, [21] a week after the debut of the music video for the title track. [22] The EP includes a collaboration with Jimmie Allen.

On September 16, 2019, Stell was presented with a RIAA Gold certification for "Prayed for You". [23]

On October 8, 2021, Stell released the song "Boyfriend Season." [24] The song is slated for inclusion alongside the Better Than That EP tracklist on an upcoming album, set to be released in 2022. [25] In 2022, he released the single "Man Made" as well as the promotional single "One of Us". [26]

Discography

Studio albums

TitleAlbum details
The Sound & the Story
  • Release date: March 3, 2009 [27]
  • Label: Independent
Vestibule Blues
  • Release date: May 11, 2011 [28]
  • Label: 124 Records
A River Through It
  • Release date: March 19, 2013 [29]
  • Label: 124 Records
Born Lonely
  • Release date: June 7, 2024 [30]
  • Label: Records

Live albums

TitleAlbum details
Live at the Snorty Horse
  • Release date: 2006 [31]
  • Label: Independent

Extended plays

TitleEP detailsPeak chart positions
US
Country

[32]
Last of the Best [9]
  • Release date: March 16, 2018
  • Label: Wide Open
Everywhere but On
  • Release date: May 24, 2019
  • Label: Records, Arista Nashville
32
Better Than That
  • Release date: October 16, 2020
  • Label: Records, Arista Nashville
43
One of Us
  • Release date: February 10, 2023
  • Label: Records
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

Singles

YearTitlePeak chart positionsSalesCertificationsAlbum/EP
US
[33]
US Country
[34]
US Country Airplay
[35]
CAN Country
[36]
2019"Prayed for You"362123Everywhere but On
"Everywhere but On"481116
2021"That Ain't Me No More"4735Non-album single
2022"Man Made" [40] 36One of Us
2023"Breakin' In Boots" [41] 30
[42]
Born Lonely
"—" denotes a release that did not chart

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