Tickets on sale for Matt Stell at Flora-Bama Aug. 11
Tickets on sale for Matt Stell at Flora-Bama Aug. 11
Matt Stell will play live on the tent stage at the Flora-Bama Lounge as part of the ‘Bama’s Country on The Coast Music Series on Aug. 11. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. Special guest George Birge is scheduled to play at 8:25 p.m., and Stell’s set is from 9-11 p.m. Tickets are $10 and available at florabama.com.
With a style that bridges contemporary country and Americana but dips into rock and blues, Stell first gained country music establishment notice with his streaming hit “Prayed for You” from an EP he released in 2019. That song amassed over 30 million video views. Another EP, “Better Than That,” arrived in October 2020 and included the song “Look at Me Now.”
One of only seven debut country artists in the last five years to have their first two singles top the charts, he was also part of the five member New Faces of Country Music class in 2021.
The Conway County, Arkansas native has opened for Luke Bryan, Old Dominion and Eric Church, and will feature songs from his newest release, “Man Made,” at the ‘Bama.
A former scholarship hoopster at Drury University in Springfield, Missouri, Stell twice played against LeBron James on the AAU summer circuit. Standing six-foot-seven-inch, he looks the hoopster, and if he hadn’t stayed for games with the basketball team instead of going home on school break when he was 19, he may not have blown the dust off a guitar his mom gave him years before. Self taught, Stell formed and band to play the frat house circuit and started writing songs.
“I guess I assumed it did that for everybody, and then I found out, ‘No, I have this passion for it.’”
Following a medical mission trip to Haiti, Stell seriously considered studying medicine and was ready to start that journey when he received a record deal from Wide Open Music. In April of 2019, he debuted at the Grand Ole Opry in front of a full house that included about 150 fans and family.
Stell, centered enough to know he is living the proverbial dream, shares his good fortune through the wonderfully named “Give A Damn” charity.’’
“I get to live my dream. When I have days with problems, they’re not really problems, and part of wanting to be successful is I want to write and sing songs that people care about and use that to affect some kind of positive change. And that’s where the ‘give a damn’ thing comes from,’’ he said. “It’s me trying to give back and support some causes that I care about. I get a lot out of being able to do that and I count myself lucky to be able to do so.’’