Centennial Hills resident creates unique country sound at 58

It is no secret that Las Vegas is known for its entertainment, yet when people think of country music, their minds probably go more toward Nashville, Tenn., than Sin City.

By releasing his debut country album “Plenty Good Loving” on June 10, Centennial Hills resident Matt Hews broke a few barriers. His uniqueness stems not only from his being a valley native but from his sound. The 50-year resident combines several genres after beginning his career at 58.

“I have been playing the guitar and singing since I was a kid,” Hews said. “I used to play all the time, but after I got married, I couldn’t pursue it professionally, so about 10 years ago, I decided to take my music more seriously.”

After working on his own material for a few years, Hews sent a demo of original songs to Tate Publishing and Enterprises in Oklahoma.

The publishing house, which produces music and books, liked Hews’ music so much, it flew him to Oklahoma in September to record it.

“They really liked my music and offered me a nice deal to produce eight songs on an album,” he said. “I am really lucky that they picked my music up. I am very grateful for all they have done for me.”

“When we heard his music, we really liked his sound,” said executive music producer Don Johnson. “We really liked the song ‘The Last Chance Saloon.’ It’s a kick-butt song, kind of Southern rock with an edge. His music had a very good sound to it, so we were happy to produce an album with him.”

The album was released a few months after recording was completed and has a good variety of country tunes, country rock and even ballads, Johnson said.

“He is not like everyone else you hear on the radio,” he said. “Matt has a really unique voice that makes him stand out from other country singers, plus he has a unique view of things musically because of where he is from.”

Johnson said Hews’ original songs come from his heart, and it is obvious he is inspired by Las Vegas.

“I wrote the song called ‘Flying down to Vegas’ for the album,” Hews said. “I am from here, so it is only proper that the album had a song dedicated to the city.”

Hews said his inspiration for the song came from a willingness to promote the city.

“The song talks about a guy talking to his wife and telling her he wants to go to Las Vegas ‘in the sun, bright lights, gambling and having fun,’ ” he said. “The song has like an Elvis, bossa nova feel to it. It is a good song to get people to come here.”

Hews said he was surprised the song got approved for the album because it has a pop country sound, which people are not used to. Nevertheless, according to Johnson, Hews’ unique twist on traditional country music makes his sound interesting.

“He has a very unique sound, not just in the style of the music but even in his vocal span,” Johnson said. “In the album, he has some stuff that is traditional country and some stuff that is Southern rock. It sounds good throughout.”

Apart from Hews’ unique voice and diverse musical sounds, his age makes him somewhat of an anomaly in the music business, as generally, new artists are in their 20s or 30s.

“It has definitely been harder for me because of my age,” Hews said. “But I am still very, very excited about my work and hope to continue in the music industry also through writing. Maybe someone who is young will take one of my songs and do well with it.”

“I applaud him for following his dream regardless of his age,” Johnson said. “You don’t really choose music; it chooses you, and for him to pursue it now is truly admirable.”

Johnson said Hews is not trying to compete with younger artists but instead wants to simply make music and put it out there.

“All men are created equal, and everybody has a chance in life to do what they love regardless of their age, gender, religion or background. It doesn’t matter,” Hews said. “I never got a chance to pursue my dream before, so I feel lucky that I now get to make music that hopefully people can relate to.”

Contact reporter Maria Agreda at magreda@reviewjournal.com or on Twitter at @mjfagre.