We recently connected with Matt Lomeo and have shared our conversation below.
Matt, appreciate you joining us today. Are you happy as a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?
I couldn’t imagine having just a regular job. Making music satisfies me like nothing else. It is my shelter when I am troubled and the wellspring of my passion. I’m privileged to play with the incredible musicians that comprise our scene here in Los Angeles. Just to know and collaborate with so many talented individuals gives me a special sense of belonging that I couldn’t replace elsewhere. Playing music to me is the easiest thing in life. It is a privilege to call it my work.
I have had plenty of regular jobs through the years, from landscaper, to substitute teacher and bouncer. They have always been a means to the end of continuing to play music. Without the higher calling of this creative pursuit, I would be without my compass. If I am working another job, I am thinking of restocking my harmonicas, investing in my career, and paying the rent so I can keep in the scene. I am singularly driven to continue to grow in my music.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I got my first harmonica at age nine, and immediately starting playing and singing. I have been a gigging musician since then (25 years+) in my hometown of Utica, NY, NYC, Memphis, TN, and now LA for the past five and a half years. I started in Blues but have absorbed various styles throughout my career, and grown as a writer. Now, my own songs are my chief vehicle. I like to hearken back to a time when Roots music was Pop music. My goal is to write new classics that I can sing at a high level. As a singer, I am inspired by Johnnie Taylor, Elvis Presley, Bessie Smith, Jimmie Rodgers, and Frank Sinatra. As a harmonica player, I try to bring novelty to my craft and generate the maximum economy from each note. I am a devotee of icons on my instrument such as Junior Wells, Slim Harpo, Paul Butterfield, Sugar Blue, and George “Harmonica” Smith, but I also study great improvisers on other instruments like Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis, Stanley Turrentine, and Albert Collins.
I host a jam session here in Los Angeles, Tuesday nights at Ireland’s 32 Pub. We play a variety of genres and I use the opening set to try out new songs I am working on. In this way, the songs that I end up recording are previewed for the Tuesday night audience, and I get to learn what I like/don’t like about them, or what needs worked on. Hosting the jam also makes me very connected to the greater music scene. A plethora of talented players meet there, and I become a common link between them all. This is a rewarding position to be in.
I have one complete album of original songs out (When You Call, 2022), and I am working on my next. I also do freelance live and studio work on harmonica and vocals. I am a full-time band member with Angela Petrilli & The Players. We have an EP (The Voices) out this year. I also play harmonica in the Highwayman Show, a tribute to the great Outlaw Country singers. Since April, I am a professor in the Vocal Department at the Los Angeles College of Music in Pasadena. I teach the Blues and Roots class, sharing the knowledge I have accrued with young singers in the undergraduate program.
I love music a lot and have a unique skill set that I have developed over many years. I don’t play a chord instrument like guitar or keyboards at any serious level. The farther I get as a “mere” harmonica player and singer, the more proud I am. 2023 has been the best year yet.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
For me, the most rewarding aspect of being a musician is contributing to this craft that is so sustaining, that provides so much enjoyment to a variety of listeners throughout their lives. It’s been said to me that we as musicians make others’ lives longer, while it makes ours shorter. I’m not sure about that, but just being a part of this thing is what I love the most. I am continually amazed at the players I get to work with, and with every note I add, I know I am doing my part to keep the music playing. This applies to a song that might gain traction internationally the same as it does to a live show, even if the audience is only a handful of people. Our work has a legacy, however large or small. The sacrifices I make to play music are worth it to me if only to provide an enjoyable time for my listeners. I like to think that we add much to the fabric of everyday life.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
In general, we like to see a monetary return on investments, whether it be time or labor. In the creative field, sometimes we have to go for it, understanding that career growth and expansion of one’s circle make the investment worthwhile. I participated in the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, TN, at the beginning of this year. Bringing a band to Memphis for the week and competing in the Challenge was a huge marshalling of resources for me. But I learned a lot about myself and established new relationships with dozens of figures working in my genre. Similarly, creating my album was a massive investment, but it put me on the map in ways that I have been seeking for many years. Soon, I will be playing in NYC. I don’t expect this to be a profit-making venture, but bringing my songs to that market and growing my presence there makes it worthwhile. I have found that in music we need to evaluate each opportunity at a deeper level than what we might do in other areas.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://mattlomeo.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattlomeomusic/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mattlomeomusic
- Youtube: https://m.youtube.com/channel/UC_HGavbj4fEn_1b7hyVR5GQ
Image Credits
Photos by Matt Martinez, David Raven, and Dalen Muster