Matt Phillips

Sitting in a Tommy Bahama chair in an old garage adorned with twinkle lights on a steamy summer North Carolina night, I heard Matt Phillips perform for the first time. That night, my friend, a musician, got us tickets to an underground concert to be performed in someone’s back yard, the location of which we learned that day. I was skeptical as this was my first rodeo but I went along, up for the adventure.

The first two performers were great, a diverse mix of whimsical and folk. Matt was the third and final performer — the main act. When he came on “stage” (no actual platform, just an oriental rug taken from someone’s living room) his confidence radiated through the room instantly. He was comfortable in front of a crowd and excited to play his music.

His sound was a mix of Bluegrass, Indie, and North Carolina folk. It was groovy but grounded, and as he played, you could see him get lost in it.

I saw him play a few more times during my tenure at Chapel Hill, eventually working up the courage to talk to him and learn about his creative process. He helped me see a whole world of music I thought only existed in big cities living right under my nose. And I quickly learned how down to earth he was by the way he kindly greeted acquaintances on the street.

I was fortunate to interview him for a class project at a music venue in Chapel Hill he frequented called Local 506. During the interview, my zoom recorder broke and I cursed myself for not being prepared for the situation. It was one of the first video interviews I had ever done on my own, and I was humiliated, thinking the whole interview was shot. But Matt disappeared out back for a few minutes and returned with another recorder, nicer than the one I had brought with me, and saved the day.