Matt Poss is a fan’s artist, and it is not uncommon to see clubs all over the Midwest packed to the rafters with people singing the words to every song. Known for producing his own brand of rowdy “high-octane country”, and with the release of "Hinges", his third solo album, Matt Poss understands what it means to be both real and raw. Since the release of his self-produced debut album, "Fool Enough" (2003), and his sophomore effort, "Matt Poss & The Wild Bunch" (2005), Poss has seen his fan-base grow in epic proportions, and has independently sold more than 10,000 albums. In late 2007, Poss approached RS Field, the master-mind behind Billy Joe Shaver’s masterpiece Tramp On Your Street, about producing his third album. Poss trusted RS’s rockabilly instincts and his outlaw attitude. It quickly became clear that he had found a kindred spirit in RS Field, and together, they forged their new vision of hard-hitting country music, which has become 2008’s Hinges. The St. Louis River Front Times describes Matt as “another link in the great chain of heartland rocker’s…a hybrid caught between Mellencamp and Steve Earle with shots of Tom Petty and Jimmy Martin in equal measure.” In 2006 The Chicago Tribune grouped Poss with “Shooter Jennings, Hank III, and Kevin Fowler” as part of “a new crop of rising country outlaws.” Poss has heard the comparison’s before and he proudly wears his influences on his sleeve. Yet, the music is uniquely his own. Poss’s new single, “Guitar Slingin’ Man,” a fist pumping autobiographical country-stomp, is a declaration of his intentions. The chorus bellows, “Til the day I die, Gonna be a guitar slingin’ man.” It’s about a man who knows exactly who he is and where he stands in this world of endless noise and posturing. Matt Poss grew up in southern Illinois, on a small farm just two hundred meters from the same tracks Steve Goodman rode on as he wrote his classic “City of New Orleans.” Growing up singing for the Poss Family Bluegrass Band and surrounded by truck-stops and trains, Poss found all the inspiration he needed for writing songs. Thoughts of moving to “Guitar Town” were tempting, but in the end, the songs and stories were all there in Illinois waiting to be told. In his words, “It’s important to know who you are and where your inspiration comes from…where you get water from the well, so to speak.” But that’s not to say he doesn’t get around. Two tours in Europe in the past two years have pushed his fan base through the roof, especially with the troops. Back home, the ever-widening circle of influence now includes every state in the Midwest. Poss also gets regular radio play in Texas and on Satellite radio outlaw stations. The Grass-Roots approach has worked well for Poss. Building a reputation as a formidable performer with a huge fan base has helped him get critical opening slots for other bands on their way through the region. Matt has shared the stage with Shooter Jennings, Jack Ingram, Marty Stuart, Kid Rock, Miranda Lambert, Shaver, Reckless Kelly and Eric Church, just to name a few. Whether Poss is performing solo acoustic, or performing legendary four hour sets with his band Rolling Thunder, a Matt Poss experience is something best taken “live.” And whether it’s doing covers, like Hank Snow’s “I Been Everywhere”, Waylon’s “Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way”, a rocked up version of Todd Snider’s “All Right Guy” or Fred Eaglesmith’s hilarious “White Trash,” or one of his own crowd whipping originals, like “American Life”, “Three Bricks Shy…,” or the barn-storming “Sweet Marie,” Matt Poss has no trouble gaining converts. Here’s what the Cincinnati City Beat had to say about a recent show: “The whole mixture works to perfection, and it’s a shame Poss calls Illinois home. Nashville could use a good kick in the pants like this guy. But that’s good news for the rest of us here in the Midwest.” In a time when the Country music critics say we need change, Poss is thriving on an original, gutsy sound that makes instant fans out of anyone, whether they like Country or not! And if the aforementioned lyrics to “Guitar Slingin’ Man” ring true, then we can look for a lot more to come from Matt Poss.