The opening notes of track 2 on Matthew McCloskey's EP Ferris Wheel tenderly glide through listeners' ears, promising a wistful, somber tale of love gone wrong.... until Matthew casually reveals (in the sweetest of voices) that this woman has not broken his heart, but his nose. Without fail, expect-the-unexpected is the mantra for Matthew's growing fanbase as he continually demonstrates a keen ear for composition and a wonderfully absurd sense of humor. Indeed, Nashville's music scene has started to rally around this unlikely hero - to date, Matthew has performed with members of Elvis' backing band as well as number one songwriters Craig Martin and Jimmy Payne. Some have described his music as "Bill Murray-meets-Elton John," while others point to Ben Folds and Bill Watterson as primary influences. "For me, writing a song is a lot like building a house," says Matthew. "Melody and composition come first because if the musical foundation isn't strong, no lyric I sing over it will keep it from falling over. When it comes to lyrics, I always strive to make them as original as I possibly can. If I think of a cookie-cutter concept that's been done a hundred times over, I either drop it entirely or try to take it in a completely different direction." Since the release of his EP Ferris Wheel in October 2016, Matt has been writing and touring constantly, both in the Nashville Metro and the surrounding states. "When you're willing to push musical and lyrical boundaries, it polarizes people," says Matthew. "The music I'm playing now has closed some doors, but it has created some great opportunities to share my new direction with audiences that want to listen."