I was born into a musical family and quickly learned to appreciate the things that accentuate it as an art form. I began learning to play in my teen years and almost immediately began to write songs, some of which are gladly forgotten. My heart is Christian and most of my influences are secular (everything from Dylan to Coltrane) which, I think, has shaped my goal…To create music that stirs people spiritually while engaging their love for music as an artistic expression. At that, this is not "worship" style music, and though I believe that worship style Christian music is critical to one's growth, I write songs that deal with the day-to-day struggle between honoring self and honoring God with my life. Recorded in 2007, "Scratching Away at the Surface" is an album about repentance and dealing with the difficulty of learning to subject oneself to God's will in those initial steps toward yielding, hence the name. My hope is that it intrigues you musically, and stirs you spiritually. - Matthew