In 2008, Matt Koelsch took a leap of faith. He was working in finance, but the recession caused the now singer-songwriter to change career paths. Escaping from the world of business, Koelsch decided to pursue music, a risky choice that many frowned upon as the uncertainty in the air at the time was suffocating.
As he dove head-first into the music industry, Koelsch returned as an alumnus at Providence College to take music classes, as well as take the advice of professors at UMASS Amherst. After pushing toward his goal of becoming a better musician, the singer received a summer scholarship to the Berklee College of Music.
At the end of his time at Berklee, Koelsch decided it was time to create his first full-length album, seven years after taking the risk to become this new version of himself. Thus, 2015 arrived and the singer dropped, “Live from Echo Park,” a live album of all his unrecorded work.
The album, while underground, garnered the attention of many musicians, and since has allowed him to receive over 3,000 physical records and 500,000 streams across all platforms. Yet, this wasn’t a stopping point for Koelsch.
Three years later, he released an EP titled “Thinking of You,” containing songs from his live album that were now recorded and polished. The EP gave him the opportunity to play more gigs, and now he’s performed in over 1,000, sharing the stage with iconic figures such as REM and Pink Floyd.
His band also received many performance opportunities in California, holding a residency at Disneyland and performing for over 5,000 people at the Lights Festival in Barstow. Koelsch’s work was also featured in online music publications such as American Songwriter, PopWrapped and Huffington Post.
Within the next two years, Koelsch also released more singles, including “All My Friends” and “Turn Around (with Christie Huff).” Earmilk raved about the second single, saying, “Combining their mutual knack for penning songs with substance, the duo deliver an incandescent performance, shimmering with soaring string arrangements, warming guitar melodies, and soulful, layered harmonies.”
The singer’s soulful nature and impressive musical abilities are reminiscent of artists such as John Mayer, and he even got to play alongside contestants of NBC’s “The Voice” and ABC’s “American Idol” following the new releases.
Now, after over a decade of pursuing music, Koelsch has proven he won’t be returning to business anytime soon. Earlier this year, the singer released the single, “Airplanes,” and has been working with Capitol Records to create new music for fans.
Luckily, the singer returned this past Friday with a new single, “Part Time Lover.” The track details the struggles of temporary love, featuring acclaimed session musicians such as drummer Jake Reed and bass player Tim Lefebvre.
Koelsch produced his latest single and tracked the majority of it at his studio in Los Angeles alongside additional session players who have worked and performed with Adele, Halsey and Hans Zimmer.
Simultaneously, the singer-songwriter is also diving more into music production and composition, recently being hired to produce for emerging artists. He also is currently scoring music for an independent drama and suspense film.
It’s evident that Koelsch has been able to defy the odds, especially after drastically changing his career path and openly taking risks in order to maintain his passion and lust for life. It would be no surprise to see the singer-songwriter continue to soar within the next few years as he continuously tries out new mediums and attracts the attention of music lovers everywhere.
