Oklahoma country singer Matt Moran rides back to Amarillo this weekend for a show at Golden Light Cantina, 2906 S.W. Sixth Ave.
We chatted a few weeks ago—not only about his “existential country” music, which got serious with a pandemic-era solo project, but also his previous life in the newspaper industry at the Norman Transcript, the Tulsa World and the Altus Times. (This interview has been edited and condensed.)
Chip Chandler: I think even if I hadn’t asked you what newspaper you worked at, I would have recognized your sound as Red Dirt, as Oklahoman. Am I crazy thinking that way? Like, it felt a little old Cross Canadian Ragweed, some Cody Canada?
Matt Moran: I’ll gladly take that. We try to mix a lot of influences—Red Dirt, a lot of ’90s rock ’n’ roll, because we all grew up on that, as well as country music. We just kind of all try to throw it all in together and just see what comes out.
CC: Had you been making music before you started your solo project?
MM: Well, I’ve been playing guitar since I was 7 and have been releasing music for the last 20 years, but I guess you’d say I started taking it seriously with the start of the solo project. I’ve been in other people’s bands and stuff like that, but this is the first time I’ve really put myself out front and said, okay, it’s time to do this. I had kids real young and really needed to get them grown up to a place where they didn’t need Dad around all the time.
CC: The solo album came out after the pandemic, right? How did the pandemic inspire that project?
MM: My first solo record, Black Sheep, I did during the pandemic because the schools were shut down, and I was the stay-at-home parent for that period just because I had the more flexible job. I’d been working on these songs for years. I mean, some of the songs were 10 years old by the time I got to them. I was in the house with a four-track tape recorder, a bunch of mics, some amps and stuff, and I thought, you know what, I’ve never been happy with these songs when I tried to put them in a studio setting, so I’m just gonna do this and put it out and see what happens. I put it out, and about a year later, stuff started happening. I started growing on TikTok, and it just kind of went from there.
CC: So what is existential country?
MM: I say that because it’s a way to describe, in my opinion, the mood, the setting, for a lot of our songs, because I feel like country music is like steeped in story. It’s a genre that’s very much about the story. A lot of the stories that I tell, I feel are very existential in nature, just generally thinking about our place in the universe, who we are. There’s a lot of stories that don’t have, you know, big grand endings or don’t need them. I like to focus on the smaller parts of life like that, I guess. Because I really feel like that’s where we all live, you know.
Matt Moran & The Palominos will perform at 9 p.m. Saturday at the Golden Light. For information, call 806-374-9237.
This week’s other can’t-miss options:
Ashley Sofia: 7 p.m. Tuesday; Old Tascosa Taproom and Brewery, 3100 S.W. Sixth Ave.; 806-681-4050
Cameron James Smith: 7 p.m. Wednesday; Teddy Jack’s, 5080 S. Coulter St.; 806-322-0113
Ben Kweller: 8 p.m. Wednesday; Golden Light Cantina, 2906 S.W. Sixth Ave.; cover; 806-374-9237
Dale Smith: 6 p.m. Thursday; Smokey Joe’s, 2903 S.W. Sixth Ave.; 806-331-6698
Jaywalking: 6 p.m. Thursday; 575 Pizzeria, 2803 Civic Circle; 806-322-5575
Erratic and Friends: 7 p.m. Thursday; Skooterz, 4100 Bushland Blvd.; cover $10; 806-679-0122
Amarillo Little Theatre’s School of Rock: 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, 2:30 p.m. Sunday; ALT Allen Shankles Mainstage, 2019 Civic Circle; ticket prices vary; 806-355-9991
Bob Livingston with Tucker Livingston: 7 p.m. Friday; Chalice Abbey, 2717 Stanley St., Suite A; $15 suggested donation; 806-576-2480
Jackie Haney & The Geezers Gone Wild: 7 p.m. Friday; Shark Beach Burgers, 1505 E. Farm-to-Market Road 1151; 806-335-5644
Lone Star Ballet’s Academy Unleashed: 7 p.m. Friday, 3 and 7 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday; Globe-News Center for the Performing Arts, 500 S. Buchanan St.; tickets $8.50; 806-378-3096
Touching Voodoo: 7 p.m. Friday; Georgia Street Taphouse, 2001 S. Georgia St.; 806-803-7000
Lincoln Swanzy: 9 p.m. Friday; Golden Light Cantina, 2906 S.W. Sixth Ave.; cover; 806-374-9237
Richard Michael Hall: 9 p.m. Friday; The 806 Coffee + Café, 2812 S.W. Sixth Ave.; no cover, donations accepted; 806-322-1806
The Rien Nash Band: 9 p.m. Friday; Blind Pig, 609 S. Independence St.; no cover; 806-412-4251
Westbound Hearts with Logan Ellis: 9 p.m. Friday; Western Horseman Club, 2501 E. Interstate 40; 806-379-6555, Ext. 2999
Amaya with Echoes in Ashes and Dyscarcia: 6:30 p.m. Saturday; Rockwell Event Center, 16307 Interstate 27; tickets $10; 806-683-2156
The Eyes Have It exhibition: 7 p.m. Saturday; Idol Art Studio, 1201 S. Polk St.; 806-236-4128
The Texas Transplants: 7 p.m. Saturday; Shark Beach Burgers, 1505 E. Farm-to-Market Road 1151; 806-335-5644
Billy Currington: 7:30 p.m. Saturday; The Lumberyard, 850 N. 23rd St. in Canyon; tickets $51 to $105, plus fees; 806-804-3000
Noise Pollution and Mr. Crowley’s Ozzy Experience: 8 p.m. Saturday; Bliss Horizon, 9700 E. Farm-to-Market Road 1151; tickets $36.64 and up; 806-676-8256
Big G & The Tradewinds: 8 p.m. Saturday; Crush, 627 S. Polk St.; 806-418-2011
Christopher Erin: 8 p.m. Saturday; Golden Light Beer & Wine Garden, 6014 S. Western St.; 806-221-2337
Next Stop Comedy: 8 p.m. Saturday; Old Tascosa Taproom and Brewery, 3100 S.W. Sixth Ave.; tickets $27; 806-681-4050
Boss Texas: 9 p.m. Saturday; Broken Spoke Lounge, 3101 S.W. Sixth Ave.; no cover; 806-373-9149
The Detours: 9 p.m. Saturday; Western Horseman Club, 2501 E. Interstate 40; 806-379-6555, Ext. 2999
Jon Wolfe: 9 p.m. Saturday; Hoots Pub, 2424 Hobbs Road; cover $15
MuttFest: noon to 5 p.m. Sunday; Rex Baxter Building on the Amarillo Tri-State Fairgrounds, 3301 S.E. 10th Ave.; free; 806-290-2883 or 806-340-3746
Amarillo Warbirds vs. Salina Liberty: 4:30 p.m. Sunday; Amarillo Civic Center Complex Coliseum, 401 S. Buchanan St.; tickets $15.50 to $20.50; 806-378-3096
Nelson McKinney: 6 p.m. May 19; Western Horseman Club, 2501 E. Interstate 40; 806-379-6555, Ext. 2999
Amarillo Sod Poodles vs. Northwest Arkansas Naturals: 7:05 p.m. May 19, continues through May 24; Hodgetown, 715 S. Buchanan St.; ticket prices vary; 806-803-9547
Email submissions to info@brickandelm.com.
Movie options:
Opening Thursday: action film In the Grey and thriller Obsession (Cinemark Hollywood 16, 9100 Canyon Drive, and Cinergy, 9201 Cinergy Square)
Special engagements: concert film ENHYPEN Immersion (Wednesday, Hollywood 16); Fried Green Tomatoes 35th anniversary (Wednesday, Hollywood 16); Top Gun 40th anniversary (opens Wednesday, Hollywood 16 and Cinergy); Top Gun: Maverick re-release (opens Wednesday, Hollywood 16 and Cinergy); F1: The Movie (Thursday; Cinergy); Shrek 25th anniversary (opens Friday, Hollywood 16)
