Matt Southern

Musician Matt Southern was born in Jackson, Michigan and relocated to Raleigh, North Carolina in 2010. He soon began releasing solo records under the name Magpie Feast. In 2013 Magpie Feast became a full band and a staple of the local live music scene. They released several albums until they disbanded in 2017. Since then Matt began releasing records as a solo artist and with his band Matt Southern & Lost Gold. Through these various projects he has always remained productive, releasing 23 records (LPs and EPs) and various singles and one off projects.

Matt has also produced/engineered records for a diverse group of artists, from the folk/punk of Alexander Robichaud to the hip hop of Chompzz, and the country music of Kit McKay. Music production has become a vital connection to other artists in the community. It has become an important source of inspiration for his own work as well as a fulfilling way to use the skills he has acquired to help others realize their own artistic vision.

He’s a clear musical powerhouse, and as if that wasn’t enough, he’s also part of a team that produces Live from the Nest North Carolina, an acoustic music video series recorded in his living room. In their own words, “Live from the Nest is a video series (hosted on YouTube) documenting intimate music performances from a variety of artists in my living room in Raleigh. We strive to be a platform for the incredible and diverse wealth of talent in our area and beyond. We hope to connect artists with each other and the community they are part of. We want to showcase well established local favorites alongside artists who may just be starting out. In these ways, we hope to play a small role in building a more diverse and vibrant music scene in the Triangle.”

This conversation looks at the importance of cultivating community in any kind of creative work. You never know who you will cross paths with. You never know what influence they will have on your life.