In this interview, we talk with Matt Axton, a West Coast-based Americana singer-songwriter, guitarist, and bandleader. Matt comes from a remarkable musical legacy—with his grandmother, father, and mother all rooted in the industry—and has carved his own path with a genre-blending sound he calls “mountain soul rock and roll.” He’s a passionate performer, a believer in the power of community, and an advocate for keeping live music alive. Just a couple of weeks ago, Matt released his new outlaw country single, “Same Old Story.”
I’ve been reading about your background, I know you come from a musical family. Can you share how that heritage shaped your path as a musician?
Absolutely. As you hinted, I come from a musical legacy family—actually, a double legacy family. Both my grandmother and my dad were heavily influential in the music industry. They helped a lot of artists get into the business and create sustainable lives as independent musicians. That’s something I also try hard to support and create. Music has been everywhere in my life. My mom’s a professional musician too, so I couldn’t help but grow up with love and respect for the arts. Art and music were always encouraged—and now, it’s the lifestyle I’ve chosen.
How would you describe your sound in your own words? I’ve heard you say “mountain soul rock and roll.” What does that phrase mean to you?
Yeah, the general term people use nowadays is Americana—it’s kind of a blanket term, like how they used to call everything rock and roll. But we say “mountain soul rock and roll” because it reflects our roots. I was born and raised in the mountains, so there’s a rootsy, jammy element. We’re also very guitar-heavy, which gives us that rock and roll feel. And nothing’s ever wrong with a little bit of soul in there. My dad was multi-genre, and I’ve always had the mentality of just writing a good song—regardless of genre—and making it stick.
Have you ever thought about switching genres entirely, or do you feel you’ll always stay close to your musical roots?
We actually hop genres a lot, especially in our live shows. On the same tour, we’ll play a late-night honky tonk in Texas and lean very country. Right now, we’re in Nashville, so we’re definitely leaning into that sound. But if we head to the Pacific Northwest, we get more jammy and rocky. We like to adjust our set based on the region and the venue. That said, I’ve written funk songs, and sometimes I’ll get a band together to record them—or work with other musicians on different styles. I respect and love all genres. We like to poke around and see what sticks.
What keeps you inspired to keep creating and performing? Any recent moments that reminded you why you do this?
Legacy is a big motivator—finding ways to keep my family alive through their music and art. That means a lot to me. Also, in today’s digital world, there’s something irreplaceable about live shows. Seeing the band and the crowd lock in—that’s about as close to magic as it gets. That kind of connection is so powerful. And honestly, in almost every show, someone comes up and tells me a story about my dad or my grandma. That’s such a cool, unexpected cherry on top.
How did you first get involved with Make Music Day?
Last year, a musician in LA named Will Hawkins—who plays in a bunch of bands—was organizing an event in Topanga. He invited me to join, and I said sure. Once I learned what Make Music Day was about, and heard the mission, I was totally in. I work with a lot of music nonprofits, and I give time and support to causes like that. So once I saw what you were doing, I thought it was one of the coolest things I’d ever heard.
How was your experience performing at Make Music Day?
It was very fun! I actually got to cross a couple of things off my list—it was my first Make Music Day and my first time out in Topanga. If you’ve ever been there, Topanga Canyon is this quirky little hippie enclave outside of LA. There was a lot of music happening in a bunch of different spots, so the whole area was just full of good energy and sound. The only downside was—it was very sunny and hot! But other than that, it was a blast.
What would you say to a young musician just picking up an instrument or writing their first song?
Oh, what I’d say is: go. Go experiment. Grow. The world can never have too much music. We need more musicians and artists now more than ever. Go experience life. Go find some content to make your songs bigger and broader and better. Songs are meant to come from some fantasy or some experience or that kind of stuff. And without that, you don’t have a big enough well to write a bunch of tunes. So go out there, experience life, and that’ll give you the inspiration. Everybody does it in different ways, but spreading joy is the easiest way I’ve found. So—go spread some joy.
And one last question before we go—what would you say your goal in music is?
Oh, well—the overall, the broadest goal I can have is—this is sort of our mantra—the joy thing. We push that a lot: bringing joy to the world. And like I said, my family, for a few generations now, has seen and believed the power that music has to create community and create culture and sort of change the world if it’s done right. So I know it’s very altruistic sounding, but that is the goal—to just change the world one note at a time. And, every once in a while, we get lucky. And obviously, you gotta figure out how to make a living doing it too. That’s the biggest thing that has changed in my life—being a professional musician and realizing the business part of it is almost as important, just to keep the music stuff going.