For Stell, it was another emotional moment on an emotional journey that has taken the former Drury University basketball standout to once consider accepting an offer to enter into Harvard University’s Extension School pre-med program.
But Nashville and destiny had other plans and the self-taught vocalist and guitar-player made the move to Music City in 2014, quickly landing a publishing and management deal that would help set up the musical course that is playing out for him at this very moment.
“All of this has been quite a trip,” he tells PEOPLE with a laugh, fidgeting with the plastic cup he grasps in his hands on this rather chilly Chicago afternoon. “Right now, it’s a lot of hours and a lot of travel and a lot of airline miles and lots of cups of coffee. I’m just thankful I get to do it. I get to play music and write songs for people to enjoy them. That’s what I’ve always wanted to do.”
Having recently released his Everywhere But On EP, Stell’s star power is on overdrive thanks to the EP’s lead single “Prayed For You,” which continues its roaring trek up the charts. Written by Stell alongside fellow songwriters Ash Bowers and Allison Veltz, the song tells the story of someone who is grateful for receiving more than they possibly think they deserve.
And yes, in part, it tells Stell’s undeniable story.
“When I sit down in a room either just by myself or with co-writers, we are just trying to be as authentic as we can and try to tell stories that people can relate to,” Stell says of the song that has already amassed more than 52 million on-demand streams. “I always think of a song having its own character. It’s not necessarily going to be about me all of the time. I mean, Johnny Cash didn’t shoot a man in Reno! But the character in ‘Prayed For You’ is a lot like me, for sure.”
RELATED: Savannah Chrisley Stars in Her First Music Video (with Her Boyfriend!) After Dad Todd’s Approval
Of course, as his star continues to rise at a rapid speed, Stell continues to grasp not only to his ingrown humility, but also the values he was brought up on.
“I have a bunch of friends in Arkansas that couldn’t care less about all of this,” laughs Stell, who has now signed with Sony. “Their favorite thing is to go on a group text and make fun of me. So yeah, that really helps keep me grounded. You try to be a good person and you try to treat people with respect, and none of that changes when you are up here.”
Matt Stell
MATTHEW BERINATO
It’s a philosophy that he also has learned from the country artists he has long followed and admired.
“You just look at these people that are standing on these stages and see how people react to their music, and then you try to find your own path to also do that,” says Stell, who will spend the remainder of his summer out on the road playing at festival dates such as Faster Horses on July 20, the Oregon Jamboree on Aug. 1 and Watershed on Aug. 3.
And as “Prayed for You” continues to make its way toward the top of the charts, Stell finds himself on the cusp of some of the most momentous pieces of his professional journey thus far. Not only will Stell join Chris Young on the next leg of his wildly successful Raised On Country World Tour, but Stell is also hoping that a full-length debut album is somewhere in his future.
“Let’s just say that I’ve got a pile of music and I’m writing all of the time for it,“ he remarks.
This guy seems like such a good, down to Earth human. I live and work in Nashville and heard through the grapevine his wedding was called off because his fiancee was having an affair.
It’s really a shame when you hear about such bad things happening to good people.
Keep your head up Matt and keep writing your great music.