How did you all meet?
Matt: “The setting was the high school band hall. Steven was playing acoustic guitar, and I needed a guitar player for the Senior Concert ‘Jesuit-Palooza.’ He was only 15 at the time but he was the best guitar player at the school.”
Steven: “James and I are brothers. I met Matt in high school. He was performing at a Jesuit event for seniors, and his guitar player didn't know how to play a John Mayer song that he had seen me play at a prayer service with James. He came up to me in the band hall and asked if I would perform it that night. That was the first time I performed with Matt, and then we started playing backyard parties and college bars the next year.”
Where did the name Prophets and Outlaws come from?
Matt: “The name Prophets and Outlaws explains our sound. We call upon the soulfulness of the prophets of country, soul, and southern rock music while invoking the outlaw spirit of the lifelong troubadours themselves.”
James: “Matt, Steven and myself sat down and came to terms about the musical and artistic direction that we wanted to achieve moving forward. We had a vibe and a sound that we liked, now we needed a name. I sat down with my friend Zeb and we started thinking about names. We went down the rabbit hole. We always came back to the idea of one's morals and values versus the perception of that person. We both like old westerns and enjoy that the protagonist very well may be crass, probably drinks too much and may have gunned a few people down but he stands up for the weaker, the mistreated and the castaways. That very person may end up becoming an Outlaw in the eyes of the law but for the people whose lives have been greatly impacted and saved he's no outlaw. All this nonsense led us to the notion that a Prophet and an Outlaw could be two sides of the same coin, and that was it. We did a quick google search and were floored when there was no trademark or copyrights anywhere.”
Steven: “James and a friend of his came up with it. We came up with 1,000 terrible names, and when I heard that one I was relieved that the process would be over! We liked the duality of it. Our music has never been just one thing, and so we thought Prophets and Outlaws fit us.”
What has been your biggest struggle in the music industry?
Matt: “Losing friends to other jobs and callings. We’ve had lots of great musicians, managers and engineers over the years. Sometimes they are called away for one reason or another and it’s tough to see them go. The upside is meeting new friends and bandmates, like our new bass player JCoop.”
James: “Our biggest struggle has been finding our ‘lane.’ People need to categorize things and they want to put us in a box, they just don't know what box we should go in.”
Steven: “Playing music is the easy part. Running a business and doing all the day to day stuff it takes to be successful can be tough.”
What musicians have helped you to grow as an artist?
Matt: “Larry Joe Taylor has really taken us under his wing. He’s taught us what it means to do it all from playing, to traveling, and writing, as well as promoting and hosting events. Deryl Dodd has also been an inspiration. Since meeting him, he’s written with us, shown up to random singer-songwriter nights and is always willing to let us bounce an idea or song off of him.”
James: “Marc Broussard and his team have been very helpful. One, Marc and his band slaps. Two, Doug has consistently told us the truth, something that we value tremendously and is hard to come by.”
Steven: “Larry Joe Taylor and his community have been great at giving us advice as well as giving us opportunities to share our music with new fans. Everyone in our band has different influences, so we all share new music with each other and help each other grow as artists.”
What's your favorite song off of your latest album Dreamer?
Matt: “My favorite song off of the new record was written in about three hours out in Nashville. Steven, I and a fella named Mark McGuinn wrote a song about letting love find you, rather than chasing it called ‘The Best Way to Find Love.’ The lyrics are real and it sounds amazing on the record.”
James: “‘6 New Strings’ is my favorite song on Dreamer.”
Steven: “‘Dreamer’ is my favorite. I love the feel of it, and the message really resonates with me.”
Which of your lyrics has the most meaning to you?
Matt: “Dreamer really speaks to me as a musician chasing my life’s calling. It’s an emotionally and physically challenging path we’ve chosen as a band on the road, but it’s what we were meant to do and we’ll die running down the dream.”
James: “The opening line to Dreamer — ‘What will it read on your headstone when you're gone?’”
Steven: “In ‘Soul Shop’ Matt and I wrote the pre chorus on the way to the studio. ‘When I'm down, head under water, to ease my woes, I sing out my sins with the ones I love the most.’ My family is very close, and we are all there for each other no matter what. Music is something that has always brought us closer together, so this line is very personal to me. No matter what kind of day, week, month, or year you have had, when we all get together we are going to laugh and sing. Being around family that has unconditional love for each other is a very special thing.”
What inspires you to create new music?
Matt: “I’m inspired by my band and their creativity. It drives me to contribute the best I can. Anytime I write something new, they are the first people I think about. Will they like it? Will they hate it? I need to know.”
Steven: “Writing is how I get my thoughts and feelings out. Sometimes it's a light hearted song to convey feelings of joy, and sometimes it's deeper feelings that I need to express. Creating music gives me an energy I can't get anywhere else.”
