The Real Matt Jones: IzzitGreen’s Artist in Residence 2011

As the music and entertainment industries change and evolve due to the expansion of internet and social media-based content, a positive result of that change has been the organic “greening” of the industries. While hard copy CD and DVD sales are in a predictable and steady decline, consumers are demanding more media content than ever before, and they’re getting it online. The DIY music scene has exploded, and a movie that was filmed with virtually no budget using an HD camera from a corner retailer now has the ability to compete with big budget studio productions.

IzzitGreen recognizes these changes and has established a program to support and promote greening and sustainability efforts in music and entertainment, along with the artists that are on the front lines making it happen. We’re proud to introduce the first IzzitGreen Artist in Residence, The Real Matt Jones.

About Matt Jones

Since graduating from Texas Christian University (TCU) in 2004, Matt Jones has been touring the country as a singer/songwriter and solo artist playing shows with the likes of Landon Smith, Blue October, Roger Clyne & the Peacemakers,  Sister Hazel, Guy Forsyth,  Men at Work’s Colin Hay, Uncle Kracker and Rod Stewart, among many others.

Matt’s also active in film and TV where his music can be heard in the feature films Adventures of a Teenage Dragonslayer, Angel Camouflaged, the short film Intrepido and the award-winning, feature-length documentary Absent with James Hetfield from Metallica. A native of Albuquerque, New Mexico, Matt Jones is a regular performer at both the New Mexico Bowl and the New Mexico State Fair. His single, “You Don’t Lie When You’re Lonely” received global airplay as part of the Hollister Summer Playlist 2010.

We recently caught up with Matt as he was taking a break from touring to understand more about his passion for sustainability and green initiatives, and to hear about his upcoming album HISTORY, which marks the fifth album from The Real Matt Jones, due to be released this summer.

IzzitGreen: Matt, you’ve had another busy year of touring. Tell us where you’ve been and what you’re up to.

The Real Matt Jones: It has been busy. Sometimes I would rather just give my license plate number instead of my home address to let people know where I’m living! This last year I spent a big chunk of time developing the Midwest market — the big focus was on Chicago, with trips to almost every state in between — and continued to grow the Southwest and the Pacific Northwest markets, to include Vancouver, BC.

Right now, I’m working on mixing my new album HISTORY and writing some specifically commissioned tunes for more film and TV projects before I return to the West to tour and attend the movie screening of Absent with James Hetfield from Metallica in San Francisco. Can’t wait!

Changes in the Music Industry: Downloads vs CDs

IzzitGreen: How have you been affected by the changes in the music industry? Do you even sell CDs anymore or is the majority of your music downloaded through Amazon MP3 or iTunes?

TRMJ: Absolutely, I’ve been impacted, as have the majority of musicians that I know. Almost every online purchase comes in the form of a download. I like that direction for a number of reasons:

First, downloads are less wasteful. The typical pattern that I see amongst listeners, even if they do purchase a hard copy CD, is immediately to download the music to their MP3 player and essentially store the CD on a dusty shelf. Downloading music removes the waste created by CD packaging and it removes any other waste that might be created by disposable shipping materials.

Second, downloads are more economical. Where the initial investment for musicians to pay for CD production, packaging and shipping is usually in the range of thousands of dollars, initial investments to release music in downloadable form is typically under $100, including distribution through Amazon MP3 and iTunes. Also, musicians don’t have to worry about storing huge warehouses full of their CDs while they are waiting to sell them. Downloads offer an infinite supply of product that is delivered directly to the consumer on demand.

Ultimately, downloads are more flexible. Musicians now have the power to distribute their music to a worldwide audience while spreading the word about their music and picking up press along the way. The days of having to send a CD, picture, bio, stickers and a folder of other swag to every venue/label/magazine that you wanted to build a relationship with are gone, thank goodness. Now, musicians have the power to publish an electronic press kit with all of that information, or send downloads of their music directly to the people that need to hear it.

Don’t get me wrong, I still love CDs because of the aesthetic quality, and will be consistently looking for ways to make them more economical and less wasteful.

Matt’s Favorite Green Causes/Initiatives

IzzitGreen: What green initiatives and causes are important to you, and why?

TRMJ: I’m a huge proponent of renewable energy. In my home state of New Mexico, we have a huge capacity to harness wind and solar energy. Each present challenges, of course, but I’m encouraged by the number of public and private entities that are conducting research in both fields. From what I have gathered, there isn’t a single source of renewable energy that is the messianic answer to our reliance on fossil fuels, but as each source becomes more realistic and manageable, it will alleviate that dependence over time.

Renewable energy is the large scale, the smaller scale is something that’s more accessible, but will more than likely take a longer period of time to accomplish. A general change in attitude and lifestyle is never an easy thing to pitch to people, but that is exactly the type of mindset that will ultimately create a lasting change with green initiatives.

Recycling, public transportation, “greener” transportation — biking, walking, fuel efficient vehicles, paper-less initiatives are all small steps, but the more people who are committed to these things and other ideas, the larger influence. Raising awareness about leading a less wasteful way of life is a great start, but it has to be perpetual in order to make lasting change.

IzzitGreen:Word on the street is that Izzit has been jamming to your music! How do you feel about being the first IzzitGreen Artist in Residence?

TRMJ: Awesome, that’s great to hear! You know, my career has taken me so many places and I’ve been blessed to have met so many amazing people along the way. From the loyal fans that come to every single show when I’m in their city and download every song and album the minute they’re released, to the incredible people at IzzitGreen who do so much to raise awareness that GREEN IS GOOD and help open people’s eyes to see the bigger picture. I’ve learned so much from Izzit already, and I look forward to sharing that knowledge as a frontline ambassador for green. If Izzit plays an instrument, let me know, while I’ve had the honor of sharing the stage with some amazing performers, I can honestly say that I’ve never jammed with a dwarf Sasquatch!

My goals as an IzzitGreen Artist in Residence are to raise awareness about the resources available to other musicians to support green initiatives and to encourage a more public knowledge of renewable energy sources, what they are, where their potential lies. I’d also love to develop and foster relationships with active users in the IzzitGreen community to create new opportunities to play festivals, fund raisers, corporate events and parties that are ultimately centered around “being green.” Last, I encourage feedback from the community as far as what I can do to better contribute to causes and be a more mindful and proactive greener artist myself.

For More Information about The Real Matt Jones

For more info about Matt, be sure to check out his web site and follow him on Twitter at @TRMJ. For more information about the IzzitGreen Artist in Residence program or to nominate someone who embodies the values of IzzitGreen, please send an e-mail to kent@izzitgreeen.com.

Additional information about Matt and his music can be found at: Amazon MP3, iTunes, and IMDB.

By Kent Shanklin

  Image credits: The Real Matt Jones web site.