Sceneazine.com
Prettier Than Matt lives up its name
by John Huiett
J
eff Pitts is having a bad day. A few hours before
the Prettier Than Matt (PTM) guitarist/vocalist is
to take the stage at the British Bulldog Pub, his squillion-dollar Taylor acoustic decided to quit working.
And he just got word that his partner, ukulele player
and vocalist Jessica Skinner, is running late. It’s less
than an hour before show time. But even in the midst of
stress and the unknown, Pitts gives off an air of relaxed
control.
“We’re ‘fock,’” Pitts says.
Excuse me?
“We call it ‘fock music,’” Pitts says, explaining PTM’s
sound. “A mix of folk and rock. But I don’t consider us
that folky.”
Throw in a little bit of country and blues, and the
description of PTM’s sound is complete.
Luckily for Pitts, a local music shop was able to turn
around a quick repair on his Taylor. And he just received word that Skinner is en route. Looks like all will
be well, which isn’t that much of a surprise. PTM have
an infectious optimism about them. Pitts’ bluesy command of the guitar and smooth vocals combined with
Skinner’s effervescent voice and ukulele give the band
a unique, springy sound. And they make you smile.
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A lot. Let’s just say that
after PTM’s treatment,
you will be hard pressed
to listen to “Zombie”
by the Cranberries the
same way again.
But it’s the duo’s original tunes that
really set them apart. Their debut CD
– 2013’s Play Pretty – contains seven
original tunes of smooth ear candy,
complete with rich vocal harmonies
and top flight musicianship. From the
mellow-grooving opener “Gotta Be
More,” to the poppy and breezy “Play
Dead,” PTM’s music reaches out from
the speakers and tickles your grimace
until you start smiling.
“Jessica says that if Alison Krauss
and Bon Jovi had a baby, it would be
our band,” Pitts says. “We’re soft enough to make the
light-hearted people happy. And we have enough edge
to make the rock people happy.”
My next question for Pitts is an obvious one. Who
the hell is Matt? It seems Pitts and Skinner pull double
duty, also performing in the rock band Deleveled. Matt
is the bass player. Pitts explains: “Jessica is ‘prettier than
Matt.’”
Indeed she is. Skinner is cute at full volume. Her
bouncy blonde curls and wide-grinned enthusiasm
are the perfect complement to Pitts’ elegant
shagginess and laid-back
demeanor. And once
they take the stage at the
British Bulldog Pub on
August 21, it’s easy to see
why they are one of the
hardest working acts in
Columbia. They average
five shows a week. It’s not
uncommon for them to
have multiple shows on
a weekend day, shuttling
between venues such as
River Rat Brewery, Tin
Roof and Wild Hare. The
pair even won best folk
artist at the Charlotte
Music Awards, which
earned them a slot at a
Los Angeles red carpet
showcase in November.
They will use it as an
opportunity to tour the
U.S., starting in Savannah, GA, on the way to
California and ending up
in Nashville, TN, on the
way back. PTM is also in
the midst of a Kickstarter campaign to fund the recording of a new album and finance their merchandising for
the rest of 2014.
In the meantime, Pitts and Skinner are already experiencing what so many in the local music scene only
dream of: making their livings solely as musicians. PTM
plays everything from rock clubs to baby showers. They
are even playing a 2-year-old’s birthday party soon. And
Skinner teaches 15 to 20 voice students at Freeway Music.
Self-taught on ukulele, Skinner didn’t pick one up
until 2007. She retained much of the guitar instruction
her dad gave her at an early age when she started playing ukulele professionally with PTM four years ago.
On stage, PTM moves through covers and originals,
everything sounding like their own. Their banter and
playfulness between songs reveals a connection much
deeper than music alone – a connection the audience
embraces.
“We are as fun as we are talented, “Skinner says. “We
are very versatile. And we don’t ever meet a stranger.
One of our biggest selling points is being able to connect with people.”
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