Album Notes

Hi! Welcome to my CD Baby page for Sunny Side Up!

Sunny Side Up is a live double disc! It is the recording of an entire concert that I did as part of the MacArthur Under Moonlight Concert Series at John D. MacArthur Beach State Park in North Palm Beach Florida on Saturday, March 7, 2009. The show took place on a beautiful Florida night in front of a wonderful audience.

I call myself a performing songwriter. I love songwriting but to me, nothing beats the performing part of it all! To share a song with a live audience or better yet, share a whole evening of music, stories and inspirations with a great crowd is something I cherish more than words can describe. No session in a studio has ever come close to comparing to a live show. For me, being a musician has always been about being on stage!

It has been a dream of mine for some time now to release a live CD. In addition to the songs feeling more natural and organic than they do in the studio, a live record gives listeners the chance to hear the stories and inspirations behind the songs. I feel like that is how my songs are meant to be heard and I'm thrilled to be able to share this concert experience with everyone!

In addition to songs from my first 5 CDs, Sunny Side Up features 9 new original songs never before recorded or released. Here is just a bit about some of the new songs:

"Slow Dance In The Sand" This was written as the sun set on a beautiful Key West evening. I was playing right on the beach. A couple requested a song, kicked off their shoes and slow danced right there in the sand. I use it as a reminder to take the time to create those magic moments with someone you love!

"Echoes Of Laughter" My father Eric passed away very suddenly in April of 2007. He was a wonderful man with many great qualities. Everyone who knew him loved his sense of humor. He had a joke for everything! I felt like his passing left us hearing "Echoes of Laughter." I played this song for the first time at his funeral service as a tribute to my dad.

"Toe Prints" Inspired by the toe prints my wife leaves on the windshield of my car, Toe Prints is about the little signs and symbols she leaves for me when I travel and how those simple symbols of love give me an instant feeling of connection no matter where I am and no matter how long I'll be away.

"My Toughest Audience" Eric Daniel Wahl was born on November 6, 2007. When he was first born, my wife would feed him and I would try to put him to bed. I felt like he was the world's harshest music critic! This is a song about those late night "concerts" and my perspective on being a musician and a new dad.

"Sunny Side Up" I have a lot of hopes and dreams for our son Eric. Above all, I hope he loves his life. "Sunny Side Up" is that parental hope put to music. It's about setting our sights, seeing the good in the world and if things go wrong, being able to land "Sunny Side Up."

"Just One More Time" My outlook on the world sure has changed since becoming a dad. "Just One More Time" is a song about perspective and realizing what is truly important.

"That's Color I Understand" Have you been paint shopping lately? If so, you might have noticed all the goofy names they give colors. For instance, I found a bluish-gray paint that was called "Flirtatious!" Why? I have no idea but "That's Color I Understand" tries to make life a little easier for us simple minded folk.

"The Home Depot Song" Who doesn't love browsing the isles at the Home Depot? "The Home Depot Song" is about a way to make that even better!

"They Lived For Love" is about the power of soul mates and a love that continues on forever.

In addition to the new original songs, Sunny Side Up features some never before released cover songs including one of my favorite Johnny Cash tunes and a duet you have to hear to believe!

So I hope you'll give Sunny Side Up a listen and join us on that beautiful Florida night for a concert of Fun-Loving, Sunny-Day, Acoustic Music!

Thanks for reading and stay Sunny Side Up!

Matt