For a musician who wears his heart not only on his sleeve, but on his guitar, Matt Hendricks really doesn't have too much to say right now. He quietly rolls another cigarette and looks toward the window trying to remain as humble as he can about his album, "Ghetto Blues Motel."
He slowly begins to spill the stories behind the ten songs on his debut album, which are deeply influenced by 1920s folk, blues and ragtime. They are touching little vignettes about friends, family and places in the city he loves and calls home.
The genesis of "Ghetto Blues Motel," which was recorded in one day last January in a room at the Shorecrest Hotel, began with a lot of frustration with the direction he was going and a tragedy that changed Hendricks' life forever.
"When I first moved here, I was doing all instrumental music," he recalls, "I went to the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music for a year and was going to get a degree, but it really wasn't for me. I started to get into old music, like '20s and '30s blues players ... and right when this happened I got into car accident. It took a long time to recover. While I was in (the hospital), this (music) started to really hit home. I was building songs for about a year ... then it all kind of happened. I grew up in a lot of ways coming here and having experiences."
Each of his experiences brings honesty and heart to all of Hendricks' performances. The song "If You See Me ... " deals head-on with the collision that made him reevaluate the path he was taking in life. "Ol' Milwaukee (What a Place to Be)" is an ode to the town that the Green Bay native has called home for the last five years.
"I call it home," Hendricks says, "It feels good here. I used to hate Wisconsin. I wanted to get out so bad. People here are just a little more real."
Even one of the cover songs, titled "Big Bad Bill is Sweet William Now," was picked with a moment in mind. In this case, it is the events surrounding the death of his Uncle Bill.
"My Uncle Bill passed away two years ago," says Hendricks. "I had this dream one night that he came to me and we were just talking in a bar. I don't remember what we talked about but he gives me a hug and says, 'OK, I got to go, but I'll see you again.' I woke up to the phone ringing and it was my mom. She told me Bill died that night of a heart attack ... That really hit home.
"I couldn't write him a song so I picked him that tune because I didn't want to write something that would make me cry my guts out every time I played it."
The 30-year-old has wrote music for and played in various blues and ragtime bands all over the Midwest and East Coast, but didn't feel it was time to add his own voice until three years ago. He wanted listeners to feel where he was coming from.
"People want to hear a voice, even if it's bad," Hendricks says, "Look at Bob Dylan. Not the greatest voice, but (listeners) needed to hear him singing the words. The words can hit you harder than any note you can play on a guitar."
Hendricks continues to perfect his craft with each performance, and listeners can hear his feelings shine through every time.
"I think it is the style and presentation that is the most important thing about it, and many of these songs are personal to me. I think it hits a chord with people. I want to take them away for a while."
Hendricks continues to plug away at his next masterpiece, finding the same inspiration with his future works as his past project: his unique life and experiences.
"Life is an interesting game. A lot can happen."
Matt Hendricks will be performing at Linneman's on Fri., Oct. 10 at 10 p.m. For more information, check out www.matt-hendricks.com.
