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Everything about Matt Jenkins says country. From his traditional country voice to his honest, straight-from-the-heart lyrical style, it’s written in his easy gentle manner and polite charm. Just one look at this 6’4” 24 year old from Texas, and you’ll see “cowboy” etched over every inch of him – well you’ll want to look for it all over him anyway. It is his unforced grace, natural sly wit and a traffic stopping smile that mark Jenkins out from the crowd.

He has had a turbulent career so far. Signed to Universal South (a division of Universal Records) on a development deal, he even released the song “Bad As I Want To” which reached the top 40 in the US country charts.

But when Universal reshuffled all its labels, including Universal South, Jenkins was one of the casualties. This autumn he was scheduled to appear in Fox network’s reality soap television series Nashville — a country music version of MTV’s The Hills. However, that got cancelled after just two episodes.

So not the best start in all, but Jenkins is man born with music hard-wired into his DNA. His little brother, Josh Jenkins, is frontman for former Band of the Week Green River Ordinance.

This charming, hunky, talented Texan may be down but he isn’t out. He is currently in the studio recording and he says he will have some new music for his fans, next summer. He recently took time out to talk to me and I was a bit taken aback. I’m not sure what I expected from a country and western singer besides being down to earth; I had always had the impression that country-boys weren’t, well… the sharpest tacks in the box. Matt Jenkins, however is intelligent, articulate, amiable, distractingly good looking and a shameless flirt. After about three minutes getting to know Matt, I decided, ultimately he isn’t going to have any trouble finding success.

You were signed to Universal, what happened?

I was signed to Universal when I was 19, and moved from Texas to Tennessee, put out a song (“Bad As I Want To”) recorded some songs with a couple different producers. Went up the charts… and I got to do a lot of cool stuff like play at the Grand Ole Opry and open up for a couple of legends, you know heroes of mine.

Who?

Don Williams and Buck Owens. Buck Owens just passed away. So I did that, then the song died and the two guys who signed me left Universal, and the new president who came in let me go. So… it was really a frustrating time but, it was a great experience and I’m glad that I went through it.

You’re not signed now but you seem very undisturbed by that. You seem very positive about it.

I’m very upbeat, I felt like…you know I was on that label for three years, and I put out a song, and it was a lot of sitting around and just not knowin’ what was going to happen, and feelin’ like I was ready. At the time it was upsetting and frustrating but I’m really happy that I went through that process. And to be honest, I have never felt better about where I am musically or creatively than I am right now. There’s no pressure, I don’t feel like there’s pressure on me. There’s pressure to make great music but I feel free. There’s nothin’ binding me down and I just feel like over the last year since I’ve been dropped it’s been an amazing growth period for me. I’m really finding out who Matt Jenkins is. I’m saying what I want to say, how I want to say it.

Who is Matt Jenkins?

A genuine, real artist. I love country music but I also love the U2s and the Matchbox Twentys and the James Taylors, I love all that. My roots will always be in the country world but I would like to think that my music would span a lot of those genres, just be great music. And I hope that someone who digs U2 or Green River Ordinance (shameless plug) could listen to my music and be like “I understand that’s country but I dig it”, and go buy the record.

Your brother is in a band isn’t he?

Yeah my brother is in a band, Green River Ordinance – I taught them everything that they know. I’m totally lyin’. They are GRO which is a pop-rock band, that got together six or seven years ago and just worked it so hard, playin’ shows all over the country and have really developed their own sound. It’s not classic but it’s very, sing-along rock. I’m so proud of those guys, I couldn’t be more proud of them. I feel like I could be, Josh is my brother, but I almost feel like a big brother to all the guys. I think there are huge things in store for them.

So what are you doing?

I feel like the next year is goin’ to be huge for me. I feel like creatively I am in such a good place. I’m writing and I’m recordin’ the best music I have ever written, stuff that I am so proud of, stuff that I feel like is 100% Matt Jenkins. I can’t wait for people to hear it.

What kind of music are you writing now? You said you would like to crossover a bit, is this new stuff a bit roots-rock?

I think… you’ve heard me sing! I think I… (clears throat comically)

(laughing)Yeah, you don’t have a crossover voice.

No, no. I’m a country singer. You know that, you’ve heard me sing. I don’t think I’m going to get played on pop radio (laughing). No way, they’d be like “HA! Yeah!” Unless I do a duet with like Nelly or somethin’.

I just hope my music is timeless, and I just hope it stands on its own. I think there are certain country acts that can do that and hopefully I’m in that place. Musically, I’ve probably gotten a little more edgy, but it’s still traditional.

In ten years time Matt, where do you want to be?

I hope that I make music that makes people want to go out and buy records and pile into stadiums around the country. That’s the goal. I think that as an artist, you just want people singing your songs back to you. That’s the dream for me.

If you want to learn more about Matt Jenkins, or hear some of his music, you can visit his MySpace space.

It won’t surprise you to know that I get contacted by a lot of bands about being Band of the Week. There are a lot of crap bands, quite a few good bands, and a few excellent bands. Occasionally however I hear a band that is so good I assume they have already been signed. To my great surprise — and delight as I now get to feature them — The Flaws aren’t.

Their sound is a beautiful updated mixture of ’80s bands like The Smiths, The Cure, and Echo and the Bunnymen. Frontman and primary lyricist Paul Finn has the enviable ability to strip away the everyday mundanities of life and articulate the longing and desire for more. Strong melodies enveloped in synth, glittering, jangly guitars, Finn’s rich, fervid vocals and intelligent witty lyrics make for a spellbinding experience.

And all of this is evident on their radiant, lush, nearly flawless – come on, I had to – debut album Achieving Vagueness (AV). The two singles “Sixteen” and “1981″ have both seen airplay in their native Ireland and I think it’s time the rest of the world woke up to the scintillating near-perfection of The Flaws and AV.

It is the album that should never have been made, after troubles with their former label, Sound Foundation (Polydor imprint, now bust). However this ambitious and confident foursome did whatever it took to make an album they completely believed in.

These struggles may have helped to ensure that AV is as mature and incandescent a debut as any I have ever heard. Recently frontman Finn agreed to give me some of his time to chat about his band and that fulgent debut album. Finn impressed me with his serious intent, humble intelligence, and dry, caustic wit.

Tell me how The Flaws became a band. Where did you get the name?

The Flaws were, at the start, four people who knew of each other through school. When college came knocking, some of us ended up living together and starting bring our acoustics to the bedsit we were living in at the time, and playing some Lennon covers.

The name came much later. Shane came up with the name. He liked the idea behind the name of The Kinks, so it has similar connotations as that name. The Flaws were, at the time, Stephen Finnegan on drums, Shane Malone on guitars, Dane McMahon on bass, and myself, Finn, on vocals and guitars.

Who are The Flaws now?

The same except we have a new drummer. Stephen left us a while back to pursue his own personal endeavours; our new drummer is called Colin Berrill.

You’re all so young. How long have you been a band?

The Flaws have been an official band for three years. We released our first EP, titled E.P., two years ago in July.

“Official”?

Well, we started taking our abilities and our inabilities seriously about three years ago.

Ah… before that you were just fuckin’ around?

Exactly.

We didn’t know what we where before three years ago. But then that changed, when one Derek Turner watched us sound check.

You have just released your debut full length album, Achieving Vagueness. Tell me about that.

The album was recorded partly with some funding from a record label we were once affiliated with — went by the name of Sound Foundation records. After we did the EP, we were sent into Grouse Lodge studios in Meath (County Meath, Ireland) — this was before the Editors or Bloc Party or Michael Jackson entered its doors. We did a demo over two days. We continued, over the course of a year, to record some more tracks… until we found ourselves without a label. Then we needed to beg, borrow, and steal all the money we could find in order to finish what we all believed was one hellishly good record.

So earlier this year, we entered a few other studios, in order to finish the tracks we had started a year previously. The record broke all our hearts trying to make it, it took so long.

Do you think that has affected the sound of the album?

No. I think we were lucky, it could have thrown the whole vibe we were trying to create but fortunately it sounds very fresh.

Yes it does. What about the name? Where did you get that?

The title existed before the album was recorded. We toyed with the idea of trying to give the title a mystique all of its own. Something people would question, its meaning and maybe give a life to it in a context we never even though about. Personally though, to me, it’s all I stand for.

So it’s intentionally vague?

It’s only as vague as you make it, Andrea. Its a catch-22 situation; if you achieve anything, you can’t be vague about yourself. And if you’re too vague you’ll never achieve.

Tell me about Derek Turner. Who is he and how did he help?

Before I knew Derek Turner [personally], I knew him by rep. He’s a very cool guy. Loves music, played in bands all his life, and has been through record wars and bidding when I was a baby. He runs a studio in Louth now and books bands into the local venue, The Spirit Store. He also does sound for most bands that play there. He’s a very quiet and understated man but when he likes something, you can’t shut him up.

He was doing sound for a band one night and he offered us the support slot. We arrived early and got into the sound check, we played a song and he mixed the sound. He fell in love with us there and then. The gig was canceled because no one showed up but we talked about doing a little bit of recording in his studio. He liked our vibe and what we were trying to do.

And that led somewhere?

The sessions went ahead and the result was E.P.. A 300-copy CD, very limited, he gave to some old friends, from back when he played in bands himself. Very soon afterwards things started happening. Derek was receiving calls from labels all over wanting to come to this little town and watch the band play at 12 in the morning. Polydor, Sony, Vertigo, and Parlophone were just some.

It was crazy for about six months. We signed a little deal with a Polydor imprint called Sound Foundation. It went okay for a while but in the end it didn’t work out for us. So we were left with a half-finished record, a bruised ego, and a lot of hype to live up to. This was last Christmas, eight months; it could all have fallen apart there and then.

Stephen left soon afterwards, for a normal life but the rest of us couldn’t see the last two years of our lives get wasted like this. Dane, Shane, and myself and Derek all had to pull together for support from each other, in a way we never had done before.

Do you think that has made you closer as a band?

Yes. When Colin joined, everything for all of us fell into place. On one hand, Stephen was my best friend since primary school but in many ways being in a band wasn’t right for him. And ultimately in our subconscious we never really felt like a proper band. When Colin joined, after the first few gigs, I told Derek how I felt, “Right now, these shows are the most fun I’ve ever had.” It seems that Colin has completed our line-up.

I have read your sound defined as pop-punk, post-punk and even power pop. What would you call it?

At the heart of it, we’re a pop band. We’re not punk. We’re more a new wave, indie type formula. We like love songs and death songs. We’re not po’-faced rockers, we don’t wear make-up, we’re not very stylish and our haircuts are cheap. Our sound is still finding its feet; it might be another record before there is a label to stick on us.

So with the release of Achieving Vagueness, do you feel poised for greatness?

I’m ambitious but I’m not arrogant. We can’t rest our laurels on one record. We need to do another and then another. Greatness? That’s a state of mind, we would love to see some of the world and if this record lets us see some of the world, well, I’d be happy with that.

If you would like to hear The Flaws’ glittering sounds you can visit their website or their MySpace space. Achieving Vagueness can be purchased from CDWorld.ie, HMV, and of course iTunes.

And below is the video for The Flaws’ first single “Sixteen”. Enjoy!

Mix southern blues rock, a twist of classic rock with a serious dash of fabulous guitar work, driving bass lines, and powerful beats, then add dark, smoky, sex-soaked vocals emotively singing intelligent, warm, sensuous lyrics and you know what you get? Sons of William. This soulful, bluesy trio are the south Louisiana brothers Joe (vocals, guitar) and David Stark (drums) whose father, William, is the biggest inspiration to his two adoring sons. Along with fellow Louisianan Jen Janet (bass) who offers her silky, melodious, feminine tones in harmony to Joe’s rich, passionate drawl.

Sons of William is what rock music should be, full-flavoured, emotive and libidinous. It’s the kind of rock you want to hear when you’re slumming it in a saw-dust-on-the-floor bar, in the deep-south, sitting, feet-up on a table, drinking bourbon. As you watch, the band slowly enthralls the rancorous audience into silence with tempestuous guitar, perfect seamless symbiosis of the bass and drum as they accompany the luscious, ardent vocals and lyrics that are, you can’t help thinking to yourself, intellectually above this bar’s usual crowd.

But now you don’t need to go anywhere, this rich tapestry of music that is in turns bluesy and funky and always horny – and I’m not talking about a horn section – is now on CD. Sons of William have just launched their full-length debut album What Hides Inside. To celebrate the release of their album Joe and David spent some time with me discussing their dad, whiskey – Scottish vs. American – and of course their music.

Where did you get the title of your new album What Hides Inside?

Joe: It’s taken from the lyrics in a song called “Darkest Secret”, which is the second song on the record. It's just about having someone you can trust enough to share something with and how, instead of suppressing whatever your secret is or whatever hides inside. Feeling like what you want to do for that person, your significant other, is to keep it alive. That is the premise of the song and the title has implications all its own, you can imply what you want.

We put our brother on the cover, and that has an implication all its own. Not only his expression, but he had a little bout with cancer a year ago. So it was a little homage to him.

He’s OK now though right?

Joe: He’s doing great now. He’s doing very well. But we felt it was poignant to the people in our family.

And that’s important to you isn’t it? You boys are very family oriented aren’t you? In fact your band name is that. You and David are sons of William right?

Joe: Absolutely. We know we come from the same blood, and we are proud of the way we were raised musically and as people. And more than that we wanted to pay homage to the guy (their father William) and tribute to our brother and include as much of that as possible.

You were raised musically?

Joe: Yeah, definitely. Our dad played piano and organ in bands and he met my mom when she was singing at a wedding. They put themselves through college and graduate school doing that, doing gigs and performing around south Louisiana.

And it was cool too because, for us, what that allows is for music to always be… Usually it’s something that is suppressed in a household, something that is discouraged in a household.

Being musical?

Yeah because inevitably the kid wants to do it.

Do you mean rock music or all music altogether?

Maybe music altogether too, because even people who are studying classically don’t necessarily make the best living.

Oh I see what you mean. People are discouraged from becoming professional musicians.

Joe:  Absolutely. And we were always encouraged to follow our hearts. I guess it’s a little bit inevitable that if there is an opportunity to do it you’re always going to take a stab at it. But for us it was really okay, I was encouraged play music and I was encouraged to be artistic and I was encouraged to write what we were feeling and I was encouraged to feel okay performing in front of people.

So you had a very warm loving upbringing. So where do you find the angst you need to write music?

Joe: All of that aside, you get to this place where, you’re encouraged and then all of the sudden you find this inner struggle and you find this…

David: To become who you….

Joe: Yeah you find this inner struggle to become what you are…

David: To live life.

Joe: and I think those unanswered questions of life are big motivations to writing. Also it is a fucking struggle to be out there on the road and busting your ass, whenever you don’t reap the benefits of what you sow. You’re out there killing yourself, playing these bars and driving these miles and sometimes it hard to see what the hell you’re getting done cause you’re not really seeing the fruits of your labour.

David: The light at the end of the tunnel starts becoming a little smaller in your head sometimes.

Joe: But that said, that struggle for me…

David: That’s what starts your song writing. You kinda got off the question.

Joe: So I would say that the struggle that it takes to become a successful artist is a great source of fear, anxiety and angst. And I would also say that the little bombs that the god lord drops on you or your family, your life, things you have to crawl out of are good sources of that too. That’s it. I think it’s the struggle to find who you are as a young adult, the struggle that society puts on you to be successful. I mean, when you’re young you have dreams of grandeur and then you find yourself making a small, extremely modest living doin’ this. And all of your peers are becoming successful in business or whatever they do, and you feel this certain sense of having to keep up with the Jones’.

And there is all this shit that surrounds you that takes you away from the core of being an artist, in the truest form, and you get caught up in that and all these things fuel the fire of good song writing. Besides trying to be smart, and literate and read good books and listen to good songwriters as well.

Do you get inspiration from other songwriters?

Joe: Absolutely, sometimes to a fault. We wear a lot of things on our sleeves especially like, the classic sense of music, The Beatles, Bad Finger, the Stones, all the great stuff. In another sense we try to do our part and listen to the Richard Thompsons and listen to the Bob Dylans and listen to the truly brilliant lyricists and songwriters of the world.

Do you write all the songs Joe?

Joe: I do have something to do with all of them. I don’t necessarily write all of them by myself. When I do co-write it’s with one dear friend of mine who lives in Mississippi or David. And mostly it’s a co-write with David and I.

And what inspires you David?

David: Pretty much the same thing that he said. I just a little younger so…

Joe: David always comes up with great melodies… I don’t mean to cut him off but seems to be typically the case is he’ll show me something that has an amazing melody and chord structure. Not being a guitar player it comes from an entirely different place than I would ever think to come from.

David is the drummer.

Joe: Right, exactly.

David: I started playing the guitar that was my first instrument.

Joe: And mine was drums we kinda just switched.

David: Funny how that worked out.

So you both play the guitar and drums?

Joe: Yes he plays the keys also and I play bass also.

Tell me about the new album, What Hides Inside.

Joe: Well we’re as excited as hell about it. We took about two years to make it, a year and a half…

David: It was about two and a half years actually.

Joe: As a constant, it features David and I writing and playing on every song, there is a slew of guest musicians. We had a long time to think about it, almost too long we feel. So we had a long time to process recording this album. And it was like… It’s fun to look back on cause you hear all the stories about these great records all made in California like Fleetwood Mac’s Rumors and how long it took to make it. And it was all drug induced cause they could afford to with the big label money but this is our chintzy version of that.

This is your indie Rumors

(Both laugh)

Joe: Exactly

David: I like that. This is our indie Rumors

Joe: So we are out on the road busting our ass for about two years, behind this EP, and in the last three months of this touring David and I take an honest look at where we’re at. And we just say that touring behind this EP that we only play two songs a night from, after becoming this band, two and a half years after making our first EP that we are still touring behind, we have to have a new record out. We got to the point where we felt like we were really impressing the audiences we were playing in front of but that we might be letting them down by going home with a two and a half year old product. That we felt like didn’t represent where we were at right now. And that will always be available and we will always be proud of it but we just felt like we got fucking better.

If you would like to hear Sons of William’s stirring brand of intelligent southern rock, you can visit their website or take a look at their MySpace space. Or better still, just buy their thrilling new album, What Hides Inside. You won’t be disappointed.