Photograph by Kevin O'Neill
Country artist Tana Matz, born and raised in Cincinnati, knows exactly just how far she has come. “I think that there are some people that are born really talented, and I was not one of those people,” she says. “I didn’t know how to sing, and I really had to work hard at the guitar and on my voice.”
But now, Matz finds herself opening this weekend’s Voices of America Country Music Festival, a four-day display of some of the nation’s best country artists. Kicking off the fest at 5 p.m. on Thursday, she will play alongside some of the genre’s biggest stars, including Carrie Underwood, Darius Rucker, and Bailey Zimmermann.
Matz, now based in Nashville, is thrilled for the occasion. “I was initially supposed to play on Sunday on a different stage, but they called and they asked if I wanted to switch to Thursday and play on the main stage,” she says. “I’m so grateful and honored to be there on a bill with such talented, incredible artists.”
The rising star’s career arose from a long-standing interest in pop and country music. Stirred by the work of artists such as Billy Currington, Sarah Evans, and Faith Hill, she taught herself the guitar in high school, in part as an emotional outlet.
“I think that a girl at that age, trying to figure out life, trying to figure out love and heartbreak, was all really important,” she says. “And then you throw [artists like] Taylor Swift into the music scene … I started realizing that I could pick up a guitar and put my feelings into song, and how healthy that could be for me. And there’s just so much space to tell stories, to be descriptive in country music.”
After a few years of diligent practice, Matz felt her skills were strong enough for her to try her hand at live performance. This step, which in turn allowed Matz to make connections with live audiences, turned out to be a vital moment in her career. “Today, you can go on social media, sing a song, and get famous from one quick video. When I started, that just wasn’t how it was. So I had to learn how to be entertaining to an audience, how to get people to enjoy their night and to enjoy what I’m doing.”
Photograph by Kevin O'Neill
Country has been one of the fastest-growing music genres in recent years, a trend that has not escaped the Queen City. Matz took great inspiration from this, but also the blend of styles that she found in the city’s urban setting. “There’s a huge country music fan base in Cincinnati. But I also spent a lot of time in clubs in my early adult years, listening to club music. I think that’s where a lot of the pop sound in my music comes from.”
Matz performed, and performed, and performed. She has played more than 1,400 gigs in the Cincinnati area alone, and “probably more than 2,000 overall,” she estimates. The fruits of her labor? A 2018 debut EP that ranked #11 on the iTunes Country Chart, several subsequent #1 all-genre iTunes hits, several tours, and, according to her website, “An accumulation of more than 20 million streams on songs [Matz] has co-written.”
“It all really just snowballed,” the artist herself remarks.
Now, through the connections and reputation she cultivated in Ohio and beyond, Matz finds herself on the eve of one of the largest performances of her career. “I have no expectations, I just hope everybody is able to have fun. I’ve actually never been to VOA before, but they have a really stacked lineup, and there will be great music being played at every minute. They’re not missing a beat. So I really can’t wait to be there, both as a listener and as a performer.”
Matz hopes the appearance at the festival will aid in driving forth her career and expanding her horizons. “You know, the thought of the life that music brings hasn’t always been something that is crazy appealing to me. I’m kind of a homebody, but this passion has been brewing inside of me since I was a little girl, and I’ve slowly been letting go of the fear of that lifestyle,” she says. “I try not to put crazy expectations on anything, because I think that sometimes that just leads to disappointment, but I just try my best every day, and if I end up as a headliner, I would be over the moon. So hopefully that’s where we go.”
The Voices of America Country Music Festival will take place from August 7 to 10 at the Voice of America Metropark in West Chester. Food and merch vendors, bars and chair rentals will all be available on site. Tickets are available on the event website and at the Metropark box office.
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