How Drury grad Matt Stell sings country songs for every 'One of Us'

Matt Stell knows how to stir up a crowd of Missourians.

He learned to do so first while playing basketball for Drury University in Springfield, averaging just a tick under 10 points and 5 rebounds a game for the Panthers his senior year.

In the spaces between games, Stell taught himself a second way to please crowds. Winter break for athletes means sticking close to campus; in an otherwise quiet apartment, he practiced guitar, its warm sound growing to sound out his future path.

Now a bright light in country music, Stell will play to Missouri audiences once again, visiting Columbia for an upcoming tour stop at The Blue Note.

A musical 'snapshot in time'

A new EP, "One of Us," gathers six stout songs to present a "snapshot in time" of what matters to Stell and the recent creative freedom he has enjoyed, he said.

Opening the EP — and Stell's current live show — is the title track. Concertgoers come together around the song, forming a living, breathing, singing-out-loud embodiment of its message.

"It’s a song about a lot of people I know and love from all over the country. And it’s about me in a lot of ways too," Stell said.

Sifting the characters in a small town — and the Center Ridge, Arkansas native knows small towns — Stell not only invokes people listeners recognize, but makes clear any "one of us" could swap stories or live each others' lives with just a small twist of fate.

That crescendo of unity, and helping people see their resemblance to each other, is a goal of the song and of Stell's in a larger sense.

"For as many places as I’ve been and people that I’ve met that are the same as me, that are different than me ... we all do have a whole lot in common," he said. "Especially when you start talking about people that love country music, we really do have a lot in common even when it seems like we don't."

Another musical anchor is "Shut the Truck Up," a tune which started as a memorable turn of phrase from one of Stell's co-writers. That such a title could cruise or crash appealed to the singer.

"It can either be the worst song in the world or it can be something pretty cool — which I like," Stell said.

Whatever expectations the title might elicit, "when you listen to it, it does something completely different," Stell added.

Indeed, the song offers a clever, surprisingly thoughtful take on the "if these walls could talk" trope, casting a truck as a witness to love lost. And it allowed Stell to sing what he knows.

"My heart’s been broken in a truck more than just about any other place," he said.

Country music proves uniquely capable of that sort of deceptive simplicity, Stell said, pointing to the Tyler Farr hit "A Guy Walks Into a Bar" as a song traveling parallel tracks.

"It's literally a joke, but then it's this unbelievable country song. It's so three-dimensional," he said. "... The best country music is simple, but it's also deep."

From Arkansas to the world

On the strength of Number One hits such as "Prayed for You" and "Everywhere But On," and the clear charisma of the music he's making now, Stell is growing familiar with the depth and breadth of places which crave country music.

He's traveled to tour with the likes of Miranda Lambert, Old Dominion and Eli Young Band and appreciated the welcome in both iconic American venues and shows across the Atlantic. His Grand Ole Opry debut drew a crowd from his hometown.

"I felt like every person showed up," he joked. "It would have been a great time to be a burglar in Center Ridge, Arkansas."

And audiences in Ireland and Scotland display an unmatched hunger for country sounds.

"It's kind of in the water here," Stell said. "Over there it's not that way. So when country music comes to town, it's a thing."

Wherever Stell goes, his work comes home to certain cornerstones: the small-town people he loves, and the lessons learned in moments like college, playing basketball and guitar while figuring out what the future might hold.

"The parallels between music and sports — being part of the team, working hard for a goal — really translate a lot," he said.

Stell plays The Blue Note at 8 p.m. July 27 with Murphy's Ford. Tickets are $22-$45. Visit https://thebluenote.com/ for details.

Aarik Danielsen is the features and culture editor for the Tribune. Contact him at adanielsen@columbiatribune.com or by calling 573-815-1731.

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: How Drury grad Matt Stell sings country songs for every 'One of Us'