Western Pa. native, country singer Matt Westin keeps racking up international accolades

Country singer Matt Westin has fans in Singapore, Australia, South Africa, the U.K., Italy and Spain. In 2018, he was named the International Music and Entertainment Association’s Male Country Artist of the Year. His album “Legacy” has drawn favorable reviews around the world and placed singles on international charts.

He’s also slated to play Johnny Cash in an independent film that will start filming later this year in Pittsburgh.

But he can walk down any street his hometown without being recognized. Born and raised in West Mifflin and now living in Swissvale, Westin acknowledges that only his family and a few friends have heard his music.

“It’s very strange,” he says.

But not as strange as his journey.

Consider this: Westin never thought of singing or the arts as a viable career path while growing up. He never sang in a choir, never played in a band before attending Carnegie Mellon University, where he earned dual bachelor’s degrees in biomechanical engineering and mechanical engineering.

At CMU, Westin taught himself to sing. He started singing karaoke in bars, and occasionally joined a cousin’s band on stage.

After college, he worked as an engineer for six years, a job that left him unfulfilled. Westin launched an independent film company and moved to Los Angeles in 2015, where he started acting, notably appearing in a Slayer video for the song “Repentless” with actor Danny Trejo.

Then his father got sick, and Westin started making frequent trips home. The two had bonded over music. His dad was a huge Elvis Presley and country music fan.

A year later Westin’s father died.

“I was a mess,” Westin admits. “It was a dark time in my life. I was scared for myself, and people were scared for me. And one day it kind of clicked, an epiphany: I knew I had to pursue a career in music. (My father) had always encouraged me to sing. I needed a distraction. I needed a goal. Acting was on the West Coast. Engineering was in the rear view mirror.”

Westin started to write songs that would comprise his debut album, dedicated to his late father. He had plenty of musical and lyrical ideas, but Westin admits he needed help to realize them.

Bryan Cole, a producer, engineer and musician based in Verona, provided the direction Westin needed. Cole helped Westin develop a musical blueprint and fleshed out the songs.

“In my many years of producing and developing artists, Matt’s exceptional work ethic stands out,” says Cole, who with more than 25 years of experience in music should know. “This guy works extremely hard and accepts the challenges I throw at him with each song we cut. He has come so far and is extremely driven.”

Listening to Westin sing, it’s immediately apparent he has talent. A natural baritone, his voice sounds familiar but unique, a comment he often gets from those who first hear him.

He knows he has to fine tune his musical chops — he’s working on his guitar playing — and also needs to form a band so he can play more live gigs.

But if works at it, a long career is possible, according to Dallas Gregory, the president and owner of Song Rocket Music in Nashville, who has collaborated with Westin.

“Matt delivers a song with feeling and believability,” Gregory says. “He has that rare gift to truly connect with his growing fan base. … He has what it takes to become country music’s next superstar.”

This year will be pivotal for Westin. In addition to brushing up his guitar skills and recruiting a band, he’ll be acting in the film “116 Macdougal,” about John Mitchell, the Pittsburgh native who founded the Gaslight Cafe in Greenwich Village in the late 1950s and features Donna D’Errico of “Baywatch” fame.

Would he consider a return to engineering if things don’t pan out? Westin says it’s not likely. This is the direction that feels is right, that honors his father’s love of music and the work ethic of his mother, Jan.

“I’m doing what works for me,” he says. “My path is a little bit different, but I think that makes me unique.”