Take Us to the Start
Encyclopedia
Take Us to the Start is the first full-length studio album
by American pop-rock singer-songwriter
Matt Hires
, released exclusively through iTunes on July 15, 2009 and then released August 25, 2009 on Atlantic Records
.
The digital-only release hit the top 10 on iTunes' "Top Albums" chart, despite only being available in a digital format, the album debuted at #96 on the Billboard 200 albums chart and #16 on the digital downloads chart.
, Tori Amos
). Matt has also collaborated with some noted songwriters, including Emmy Award
nominated songwriter and novelist Harry Shannon, Indie singer-songwriter Gus Black, Gregg Wattenberg — who co-produced Train
's quadruple platinum hit "Hey, Soul Sister
" and Daughtry's platinum single "It's Not Over
", he also co-wrote the song "We Might Fall" with Sara Bareilles.
An exclusive iTunes deluxe version of the album includes additional three bonus demo tracks, music video of "Honey, Let Me Sing You a Song", and a digital booklet
.
Take Us to the Start
People Magazine hailed the collection, noting "on the opening cut of his debut, Hires requests, "Honey, Let Me Sing You a Song". With his folky pop and aching croon, how could you deny him?"
Creative Loafing commended the album as "cleverly-crafted and interesting, full of sincerity and catchy melodies highlighted by (Hires') enveloping, gravelly tenor."
On Andrew Leahey's review: "Take Us to the Start" sounds best at its most brisk, when Hires trades the coffeehouse aspirations of his slower songs for something more akin to driving, mainstream pop/rock. The bulk of this debut album is filled with semi-ballads, though, whose leisurely pace allows Hires more room to indulge a bit too heavily in the influence of his Hotel Café contemporaries."
This Is Modern said: "His debut album is so fully awesome that you will be hard pressed to find a track that you don't enjoy, ...Hires has put together one of the best debut albums by any singer/songwriter and will be rewarded by well deserved recognition and success."
Technical Credits
Additional Credits
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by American pop-rock singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
Matt Hires
Matt Hires
Matt Hires is an American singer-songwriter from Tampa, Florida. Drawing inspiration from influences as disparate as The Band, Sufjan Stevens, Wilco and Ryan Adams, Matt became the first artist to sign with F-Stop Music, an imprint of Atlantic Records.- Biography :As a cabinet store worker by day...
, released exclusively through iTunes on July 15, 2009 and then released August 25, 2009 on Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
.
The digital-only release hit the top 10 on iTunes' "Top Albums" chart, despite only being available in a digital format, the album debuted at #96 on the Billboard 200 albums chart and #16 on the digital downloads chart.
Reading before songwriting
Recording Process
Song co-writing
Honey, Let Me Sing You a Song
State Lines
Turn The Page
O Sunrise
You In The End
Out Of The Dark
Hurricane (Demo)
Tracklisting
All songs were written or co-written by Matt Hires and his long-time producer Eric Rosse (Sara BareillesSara Bareilles
Sara Beth Bareilles is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. She achieved mainstream success in 2007 with the hit single "Love Song", which brought her into the number one spot on the Billboard Pop 100 chart. She has sold over 1 million records in the United States alone and has been...
, Tori Amos
Tori Amos
Tori Amos is an American pianist, singer-songwriter and composer. She was at the forefront of a number of female singer-songwriters in the early 1990s and was noteworthy early in her career as one of the few alternative rock performers to use a piano as her primary instrument...
). Matt has also collaborated with some noted songwriters, including Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
nominated songwriter and novelist Harry Shannon, Indie singer-songwriter Gus Black, Gregg Wattenberg — who co-produced Train
Train (band)
Train is an American pop rock band from San Francisco, California, formed in 1994. The band currently comprises a core trio of Patrick Monahan , Jimmy Stafford and Scott Underwood ....
's quadruple platinum hit "Hey, Soul Sister
Hey, Soul Sister
"Hey, Soul Sister" is a song by the American rock band Train, written by Patrick Monahan, Amund Bjørklund, and Espen Lind. It was released as the lead single from the band's fifth studio album, Save Me, San Francisco. The song reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and is their highest...
" and Daughtry's platinum single "It's Not Over
It's Not Over (Daughtry song)
"It's Not Over" is the first official single from Daughtry's first album, Daughtry. The song was used as a teaser to the second season fall finale of Prison Break. It was certified Platinum in April 2007...
", he also co-wrote the song "We Might Fall" with Sara Bareilles.
An exclusive iTunes deluxe version of the album includes additional three bonus demo tracks, music video of "Honey, Let Me Sing You a Song", and a digital booklet
Digital booklet
Digital booklets are the digital equivalent of liner notes that often accompany digital music purchases. They are most commonly distributed in Portable Document Format. One well-known distributor of digital booklets with digital purchases is the iTunes Store; the first instance of this on the...
.
Take Us to the Start
Critical response
The album has earned advance critical praise and received generally favorable reviews from most music critics.People Magazine hailed the collection, noting "on the opening cut of his debut, Hires requests, "Honey, Let Me Sing You a Song". With his folky pop and aching croon, how could you deny him?"
Creative Loafing commended the album as "cleverly-crafted and interesting, full of sincerity and catchy melodies highlighted by (Hires') enveloping, gravelly tenor."
On Andrew Leahey's review: "Take Us to the Start" sounds best at its most brisk, when Hires trades the coffeehouse aspirations of his slower songs for something more akin to driving, mainstream pop/rock. The bulk of this debut album is filled with semi-ballads, though, whose leisurely pace allows Hires more room to indulge a bit too heavily in the influence of his Hotel Café contemporaries."
This Is Modern said: "His debut album is so fully awesome that you will be hard pressed to find a track that you don't enjoy, ...Hires has put together one of the best debut albums by any singer/songwriter and will be rewarded by well deserved recognition and success."
Chart performance
Take Us to the Start debuted at #96 on Billboard 200 albums chart based on only digital download, also charted #16 on Billboard Digital Albums| Chart (2009–2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
96 |
| U.S. Digital Albums | 16 |
| U.S. Rock Albums | 38 |
Uses in media
- Honey, Let Me Sing You a Song, appeared on an episode of NBC's Cougar TownCougar TownCougar Town is an American television sitcom that premiered on ABC on September 23, 2009. The series focuses on a recently divorced woman in her forties facing the often humorous challenges, pitfalls and rewards of life's next chapter, along with her son, ex-husband, and friends who together make...
, it was also used in the season one's episode "Pilot" of Life UnexpectedLife UnexpectedLife Unexpected is an American television series that ran for two seasons, from 2010 to 2011.The show premiered on The CW on Monday, January 18, 2010. The 13-episode first season run ended on April 12, 2010...
on the The CWThe CW Television NetworkThe CW Television Network is a television network in the United States launched at the beginning of the 2006–2007 television season. It is a joint venture between CBS Corporation, the former owners of United Paramount Network , and Time Warner's Warner Bros., former majority owner of The WB...
. The demo version featured in the soundtrack album of 2010 Touchstone PicturesTouchstone PicturesTouchstone Pictures is an American film production label and is one of several film labels of the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group. Established in 1984, its releases typically feature more mature themes and darker tones than those that are released under the Walt Disney Pictures banner.Touchstone...
release, When in Rome. - Out Of The Dark, has been featured in season six's episode "I Saw What I Saw" of ABCAmerican Broadcasting CompanyThe American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
's hitshow Grey's AnatomyGrey's AnatomyGrey's Anatomy is an American medical drama television series created by Shonda Rhimes. The series premiered on March 27, 2005 on ABC; since then, seven seasons have aired. The series follows the lives of interns, residents and their mentors in the fictional Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital in...
. - Turn The Page, appeared on season five's episode "An Honest Mistake" of ABCAmerican Broadcasting CompanyThe American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
's Grey's AnatomyGrey's AnatomyGrey's Anatomy is an American medical drama television series created by Shonda Rhimes. The series premiered on March 27, 2005 on ABC; since then, seven seasons have aired. The series follows the lives of interns, residents and their mentors in the fictional Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital in...
, the song also featured in the episode "Damaged by Love" of Cougar TownCougar TownCougar Town is an American television sitcom that premiered on ABC on September 23, 2009. The series focuses on a recently divorced woman in her forties facing the often humorous challenges, pitfalls and rewards of life's next chapter, along with her son, ex-husband, and friends who together make...
on the ABCAmerican Broadcasting CompanyThe American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
, and can be heard in the trailer for the Miramax FilmsMiramax FilmsMiramax Films is an American entertainment company known for distributing independent and foreign films. For its first 14 years the company was privately owned by its founders, Bob and Harvey Weinstein...
2009 release, The Boys Are BackThe Boys Are Back (film)The Boys Are Back is a 2009 Australian/British drama film directed by Scott Hicks, produced by Greg Brenman and starring Clive Owen. Based on the book The Boys Are Back In Town by Simon Carr, the film features a score composed by Hal Lindes and a soundtrack by Sigur Rós.-Plot:Joe Warr is a British...
. - O Sunrise, appeared on season one's episode "Truth Unrevealed" of The CW's hitshow Life UnexpectedLife UnexpectedLife Unexpected is an American television series that ran for two seasons, from 2010 to 2011.The show premiered on The CW on Monday, January 18, 2010. The 13-episode first season run ended on April 12, 2010...
and Grey's AnatomyGrey's AnatomyGrey's Anatomy is an American medical drama television series created by Shonda Rhimes. The series premiered on March 27, 2005 on ABC; since then, seven seasons have aired. The series follows the lives of interns, residents and their mentors in the fictional Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital in...
. - A Perfect Day, appeared on season two's episode "Acceptance" of Private Practice, and the movie trailer for 2010 Touchstone PicturesTouchstone PicturesTouchstone Pictures is an American film production label and is one of several film labels of the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group. Established in 1984, its releases typically feature more mature themes and darker tones than those that are released under the Walt Disney Pictures banner.Touchstone...
release When in Rome.
Album Credits
Performance Credits- Matt HiresMatt HiresMatt Hires is an American singer-songwriter from Tampa, Florida. Drawing inspiration from influences as disparate as The Band, Sufjan Stevens, Wilco and Ryan Adams, Matt became the first artist to sign with F-Stop Music, an imprint of Atlantic Records.- Biography :As a cabinet store worker by day...
– VocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
; Acoustic GuitarAcoustic guitarAn acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
; Background Vocals; Crowd Noise; Human Whistle - Sara BareillesSara BareillesSara Beth Bareilles is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. She achieved mainstream success in 2007 with the hit single "Love Song", which brought her into the number one spot on the Billboard Pop 100 chart. She has sold over 1 million records in the United States alone and has been...
– Background Vocals - Matt Chamberlain – DrumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
- Chris Chaney – BassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Aaron Sterling – DrumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
- Chris Reynolds – Percussion
Technical Credits
- Stephen Marcussen – Mastering
- Chris Reynolds – EngineerEngineerAn engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
, Digital Editing - Carolyn Tracey – Package Production
- Kristie Borgmann – Art Manager
- Chris Stang – MarketingMarketingMarketing is the process used to determine what products or services may be of interest to customers, and the strategy to use in sales, communications and business development. It generates the strategy that underlies sales techniques, business communication, and business developments...
Additional Credits
- Reid Rolls – Photography
- Zachariah Mattheus – Art Direction; Design