Not a Layover, a Direct Flight to Advocate and Musician: Parker Matthews

Proud member of the LGBTQ+ community, Parker Matthews knew he had a passion for music and the lyrical arts when he was just five years old. He was watching American singer and actress Whitney Houston perform at the Grammys and a newfound sense of passion elicited from within himself: “Mom I want to do that,” Matthews said to his mom. His mom replied, “That’s cute, sweetie, that’s great.”

As Matthews got older, the calling got more vociferous, and he began to enroll in vocal lessons, vocal coaching and even began to play musical instruments such as piano and violin, according to Matthews.

Growing up in Pittsburgh and following his parents’ wishes, he got a job in business and was unfulfilled with his occupation.

It wasn’t until a trip to Europe when Matthews realized that he was done with having a traditional business career.

“And really it was the thought, not to get too deep, but it was the thought of being 75 years old one day and thinking, I wonder if I would’ve tried, what would’ve happened?,” Matthews questioned.

Putting spontaneity at the forefront, upon arriving home Matthews booked a one way ticket to Los Angeles to pursue his dreams of becoming an artist.

There is a learning curve to songwriting, and making sure to network with different folks in a new environment is a vital aspect to growing as an artist, Matthews said.

“And I really feel like I finally found, even though I had years of training, found my voice out here and my style,” added Matthews.

In terms of writing material and picking lyrics, Matthews used his own experience in the dating world, drawing from the bad dates he went on. In regards to the people, Matthews said he experienced what he refers to as people who crafted “smoke and mirrors.”

“For people that are trying to also follow in my footsteps and do what I’m trying to do is just be very careful of who you’re working with,” Matthews said.

Parker Matthews’ hit song: Layover

Gaining 1.8 million views on the social media platform TikTok was Matthews hit song titled “Layover.” The song was produced by Matthews and co-writers Myah Marie and Michael Blum, according to Matthews.

 During one of the first writing sessions, Matthews could feel his nerves begin to reach a climax.

“I was so nervous that day because I knew that what I had done thus far at that point had bumped me up to this next level of industry people that have much bigger credits and much more knowledge and just that history in the industry,” Matthews said.

Layover is about a Greek flight attendant that Matthews was planning to visit in Greece again, until  he broke Matthews heart, according to Matthews.

“Things just really fizzled out,” Matthews added. “So, we sat down and we wrote that record, and that’s how Layover came to be.”

Being able to choose where his song was distributed, Matthews selected TikTok as a streaming platform because it was such a fresh platform at the time his song was released in 2022.

“I used to try to keep everything very calculated, but with that release and then moving forward, I was like, you know what? I just want to do stuff that’s in the moment and see what happens,” Matthews said.

After a big success, a new door was unlocked in Matthews’ passion for music, and he created his own label called PM3 Entertainment.  

His new label was created to work with more songwriters and take care of them in ways larger labels didn’t, according to Matthews.

“Throughout the years that I’ve been here, a lot of people that I’ve worked with, mostly heterosexual people in the industry have said, “Well, don’t say he, say they or you or keep it more ambiguous so it doesn’t pigeonhole yourself,” Matthews.

Matthews said he listened to them for so long, but in creating his own label he knew he would be his most authentic self and refer to the other person as “he”, because “he broke my heart,” said Matthews.

Diving into the creative process with sound and lyrics

Living with ADHD, Matthews said he frequently will stop in the middle of a crosswalk to jot down a note that may be a potential lyric, because he will easily forget.

Matthews recalls calling his producer and remarking that he has nine songs he wants to have written in the span of just two days.

“Nine songs in two days? Are you crazy?” remarked his producer. “Listen, if we plan it out like this, it won’t be that hard,” Matthews responded.

Throughout the creative process, Matthews said it’s important to live in the moment and to have fun, not thinking too hard about the first draft, knowing you can make edits later on.

Growing up, Matthews listened to all female singers, including Adele, Christina Aguilera and Jennifer Hudson. In his own music, Matthews said he strives to hit high notes just like these female powerhouses.

It wasn’t until the last five years that Matthews was asked to explore his lower register and adopt a gentle tone.

“I think I really perfected that so it’s able to have that blend and that difference of drama per record,” Matthews said.

In terms of who Matthews is playing to, he said his lyrics are for every person, but especially for those who have lived their lives feeling like an outcast.

“I was very made fun of growing up my whole life and never fit in,” Matthews said. “And I know what that’s like, and to be able to have a beacon of hope, even if it’s just in a song that lasts for three minutes, that can take you away from that everyday pain, that’s my job.”