Best New Artist (Solo)

33.90% Matt Sturm* 33.20% Melissa Perkins* 18.55% Allison Demaree* 11.73% Ellie Bogue* 0.64% Dan Dickerson 0.43% Jen Fisher, Sarah Brown Others with Votes: Andy Manes, DJ Beach, Jim Martin, Kevin Hambrick, Michael Adams, Mike Conley, Pam Brown, Rehab E, Rick Barton, Two Many People 1999 Winner: NA 1998 Winner: NA 1997 Winner: NA * On the ballot

Can you fairly be called a Best New Artist when you’ve been plying your trade in area coffeehouses for nearly four years? Perhaps the answer hardly matters when you’re as dedicated to your craft as is Matt Sturm. The Monroeville native, 20, picked up his first guitar at age 16, taught himself to play and began writing songs soon after that. Since then, he’s been a regular at Legends, Toast and Jam, the Pfeiffer House, the Munchie Emporium, basically anywhere that acoustic music can be heard. Sturm plays a mix of originals and cover tunes, in a style he describes as a mixture of Counting Crows, Radiohead and the Beatles. "A lot of my stuff is very melodic and melancholy. I jump at the chance of playing my stuff whenever I can, although sometimes it doesn’t go over too well in a bar. That’s when I whip out an old Beatles tune or 'Runaround Sue,' which I really enjoy playing," Sturm said. His influences include Lennon and McCartney, Noel Gallagher and friend Erik Mackey, who first inspired him to learn guitar and write. And every time he hears Sunny Taylor or Michael Schwarte play, he ends up grabbing a napkin to jot down some ideas. That style of writing, Sturm said, comes from a natural inclination toward the substantive and introspective. "This is the music that really affects me. When I hear something that’s peppy and upbeat, I really enjoy it for a short period of time, but the songs that really move me are very emotional, like 'Long December' by Counting Crows or 'High and Dry' by Radiohead. It seems you can relate to them no matter what mood you’re in," he said. The next step is to finish work on a CD, a compilation of acoustic songs and songs backed by a new band that Sturm is ready to begin work with. The band, still unnamed and missing a bass player, will play rock n’ roll "with a funky edge. It’s all going to be about having a good time." It seems Sturm can have a good time no matter what mood he’s in.

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