Meet FINLEY of Matthew “Mdot” Finley

Today we’d like to introduce you to Matthew Finley.

Matthew, before we jump into specific questions about your work, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I’m from Dayton, Ohio and have been living in LA for about a decade. I went to Christian schools starting in pre-k through graduating high school (Dayton Christian) except for 4th grade I went to Catholic school. I guess my parents forgot to register me but I did the whole going to mass, wore uniforms at both schools but huge difference going from communion to drinking from the same wine glass (not my thing even though they would wipe the cup). During High school, I did a lot of extracurricular activities outside of the campus because our learning didn’t include sports but a lot of bible study, math, and science. My mom had me in the industry at ten months, that’s when I made my first dollar, but she has always been and still to this day is my #1 supporter. She took me to NYC to audition for MTV’s Becoming where I not only won the role of Lil’ Fizz for a B2K episode but we won that shit!! In line, I remember meeting these three girls who were with their mom, so while my mom and her spoke, I was hollering at these dancer chicks from Baltimore (one of them reminded me of Kiely from 3LW) but ended up using them for a video shoot later.

They kept in touch and told my mom about a talent show in D.C., so I whipped up some choreography (probably NSYNC inspired) and sent them a VHS in the mail to learn and perform as my backup dancers when we came and did the talent show in D.C. I killed that show, I think Mario was there and Dru Hill possibly but there was a manager named Orlando Mullins who took me under his wing and started developing me. I would take long weekends from Ohio and fly to DMV working with producers like Davinch from Ruff Endz and writing a lot of songs for myself and different artist..that helped me get my pen game strong and learned about studio etiquette. After graduation, I was planning to go to Harvard or NYU for golf but ended up getting accepted and attending Berklee College of Music for Contemporary Writing & Production which still allowed me to work with my connects on the east coast. Berklee was dope, it’s funny because I see a lot of things in my life happening like a circle divided into 4 sections (my favorite number is four) but I met so many amazing artists and still run into them as I journey through this industry.

Kevin Ross, MAJOR, Tiwa Savage to name a few, not including the network of producers, engineers, and songwriters that spent some time or “graduated” from Berklee. My thing is this, every time someone asks me how I liked Berklee, I say it was cool, I remember practice rooms and missing a lot of class but a school can’t teach you to be an artist, but yea because of them my theory, ear training and conducting skills are fantastic! I enjoyed my time in Boston and on the east coast and started dating this Colombian girl named Tuly. She played the violin and danced so you know she was, of course, my back up dancer. She lived in Miami and while she was back home during the holidays, she was involved in a motorcycle accident that took her life. That event rocked my world, changed me because I had never had lost someone that close.

After the funeral, I went back to Boston but I couldn’t shake the heaviness. I just felt her presence/spirit so heavy that I had to make a move. I put a deposit down on a place in Atlanta and was ready to head down south, I had been doing real estate in Boston and still currently have my license hung with Keller Williams here in California. My co-worker was from Cali and was talking about moving back home, after having some convincing conversations I was sold. Plus I was feeling spontaneous so wheels up to Hollywood which is the last place I thought I would end up. Within three months I had linked with a new manager named Darlene Gorzela who brought on a co-manager Maureen Crowe and booked my first major role with Disney.

Filming Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam took me all over the world. We shot in Canada, we toured all of North America and a lot of South America with the Jonas Brothers and Demi Lovato so it was top class, best hotels, food, tour bus, equipment and the opportunity to learn from those superstars every night. My friendships extended far beyond the filming and touring into writing with and for the Jonas Brothers, Nick and Joe’s solo projects as well as the countless Friend for Change and Disney charity events linking me Raven, Corbin, Keke, Bella, Zendaya, or nights out in LA at the old Beacher’s Madhouse where I see Miley. I was traveling so much that I felt like it was time to enjoy L.A. and connect with the people on the west coast. Worked with Pharell and his guitarist Brent Paschke, Yonni my fellow Ohio bro, and just lived that LA artist life shooting commercials, doing local performances when I could here and there.

I changed managers a few times (Authur Spivak, Alaska Gideon) but Printz Board introduced me to a manager named Dominique Trenier. He upgraded me as an artist. Dom worked with D’Angelo, Mark Ronson, Niki Costa, and introduced me to Mark Hammond that played guitar on D’Angelo’s album Black Messiah and began to teach me new things on the guitar. My whole production and current sound became focused around the instrument. Although I already played 6 instruments (piano, sax, drums, bass, guitar, and vocals) Mark elevated my ability and knowledge. Currently, I have been anxious to get my music career off the ground. I am following up on my 2017 EP release titled Him First with a new project called ‘Trap Gospel’. It is currently being mixed/mastered at Brandon’s Way in Hollywood, CA a studio one of my mentors and the legend Kenny ‘Babyface’ Edmonds.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It was a blessing and a curse to work with Disney for my first major role. Having seen behind the curtain made me aspire for that level in my career all the time. I got into a major motorcycle accident on my Ducati in L.A. Flew 300 ft off Muholland and was airlifted to UCLA where I relearned how to walk, gain balance and after release to dance again. More recently dealing with artists in the industry that are further along and have influence using ideas before I get the opportunity. As frustrating as it is t’s a constant reminder that we as artists are here to deliver a message for a particular time. Like Esther in the bible was meant for “such a time as this” what is meant for me will be.

What else should we know?
I am known for my role as Luke Williams in the Disney Channel film Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam. I wrote and performed four songs for the movie but worked with Lyrica Anderson on my most recognizable song called “Fire”. I currently am working to release my new EP called Trap Gospel which highlights a few of my specialties: A sound that is timeless and not trendy. My new created genre called covert worship. I want to start the conversation between people of different religions, beliefs, and backgrounds about the ONE thing we all have in common. The Eternal. We all have to die.

What were you like growing up?
I grew up shy unless I was on the stage or had a mic in my hand. I was very sheltered as an only child which may be why I always seem to be self-sabotaging myself at times, but the church was where a lot of my confidence was built. Playing alongside my dad in the church band was a great start for me, the congregation wasn’t quite like the Apollo but if you were wack the mic would not find its way back to you. My parents are still together so I got to see what true love and marriage is about. Not sure if that’s where I’m headed buy my personality was positively affected by seeing their relationship and how they continue to support each other daily.

Image Credit:
Collin Keller, Lucid Productions, Ebere Thomas

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