Putting his faith in music

Matthew E White’s songwriting is informed by his interest in spirituality, says Ed Power

SINGER Matthew E White sits in the living room of his Richmond, Virginia home. “I hear folks are saying a lot of nice things about me in Europe,” says White, the most-buzzed-about new artist of 2013. “If that is correct, then it is truly humbling. I want to go over there and experience it first hand. Basically, I want to see if it’s real.”

White is an unlikely candidate for media hype. He is oldish (in his 30s), paunchy, and has a full-length beard more typical of a hardcore biker. If you were told he was a musician, you would guess he fronted a ZZ Top tribute group.