“Standing at 6’7”, it’s hard to miss Matthias Lamparter in a room, but for a long time, he was the guy trying his best to slip out the back door. From sneaking into Lower Broadway clubs as a teenager to the stark reality of jail time, his path from Christiana, Tennessee, to the Nashville music scene was never a straight line—it was a jagged, hard-won detour.
He’s spent years building a life outside of music—trading in guitar gear to fund a remodeling business and working as an electrician—only to realize that the grit he collected along the way was exactly the fuel his songwriting needed. Now, with the release of his new album 15 Seconds of Fame and the raw, blues-infused resonance of his new single ‘Concrete Cowboy,’ Lamparter is finally trading in the shadows for the spotlight. In this interview, we sit down with a man who has lived a dozen lifetimes before his breakout year, talking about second chances, the cost of redemption, and why 2026 is the moment it all finally clicks.”
You bought your first guitar at eight with a $50 gift from your grandfather. Looking back at that 8-year-old kid, did you have any inkling that the “real world” would take you on such a massive detour before you finally landed at Doghouse Studio?
It’s hard to imagine exactly where life will take you before it takes you there. I think that many lessons you have to learn along the way are the ones you don’t know you need. Life has a funny way of throwing you in a different direction and then showing you why you needed certain skills
Your first band was named after the highway exit leading out of your hometown. Do you feel like your new music, specifically the debut album 15 Seconds of Fame, is a return to those Tennessee roots, or a final departure from them?
The backwards thing about traveling a lot is that it makes you want to just be home more. When I started really hitting the road and getting in where I could fit in I couldn’t wait to get out of my hometown and do things but as the years went by the place, I call home has developed an into such a Mecca for music if you will, it always was, but in a much stronger out there direction than before and so I find it ironic that everywhere I travel I’m so excited to get there but they’re so excited that I’m from Tennessee
You’ve mentioned “sticking out like a sore thumb” while sneaking into Broadway bars as a teenager. How did that feeling of being an outsider—even when you were physically the biggest person in the room—shape your stage presence today?
Tall people just kind of live a different life than everyone else, for the simple fact that you can always see what we’re doing in a room full of people, even when you wouldn’t have noticed everyone else. I find it a very interesting point of view that I’ve been lucky enough to grow into. Literally, I think I would be an entertainer, no matter what, but I do think sticking out in a crowd makes things a little easier sometimes, and you get a great view of a show, whether on stage or out in the pit
You spent years working as an electrician and running a remodeling company to fund your gear. How did that “blue-collar” grind influence the work ethic you bring to the studio and the touring circuit now?
Dealing with crazy hours and working even when you’re tired is a skill that translates quite well. The whole idea of hurry up and wait sits in both trades, musical and electrical. Being confident with tools and things of that nature is just good for anyone who’s gonna be out on the road traveling. I can’t tell you how many times things have broken down, from blowing engines to having to rip off wheel wells of trailers that we’re catching on fire on the side of the road, and that’s just off the dome. I’ve had to rewire trailer brakes because someone tripped over them while loading gear in the middle of a parking lot in downtown Clemson. Things like that, it’s 3 am, and there’s nobody coming to save you, and all of those skills come full circle every day for me. I highly recommend anyone who wants to make music for a living and run an operation to know how to work with their hands and not just their mind. Creativity can be found in many ways
You’ve been very open about how your time in jail influenced the Americana/Blues sound of “Concrete Cowboy.” How does the “raw authenticity” of that experience translate into your songwriting process?
Learning how to write music without instruments was a skill I learned during that time. I think it’s very important that a song stand on its own without any instruments behind it. before that time, I had always leaned on my guitar to set the tone for me and not as much the melody, but just snapping your finger and singing tune, and writing from the heart is the most important thing and I don’t believe without having all of the toys and gear stripped away for those periods I would have learned to produce things from the ground up the way I look at them now.
Stream on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/5XZfdAwQ9XjxwMcHVyhNSo?si=0a31ab711e314d8d
2026 is described as your year of “redemption.” What does redemption look like to you personally—is it the chart numbers, or is it simply the fact that you’re no longer “slipping out of back doors”?
I’m sure every reader has heard this before, but it’s not about the hits you take. It’s about how you get back up, and I’ll tell you firsthand that every great thing that happens in my life generally comes with an equal sour side and floating between the two is a battle in itself, but I have seen time and time again where people let one point in their life define the next chapter or chapters to come after that and I think the reality is, there’s just so much more happening at all times, so hopefully their music and travels and conversation like the things that I have gone through and the people around me have gone through can always be turned into something good. I always say if you can turn nothing into something, you can make anything from everything.
You went from being “the guy behind the guitar” in Simply Majestic to being the frontman of a full band. What was the hardest part of stepping into the spotlight and letting the guitar take a backseat to your voice?
Honestly, keeping your vocal health up to par and singing long sets is the most challenging part. As a guitar player and just singing a few songs or playing stuff that’s pre-recorded, you can really get away with a little bit more partying, but when your body isn’t right, your voice is the first thing to show signs of that. It’s been quite a long road to build up the strength and stamina that it takes to be a front man doing longer sets, hell, I don’t even feel warmed up until I’ve sang six or seven songs. For some people, that’s their entire show, and it’s great if you’re playing short opening slots, but when you’re doing DIY start to finish with your buddies, you better be ready to run that thing and stay on top and still party because when you’re in the front, you control the vibe
You met producer Chris Silverio at a Christmas party in 2024. What was it about that specific meeting that made you realize he was the right person to help you track 15 Seconds of Fame?
It’s all about the way people approach things for me. Chris never promised the moon. He asked what I wanted to do and showed me what my options were along the way to get it done. What he does, he does well. A lot of people out there act like they can do everything so much better than everybody else, versus just respecting their art and learning to throw a hat in the ring when they need to or are asked , but very much just helps things roll, and I definitely need that to get things done.
Your second release was on April 10th. Who is the “Concrete Cowboy”? Is he a character you’ve created, or is he the version of Matthias that had to survive the Nashville hustle?
I’d definitely say the latter, Matthias came from a party alter ego/RuneScape name when I was younger. We all kind of went out and partied as alter egos. It was just easier to have fun when people didn’t know who you were, so that naturally just kind of went with me into adult years when performing. It’s definitely a character that I’ve learned to build based on my own life and the superhero version of myself. I think everyone should have a superhero version of themselves when they leave the house. It’s tough out here.
With the album slated for a summer release, what is the one thing you want listeners to take away from your story when they finally hear the full record from start to finish?
I want them to hear a story and learn not to take things so seriously because it’s all gonna be alright, that’s always my theme:bad turns good
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