New Artist: Matt Morris

While Matt Morris might seem new to the music scene, he's anything but. Already an accomplished songwriter, his tunes have been sung by pop stars like Justin Timberlake, Kelly Clarkson, and Christina Aguilera. Remember "Miss Independent"?

Now he's adding singer and musician to his resume with plans to release a full album next year. Meanwhile, he recently released an EP called Backstage At Bonnaroo And Other Acoustic Performances, an obviously titled collection of five acoustic tracks for fans of his stripped-down performances. Though Matt's songwriting credit points to a more mainstream approach to pop music, the EP showcases his versatility as an artist with little more than just his piano and guitar. "Money" brings to mind a more soulful Jack Johnson, "Bloodline" is a country-tinged folk ballad, and "The Un-American" sounds something like a Queen song with its bouncing piano and Morris' Mraz-meets-Mercury tenor voice.

Backstage At Banaroo is a fun introduction to Matt Morris as an exciting and talented new singer/songwriter. I'll be looking forward to hearing more about him in the upcoming months.

The EP is available now on iTunes; check out "Money" on his MySpace page.