With an independent spirit as great as the American frontier, Due West is staking their claim to Nashville fame. Three brothers in spirit, if not by blood, Tim Gates, Brad Hull and Matt Lopez comprise the energetic young band based on tight three-part harmony, smart, sincere songwriting and perhaps most of all, the kind of friendship legends are made of. "Brad and Tim are my best friends," Matt declares. "There's nothing cooler than getting to do what you love—play music and write songs for a living—than to do it with your two best friends." Originally from Sheridan, Wyoming, Matt Lopez was living in Arizona when he and Thatcher, AZ native Brad Hull first met. Shortly after Hull moved to Nashville in 2001 to attend Belmont University, Matt followed his friend to Music City. The pair encountered Richfield, Utah native Tim Gates at a house party, and were taken with his guitar playing, singing, and especially his repertoire: old Shenandoah, Mark Chestnutt, McBride & The Ride, and Keith Whitley. As Matt and Brad jumped in on harmonies, the trio made an instant connection that night.
Matt and Brad's tight harmonies, born of their appreciation for R&B and schooling in a barbershop quartet, proved the perfect complement to Tim's incredible lead vocals. Brad and Matt call Gates country music's next legendary voice, comparing him to Marty Raybon of Shenandoah or Brooks & Dunn's Ronnie Dunn. "We put Tim's voice on the same plane," Brad shares. "We're lucky to have him."
Following their grand debut at a local VFW event, the yet-unnamed band booked a regular gig at the Alabama Grill, where Tim was working as a manager at the time. Matt and Brad eventually scored publishing deals with Jason Deere, whose encouragement and direction led to the official creation of Due West.
Deere, who eventually became Due West's producer and honorary fourth bandmate, soon arranged a meeting with RCA. Due West was almost immediately signed to a development deal, and dropped nearly as quickly when Sony and BMG merged in 2006. "The very week we turned in our sides, Sony and BMG merged and we became this tiny, tiny dot on the map," Tim recounts. Due West had the choice to sit and wait more than two years for their record to be released, or to be released from their contract and do their own thing.
The decision was easy and their path was clear. Lessons learned from putting their future in the hands of a major corporation, Due West now fiercely guards their control on both the creative and business sides. Fully embracing their independent status, Tim, Matt and Brad are completely hands-on, whether making major business decisions, updating their Twitter statuses, or booking their own shows.
Due West thrives on the road and off the beaten path, and relishes every chance they get to play to crowds who may not often hear country music. From Tamworth and Sydney Australia, to Wyoming, NY, to Park City, UT at the Sundance Film Festival, Due West has a way of charming the unlikeliest of audiences. "This is us: against the odds, against the grain," Matt sets forth. "Sometimes nobody knows who we are. Sometimes nobody in the room even likes country music, yet by the end of our set, we've made friends. And we just want to grow that."
The operative word being friends: "We don't even like to call them fans," Matt insists. "We want to just befriend people. We want to share our message, share our music, and make a real connection." The band's sincerity, energy, and passion make it easy to do just that, drawing folks into the Due West fold at every stop.
Lately, the fold has grown to encompass many of Due West's greatest heroes, like Vern Gosdin and members of Blackhawk, Alabama, Shenandoah, McBride & The Ride, and Diamond Rio. Over and over again Due West is hearing what may be the most gratifying endorsement of all: "You remind us of us." "It's a surreal thing when your heroes become your peers, and then become your fans, and then your friends. It's a humbling experience," Brad admits.
And while friendship may be the glue that holds Due West together, it is their music that moves them forward. All three gentlemen are accomplished songsmiths, full-time staff writers who have earned cuts by Lady Antebellum, Bucky Covington, and the Gaither Brothers. With a wealth of songs to choose from their own catalogs, let alone the gems to be found from outside writers, Due West's debut album is replete with songs written from the heart that connect with listeners in a truly meaningful way.
"There's an old Merle Haggard song called 'The Chill Factor,'" Tim says, "and I always base my song selection on that. When a song can give you chills, and it can bring out that kind of emotion in you, that's when you're really connected to the music."
"We are so connected to our songs," Matt continues, "because we write from the heart about experiences we've had or things that we believe in. We write about real issues."
Such real issues jump to life in the band's lead single, "I Get That All The Time," a celebration of the highs to be had from everyday family life. "Whether we're a parent, a child, or an adult looking back on our lives growing up, there's just something to be said about walking in the front door of your home and feeling the weight of the day whisked away by the chaotic familiarity and peacefulness of family," Matt says.
The song perfectly encapsulates the values that Due West holds dear. "If the world wants real, if the world wants genuine, and if the world wants sincerity, Due West is going to be gigantic," Matt declares. "The cool thing is, though, that if the world doesn't want what we have to offer, we're still going to do it. We love doing what we do. We'll do it 'til the day we die."
