Matt Hillyer brings listeners along for ride into the unknown

Jan. 11—Singer-songwriter Matt Hillyer is no stranger to the influence of the Bakersfield Sound. As the lead singer of Eleven Hundred Springs, which called it quits in 2021, and now as a solo artist poised to release his second album, "Glorieta," he continues down the road he started on a quarter-century ago.

Hillyer, who will play an acoustic show with fellow country journeyman Dale Watson Sunday at Pyrenees Cafe, is no stranger to Bakersfield, having played Buck Owens' Crystal Palace and Fishlips before that with his band.

Not surprisingly, he said the electrified country style that originated in Bakersfield was a favorite of Eleven Hundred Springs, which felt the influence of the music of Buck Owens, Don Rich, Merle Haggard, Wynn Stewart and Ferlin Husky.

"All the great music coming out of California country-wise, it reminded me of the same heritage with Texas music.

"The big country hits were coming out of Nashville. It was a lot of good songs, a lot of great artists, but it's a little bit anemic. Merle and Buck and Wynn Stewart were recording at the same time out of Bakersfield. It was a different sound, tougher. It appealed to us more.

"It was the harder version of country that appealed to me always."

Hillyer released his first solo album, "If These Old Bones Could Talk," in 2014 while still with his swinging Texas country ensemble.

His latest solo effort, "Glorieta," due out Feb. 24, came about after his band parted ways, fueled by tunes born of a songwriting group Hillyer joined in 2020.

"I've been in it over two years. You write a song a week. You get a prompt, you turn it (the song) in. If you don't, you're out. It freed me up to do some different things."

That includes "Ordinary Man," a track Hillyer describes as more Harry Nilsson and Beatles-y than his usual style that was inspired by his dad.

"While it's cathartic, it's not always easy. It's one of the reasons I love it so much. Trying to do something different, going into unknown, uncharted territory, it's a lot of fun."

Hillyer said it's hard to narrow down on favorites on this album, which was produced by John Pedigo of The O's, who has also worked on albums with the Old 97's and Joshua Ray Walker.

As of Wednesday, he included the slow and soulful "Just Passing Through" among his top songs to play lately.

He said, "Sometimes you play a slow song, they think it's time to go to the restroom, but it's been pretty well received."

"You know going in it might be a challenge to hold people's attention. When it does, you love it even more."

Real life finds its way into his songs, including the album's title track, inspired by a road trip he and his youngest daughter took to his mom's place in New Mexico.

"I think the best songs that people write, even if they're not singing 100 percent about themselves, find some sort of universal truth that people can respond to. Some part of it has to be real for you if you want people to respond to it."

Whether playing with a band or on his own, he knows songwriting and performing are vital for him.

He remembers when he was first learning to play guitar as a child that his mom told him he would need to write his own songs.

"She said, 'If you don't then you don't have something to say.'

"I can't imagine life without it. We don't do this because we have to, we do this because we have to."

Stefani Dias can be reached at 661-395-7488. Follow her on Twitter at @realstefanidias.