University of Life: Matt Duke

| Print Post This | Like (0) | Comments (1)

WHEN SINGER/SONGWRITER Matt Duke dropped out of college, he didn't just sit back and do nothing. In fact, he picked up many books and dove into reading.

"When I did leave school it was when I started to read and when I started to teach myself things," Duke said. "Books that high school students should be reading, I went back and started reading them. Before I would have cheated, gotten CliffsNotes or something. I got to read a lot of the classics I wouldn't have appreciated had I not stayed in school. I guess I'm glad I did drop out."

The 24-year-old's love of literature permeates his work, especially on last year's "Kingdom Underground" and its new companion EP, "Acoustic Kingdom Underground." The EP features acoustic takes on six songs — five of which appear on "Kingdom Underground" — that all have literary ties.

But Duke's self-education — he also taught himself guitar — can only get him so far.

With no degree, Duke has limited options when it comes to employment outside of his music career. By day, the Mount Laurel, N.J., native trims hedges and prunes bushes as a gardener, while also waiting tables.

"I always preferred to pick up a lot of hands-on manual labor type jobs," he said. "I just know that being outside and working with my hands — something about planting a hundred plants — is kind of therapeutic and lets me get my mind clear. The other side of it is that it was a job that was open. I do like being outside. You get to be out in nature and sometimes you get to see cool animals, it's a really cool job.

"It can be a drag sometimes," Duke said of balancing gigs with part-time jobs, "but I like to keep myself busy. You have to make money somehow. I'm doing it to facilitate my career in music." Last year, Duke got a little help on the career path when celeb-gossip blogger Perez Hilton featured Duke's "Rabbit" on his site.

"That was weird. The first thing I said when I saw it was, 'Well, if I'm on this page, I'm so thankful that he didn't draw any white stuff on me.'"

Not that Duke has any exploits fit for gossip blogs — not yet anyway.

"There's these Mexico trips that I would take to Tijuana every once in a while, but I don't think those will pop up anytime soon," Duke said with a laugh.

Duke's soothing delivery rivals fellow guys-with-guitars Jason Mraz and John Mayer. Lyrically, however, he hits on a different plain, preferring not to limit himself to relationship tales. Besides the books, Duke also writes about his religious upbringing. Raised Irish Catholic, Duke's songwriting often questions his faith, especially on "The Father, the Son and the Harlot," which draws from Leon Uris' "Trinity."

"A lot of the way I felt was reflected through what ["Trinity's" protagonist] was experiencing and what was happening," he said. "The second verse is a quote about heaven and hell and how we're just kind of shackled in between it and life."

Still, Duke doesn't resent his upbringing. If anything he's thankful for it.

"To be honest with you, as much as I resented having grown with that background, now reflecting, having gone through it ... there's this long innocence then you realize that things are not how you told they were," Duke said. "That's a bit disconcerting, but it's great. You start to experiment you start to explore; you start to see other things. I actually really appreciate where I come from even though I question it."

And while college just wasn't a good fit for him — he dropped out shortly after completing a semester — his stint at St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia still proved worthwhile.

Less than six months after dropping out of school, an old grade-school friend at neighboring Drexel University got a hold of a demo Duke put together. The school was just starting its music industry program, and the friend passed the demo onto the class. They liked it and brought Duke in to record. He joined the school's label and gained the confidence he needed to make a go at it in the industry.

"I never thought I could even attempt to make a career out of playing music, but they offered me a really great opportunity and they opened up a door when I really needed one," he said. "At this point, for as long as we went to together, I do feel like I basically went to school there for the music program."

He doesn't think he could have even gotten that far had he stayed at St. Joseph's — the lifestyle didn't suit him, Duke added. Currently, Duke tours as a solo artist, part of why he's releasing the acoustic EP. It's a more accurate representation of his live show than the full-length, which features fleshed-out instrumentation and more expansive production.

"When I play live shows and people have heard the album they generally say there is a significant difference between the two," Duke said. "It's hard to harness what I do on stage. I think it's nice to compliment the record as a whole."

Duke does, however, hope to switch to a full-band format one day. Now, he only occasionally does trio shows in the Northeast.

"If there's something that I really need to improve at it's being a more focused band leader," he said. "That's why the trio thing worked so well, we always just vibed off of each other. Working with more than three people it was hard to tell what's in my head."

» Luckie's Tavern, 10 Market Place, Baltimore, Md.; with Ellen Cherry, Wed., July 1, 8 p.m., 21+; 410-223-1105.