Chase Matthew Discusses New EP, ‘We All Grow Up,’ and Viral Hit ‘Darlin”

Chase Matthew just added six new songs to his catalog with the February 16 release of his We All Grow Up EP. This project follows his 2023 sophomore album, Come Get Your Memory, and pays tribute to his small-town upbringing and the ups and downs that led him to where he is today. 

Unveiling A New, More Mature Side To His Artistry

Serving as a co-writer on four of the six tracks, the Warner Music Nashville artist used this collection as a chance to showcase the broad spectrum of his talent. Fans are already aware of his ability to produce a rowdy party anthem, but this time, he also included some tunes that will pull at the heartstrings and show listeners a more emotional and mature side to his songwriting.  

Just like it says in the title, We All Grow Up centers around the different stages of getting older and the ups and downs that come with that. On the cover is a photo of Matthew playing guitar and singing at two years old with the tattoo’s he’s acquired over the years added onto his younger self. This goes to show that no matter where his career takes him, he will always remember where his passion for music began. 

“The cover art, for a start, is me as a two-year-old sitting on a stool playing a guitar with my dad in the background. And that’s kind of how I grew up. That’s where I was raised,” he told Country Now during a recent interview. “In the cover art, you can see my tattoos. I’m a baby, but I have all my arm tattoos and my cross tattoo…But we all grow up, and I feel like there’s a song for every scenario on there. I feel like a lot of artists say that, but genuinely it’s a really cool project of six songs. I went through like 15 trying to pick my favorite and I really couldn’t pick a favorite and still can’t pick a favorite out of the six.”

Reflecting On His Newest Fan-Favorite, “Darlin’”

The Nashville, TN native set the tone for the collection through songs like “We All Grow Up” and “Small Town Shit.” However, now that fans have gotten their hands on all six songs, the fiery track titled, “Darlin’” has gained quite a bit of attention of fans on social media. 

Co-written by Matthew with Alex Maxwell, Hunter Huff, and Ciaran Wilkie, and produced by Maxwell and Jake Angel, the song displays a relatable feeling of anger and a desire for revenge after catching a cheating partner in the act. The use of an acoustic guitar and banjo merges seamlessly with a hip-hop beat to highlight the narrative of a wary heart. 

The Story Behind The Song “Darlin’”

While discussing the inspiration behind the song, Matthew shared, “We had like two or three days to kill. We were out west, we didn’t want to head back to Nashville and just turn right around and come back, so we just hung out at this casino. I ended up bringing the studio off the bus into the hotel casino. So we stayed there, and me and (Ciaran) Wilkie and (Hunter) Huff, which is my guitar player and my lighting guy, we sat down, had a Jake Angel beat and we wrote to it and recorded it. It came out really cool. When we got into the studio, me and my buddy (Alex) Maxwell fine-tuned it. He did all the production on vocals and, it was super cool.”

@iamchasematthew #duet with @🌻Kila Johnson🌻 #fyp ♬ Darlin – Chase Matthew

Recently, “Darlin’” has been racking up streams and views on social media as fans are first drawn in by the catchy beat and then held captive by the storyline that reflects the far-too-common emotional rollercoaster of knowing your partner isn’t as being loyal as they might lead you to believe.  

“The words of the song are ‘Why does he call you darlin’? Why does he call you daily? Why are you trying to act like I’m the one, you know, being crazy’ and I think some of us have been in that situation of being cheated on by someone we were told was just a friend before…And it’s not an easy pill to swallow, but I feel like a lot of people are gravitating towards this song because again, it’s something they can relate to. It’s definitely been a cool reaction on TikTok to see people use the sound.”

Brand-New Music Video

Matthew also just dropped the accompanying music video for his authentic tune, which finds the rising star acting out the scenario of someone who realizes the person he’s dating might have eyes for someone else. After seeing his girl post a picture with a man whom his bandmate dubs her “FWB” aka “friends with benefits,” Matthew is encouraged to throw his emotions into his music, which results in him getting back at the cheater with his rowdy delivery of “Darlin’.” 

“Why’s he call you darlin’? Why’s he call you daily?/ Why you tryna act like I’m just out here being crazy?/ How’s he know your mama? Does he drive your Mercedes?/ You can say whatever, baby, what you wanna call it?/ But why’s he call you darlin’?” he sings on the chorus. 

Inviting Fans To Be Part Of The Filming Process

Prior to releasing the finished product, Chase Matthew shared a sneak peek into the makings of this video on social media through a compilation of clips documenting the moment his videographer Kara Lewis, stumbled upon some girls at a local gas station and invited them to become part of the video.

“It’s crazy. So Kara found these two girls somewhere.  I don’t know where they came from, but they showed up, and Kara was like, ‘I found these two girls at the gas station, and I want to put them in the music video. Are you okay with that?’ I was like, ‘yeah, I guess so. Are they cool?’ She’s like, ‘yeah.’ And I was like, ‘okay, then hell yeah.’ So, she filmed it, and it was cool. They were super cool.” 

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A post shared by KARA ∥ LEWIS 🎬💡 (@karaxlewis)

Not only did Matthew get these two Tennessee natives in on the fun, but he also made sure to include his road crew in the filming process. Much like the EP itself, he strives to be his most authentic self with his fans, and that includes showcasing the people who help him stay humble and achieve his goals.   

“I keep everybody very involved. The guys that are acting in the video are really my guys. You’ll see them on the road. You’ll see them loading the trailer or setting up consoles or you’ll actually see them playing on stage. I want everything to be transparent and I try my best to do that and just be authentic.”

Presented With Two Plaques While Backstage Of The Opry

On the official release night for We All Grow Up, Matthew got to celebrate in a big way as he was invited to perform at the Grand Ole Opry. After making his way off stage, he was greeted to an incredible surprise from his team, who was on hand to present him with two plaques for his first RIAA PLATINUM-certified “County Line” and GOLD-certified “Love You Again,” which is also his current single rising up the charts as a Top 30 single at country radio. 

“I knew that ‘Love You Again’ went gold and I knew that ‘County Line’ went platinum, but I hadn’t seen it in physical form yet. So they waited for the Opry and as soon as I came off stage and walked through the door, boom, I was like, ‘Whoa, what is going on?’ All my team, everybody was there and it just surprised the hell out of me. It was a good time,” Matthew said while reflecting on the milestone moment. 

Fans can currently catch Chase Matthew on the road through June for his headlining his Come Get Your Memory Extended Tour. In addition to his own run, he will also be supporting Jason Aldean’s Highway Desperado Tour and Luke Bryan’s Mind Of A Country Boy Tour.