Among many other things, I would like to consider myself a music enthusiast. I pride myself in my music taste, though I am not very picky when it comes to genre–I listen to anything from Sam Hunt to Megan Thee Stallion to The Neighbourhood. I have yet to stumble upon a genre of music that I don’t like.

My friends and I love to share new songs with each other whenever we find a new hit. Some of my conversations with friends over text are primarily songs being sent back and forth. I like to think of it as kids collecting Pokemon cards–gotta catch ’em all.

Finding new songs is like stumbling upon gold for me, and one night recently I struck a goldmine. I was driving with my friend Katie Zimsky, a NASH senior, and she excitedly told me she had a new song she wanted to play for me. I was ecstatic as per usual at the news. She asked me to guess the band, and I was stumped. The song was great, but I couldn’t name the singer.

This, however, was to be expected, because the singer was her very own brother, Matt Hanson, and the song we were listening to was his first single.

Hanson, who graduated NA in 2016, released the song with his band Superstar Famus1Day in December of 2021. The single is titled “Hate 2 Break It,” and it has been stuck in my head ever since that night I first heard it.

Superstar Famus1Day is based in Nashville, Tennessee, and consists of four friends originating from Belmont University: Mark Enslin on guitar, Tommy Creighton on bass, George Rezek on drums, and Matt Hanson as the lead vocalist and composer.

Following my interest in the band’s new music, I got the chance to ask Hanson some questions about his growth in music and the inspiration behind his songwriting.

“I’ve been interested in music my whole life,” he said. “I started playing guitar and singing in bands when I was probably 13. I started writing sometime in middle school but started to take it seriously later in high school.”

After his graduation from North Allegheny, Hanson attended Belmont University in Nashville, where he met his fellow band members. He currently resides in Nashville, focusing on his music.

“I currently work as a photographer at a car dealer called Streetside Classics where I get to drive and take pictures of classic cars and trucks,” Hanson explained. “This job allows me to still work on music on the side.” 

“Hate 2 Break It” was the first song the band released, and it is the first single on their upcoming EP, “Superstar,” releasing on February 11. After my initial listen, I was curious to learn more about the song and what inspired its creation.

“’Hate 2 Break It’ is sort of my take on the classic heart break song,” Hanson described. “This was the first song I wrote after moving to Nashville. It started with the guitar riff, then I built the melodies and lyrics around that.”

Ever since I heard the song in Katie’s car, it has been playing in my head non-stop. The tune is catchy, and the guitar riffs are phenomenal. The beat is energetic and the melody follows seemingly effortlessly, sure to have listeners singing along to every word.

On January 7th this year, the band released their second single, “319.” This song has a much more relaxed vibe and hints of some western style in the melody.

“Our new single, ‘319,’ I wrote back when I was still at NA. The lyrics are a bit of a hodgepodge of different thoughts and experiences I was going through at the time,” Hanson recalled. “I’m pretty sure I wrote the guitar parts in Mr. Tozier’s class. The title 319 came when we finished recording it at 3:19 in the morning and realized the song didn’t have a name yet.”

After listening to “Hate 2 Break It” and “319,” I was thrilled to hear that the band is dropping an EP this February.  I’ve added both of the songs to my playlist and can’t wait to hear what comes next.

So, pull up your music platform of choice, type in “Superstar Famus1Day” and prepare to be blown away.