The art of goosebumps

By Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey
Reader Staff

Mattox Farm Productions has proven itself a force for musical good in Sandpoint, bringing nationally touring artists from a wide swath of genres and backgrounds to local stages. Despite the variety, it’s clear that MFP founder Robb Talbott aims to highlight the artistry in each act. 

A big part of that artistry? Songwriting.

Lucky for local lyric-lovers, MFP will host a Songwriter Showcase at the Heartwood Center on Sunday, April 2 to give the art its due through a panel discussion with three local and regional musicians: Matt Mitchell, Justin Landis and Alyssa Nunke of Fern Spores.

“The art of songwriting is a tough one to really appreciate in a bar setting where it can often turn to background music,” Talbott told the Reader. “In the Heartwood, with these three musicians, the talent of each singer-songwriter will be on display, allowing the audience members to fully appreciate the performance.”

Each musician will have about 30 minutes to play and discuss a selection of their songs with the audience, Talbott said, then all three will spend time discussing their work together and collaborating onstage.

Matt Mitchell will join Justin Landis and Alyssa Nunke of Fern Spores April 2 for the Songwriter Showcase. Photo by Jibran Bisharat / @jibbystardust.

“I feel that Sandpoint wants to be able to hear the songs in a space — and with an audience — that highlights the talents of singer-songwriters,” he said. “I have been wanting to do this for a while and have been waiting for a fun line up to be in the area at the same time.”

Mitchell, based in Spokane and known under the moniker Matt Mitchell Music Co., told the Reader that songwriting, at its best, is a “physical, spiritual and emotional act.”

“When it’s real, honest and heartfelt, a good song is inevitably going to be something that a listener can absorb and make their own,” he said. “In a world of escapism and distraction, any form of art that encourages folks to feel, to question, to dig a little deeper is invaluable; songwriting does this for me and if a listener can share in that, I’m doing my job right.”

Mitchell said he wants the audience at the Songwriter Showcase to walk away with “goosebumps, mostly” — “that feeling when a song stirs up emotion and makes a listener truly feel something.”

“We often get so caught up in the routines of life we forget that the whole damn point is to be engaged with ourselves and present in the moment,” he said. “Music, like other artforms, can facilitate this and remind us that living is about being alive.”

Songwriter Showcase • Sunday, April 2; doors and bar open at 6:30 p.m., show at 7 p.m.; tickets are $12/adults and $8/youth in advance at Eichardt’s. and $15 for adults at the door. Kids under 5 enter free. Heartwood Center, 615 Oak St., mattoxfarm.com.