Merrick Musician Mat Stegner Weaves 'The Black Curtain'

Bands such as Brand New and Taking Back Sunday have re-cemented Long Island's place as a hot bed for new, relevant and creative music.

With his solo work and his full-blown acoustic-rock project Earl Green, Merrick's Mat Stegner is doing more than his part to keep that flag flying.

Stegner, 30, a Calhoun High School grad, has mastered the new "d0-it-yourself" (DIY) model of music production and is enjoying success with it.  Aside from being a singer/songwriter/front man, Stegner also produces, engineers and runs his own label – "Mumble Man Records."

His song "Not Afraid" is on the soundtrack of filmmaker Kacey Arnold's in-progress documentary A Guy Called Dad, and another, larger soundtrack placement in the works.

"'Not Afraid' is one of the first collaborative pieces that Mat and I produced together back in late 1999, the year that Earl Green was founded," said Merrick native Sal Finelli, guitarist and vocalist for Earl Green.

""Eternal Life" was the other spiritual song produced during the same period," said Finelli, 38, a Kennedy High alum.   "He [Stegner] took one of our recycled guitar riffs, and wrote the main parts of the song, along with the lyrics.   When he played it for me, I immediately began to play along and harmonize with him.  With a little tinkering and direction from Mat, what you hear is what you get- pure ear candy." 

For all of the guys in Earl Green-which also includes another Merokean, Dan Silverman along with Mike Brook and J. DeMeo- making music together is both a bonding experience and a dream come true. Working in such rare air can make a return to reality difficult.

As with so many talented DIY guys who are trying to create their art and pay the bills at the same time, Stegner's biggest challenge is finding time and balance in his life.

"Being an artist is absolutely a full time commitment," Stegner said. "My motto has always been to chip away at everything one small piece at a time. Commit to the ones you love and at the same time make small contributions to the things you love to do."

In chipping away, Stegner and his band have come away with The Black Curtain, a record that evokes the acoustic jam band swing of Dave Matthews and the addictive pop hooks of The Goo Goo Dolls. Several cuts from the album are enjoying both radio and internet radio airplay, leaving Stegner grateful and excited.

"I am pleased that all our music is out there for the public to enjoy and that we get the opportunity to connect more with our fans," Stegner said.

And while he has fully embraced the self-made model that serves him so well, Stegner does not rule out the possibility of bigger and better things.

"At the end of it all, I do still aspire that one day the band or myself will sign with a major label which will give us the opportunity to reach more people," Stegner said. "But by that time there may be nothing left for (the major labels) to do."

Earl Green will be headlining at its next show on Nov. 6 at KJ Farrell's in Bellmore.