Photo ID (L-R): Front Row: Josh Thompson, Matt Gorman, Josh Bailey Back Row: Rod Riley, Luci Payne, Josh Pauley Photo Courtesy of By Design Music

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Nashville-based modern music company By Design Music announces the signing of country singer-songwriter Matt Gorman. A South Philadelphia native and former college pitcher, Gorman brings a high-contrast approach to country music that refuses the easy middle. His songwriting credits include "Comin' in Cold" by Bailey Zimmerman and additional cuts from artists like Clay Walker, Joe Nichols and more.

Gorman is set to release his debut song, "Nature of the Beast," this Friday, Nov. 13 on all streaming platforms, accompanied by a visualizer. Built on heartland edge and hard-won storytelling, "Nature of the Beast" is about taking life's hardest hits, getting back up and finding the grit to keep moving forward.

"I'm thankful to be in a partnership that feels perfectly crafted for me, from each individual at By Design to their overall mission," said Gorman. "I moved to Nashville in 2019 and spent three intentional years discovering my identity and writing as many songs as possible. That time, faith and perseverance led me to a place where I'm confident in what I'm singing into the microphone. To have this opportunity is a blessing I've prayed for and promised never to take for granted. We have a lot of songs that plant seeds in cities and provoke thoughts that haven't been thought before. All we can do is our best, and the rest is up to God."

"Matt has been living the songs he writes, and that shows up in every facet of the art he's creating," said Josh Thompson and Josh Bailey, co-founders of By Design Music. "We signed him because he is the real deal. Blue-collar country storytelling is the foundation of his art, and 'Nature of the Beast' is the first step."

"Matt writes from lived experience, so his songs leave room for listeners to find their own stories in them," said Josh Pauley, VP of A&R and Publishing at By Design Music. "His voice and songwriting carry the same honesty, and that is what makes his songs last."

Gorman joins By Design's genre-spanning roster that includes GRAMMY Award-winning rock band Switchfoot, chart-topping country artist Frankie Ballard, diary-pop storyteller Zoe Levert, rising singer-songwriter Alex Jude and sister-duo barlow. The label operates in partnership with BMG for global distribution, label services, joint artist signings and co-investment catalog acquisition strategy.

Keep up with By Design and its growing roster at bydesignmusic.com and on Instagram. Keep up with Gorman at mattgormanmusic.com and on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook.

ABOUT MATT GORMAN:

Pairing a voice all his own with heartland edge and hard-won storytelling, Matt Gorman is a country singer-songwriter who is instantly familiar and impossible to forget. A South Philadelphia native and former college pitcher who traded the diamond for Music Row, Gorman has spent his time writing songs, with cuts for Bailey Zimmerman, Clay Walker, Joe Nichols and others. He makes high-contrast country that refuses the easy middle: light and dark, grit and grace, all in the same breath. His songs trade in scars as proof, the work of a man farther down the path than he started. Sonically he lands where Kip Moore's blue-collar soul meets Eric Church's storytelling mystique, with the introspective pull of Stephen Wilson Jr., real amps, real air, hooks that live in your head, and a rasp that sticks with you. Now he steps out as an artist with By Design Music, writing for the ones who feel everything. His first single, "Nature of the Beast," arrives this Friday, Nov. 13.

ABOUT BY DESIGN:

By Design is a Nashville-based music company offering artist development, strategic guidance and creator services. Industry veterans Josh Bailey, Josh Thompson, Rod Riley and Jeremy Holley founded it in 2025. Rooted in Kingdom values, By Design works to shape culture through creative excellence and purpose-driven storytelling. By Design is a part of a larger music eco-system including Archetype, a music rights management company, and Blueprint, a non-profit focusing on Pre-Hab for faith-driven creators. Learn more at bydesignmusic.com.

 

Share this page:

Facebook X Email Print

 

 

[2026]
Jan. | Feb. | March | April | May | June | July | Aug. | Sept. | Oct. | Nov. | Dec.

[2025]
Jan. | Feb. | March | April | May | June | July | Aug. | Sept. | Oct. | Nov. | Dec.

[2001 - Present]
Visit our complete MUSIC NEWS ARCHIVE