Matthew Rogers

In the current Nashville songwriting scene, Luzerne County’s Matthew Rogers stands as one of the most creative and collaborative voices around. Songs credited to Rogers’ pen have hit the top of the charts, won the biggest awards in music, and dominated country radio since he hit his tenth year in Nashville, a notoriously difficult city to conquer in short order. Rogers wrote persistently through the lean years, and came out the other side as a regular hitmaker.

A Kingston native, Rogers is the son of another great Luzerne County musician, Barry Rogers, who gave Matthew his first guitar. His musical base can be traced back to learning how to play by ear and understanding the intricacies of vocal harmony. Following his time at Wyoming Valley West High School, Rogers attended Misericordia University, the college from which he graduated in 2004.

Rogers then headed off to Syracuse University, where he earned a master's degree in journalism from the prestigious Newhouse School of Public Communications. Fresh out of graduate school, he chose to move to Nashville in 2006 to pursue a dream of becoming a successful songwriter, and took corporate and blue collar jobs alike to make ends meet. At first, Rogers set his sights on getting a song played on the radio.

In 2007, Rogers co-wrote a Top 20 finalist in the first American Idol songwriting contest with Scott Young, “Send Me On My Way.” The winner of that American Idol season, Jordin Sparks, would later record a song in 2011 called “You Gotta Want It,” with Rogers serving as a co-writer on that track as well. Also in 2011, Rogers found further success with the song “Coal Minin’ Man,” which was recorded by the Roys and became popular in modern bluegrass circles.

Rogers has worked with a number of writers and artists over the years, many of whom are big names within the country music scene. A big break came in the form of co-writing “We Went,” which was recorded as a single by Randy Houser in 2015. In addition to appearing on the Billboard Hot 100, “We Went’ also reached the top of the Billboard Country Airplay chart, giving Rogers a signature hit.

Rogers’ music has found success beyond American borders, specifically on the Canadian Country charts with songs like “Side Effects” by Dallas Smith and “Drink About Me” by Brett Kissel. He co-wrote another big hit, “Freedom Was a Highway” by Jimmie Allen and Brad Paisley, in 2021, which again reached the top spot of the US Billboard Country Airplay chart and cracked the US Billboard Hot 100.

For years, the contemplative “‘Til You Can’t,” written by Rogers and Ben Stennis, rattled around the Nashville scene, but it didn’t find an artist until the voice of Cody Johnson gave it life in 2021. It was one of multiple songs written or co-written by Rogers to appear on Johnson’s double album Human. The song received a number of critical and industry awards, and rose quickly to become Rogers’ highest charting tune.

“‘Til You Can’t” was a crossover success, and Rogers and Stennis were rewarded for their efforts with a Grammy nomination for Best Country Song, being cited alongside songs written by Taylor Swift, Miranda Lambert, Chris Stapleton, and other music industry giants. For his contributions to “‘Til You Can’t,” Rogers did win the Grammy over that stiff competition. In 2022, Rogers and Stennis performed “‘Til You Can’t” live at the historic Ryman Auditorium.

Rogers has shaped the airwaves coming out of Nashville for over a decade, but the work that preceded his time as a hot commodity in the songwriting world should not go unnoticed. It’s a testament to Rogers’ work ethic and talent that he was able to stick around on that grueling scene. Now, Matthew Rogers is a mainstay of modern country radio.