Out November 20, 2026
There I Was full album download/stream link:
mp3: LINK
WAV: LINK
There I Was Tracklist / Credits:
There I Was (out 11/20/26)
- Sugar in My Coffee
- Passing Through (released 7/10)
- Spring (released 5/1)
- Find a Routine (upcoming: 11/6)
- Best Destiny
- No Need
- Sugar in My Coffee
- The Bar Got Loud (released 10/16)
- My Baby Is Under the Knife
- Real Love Is Better
- Tinted Glasses
- Leg Day Lament
- Watching Trains
- 10,000 Hours
Music and lyrics by Matt Coakley
Produced and mixed by Matt Coakley
Mastered by Mike Richelle at Rittenhouse Soundworks
Copyright 2026 Stone Soup Recordings
All lyrics are FFC friendly: LYRIC SHEETS
“The Bar Got Loud” music video:
“Philly’s Billy Joel” goes bedroom pop with Steely Dan arrangements and an eccentric, earnest vocal that lands somewhere between Ben Folds and Sufjan Stevens.
There I Was is the upcoming debut album from Philadelphia-based songwriter-producer Matt Coakley. The eclectic collection of songs, written over the span of his 20s and released just after turning 30, offer different snapshots of the internal world of an artist as he comes of age. The album was recorded entirely with acoustic/analog instruments — thanks in part to the Museum of Music Technology in Harleysville, PA, where fully restored vintage keyboard instruments were used (such as Rhodes and Wurlitzer electric pianos, Mellotron, Hammond organ, synthesizers, Clavinet, and more). The songwriting and production was inspired by soul, rock, pop and jazz music, especially of the ’60s and ’70s, although there is a heavy ’90s/’00s indie influence in the raw humanity of the performances and lyrical delivery.
The album is preceded by 4 singles: “Spring” (5/1), “Passing Through” (7/10), “The Bar Got Loud” (10/16), and “Find a Routine” (11/6).
Coakley, best known locally for having recorded the most popular cover of the 76ers song, wrote, recorded, arranged, and mixed all 14 of the tracks on his sprawling 45-minute album. Each song evokes different styles and influences, but his unique voice and taste manage to unify it all and give the project a cohesive vibe.
Matt Coakley graduated from Drexel University in 2019 with a degree in music production and ambitions to become a composer/producer for other artists. He spent the next 7 years in Chicago making his living doing whatever music work he could find: studio engineer, session musician, musical theatre composer, live sound mixing, music teacher, and live performer. When he wasn’t working, he was at home writing music and lyrics for himself. In 2023, after over a decade of playing and releasing music with bands and other artists he started releasing music under his own name. From 2023-2025, he released a few singles and EPs, recording at his apartment and found spaces in the wee hours of cold Chicago mornings.
In 2025, following a move back home to Philadelphia, Coakley began work on what would be his debut album. He recorded 20 songs in collaboration with the Museum of Music Technology in early 2026, and whittled the results down to the 14 songs that made the album.
Photos/Visual Assets: LINK
Coakley’s years of experience playing in different bands and studying various styles of music has culminated in a project that is eclectic and expansive, yet cohesive. “Find a Routine” will make you feel like you’re in a 1920s speakeasy, while the following track “Best Destiny” is a loud jazz rock anthem with a strong ’70s aftertaste. Keeping in line with the ’70s vibe, “The Bar Got Loud” is a full-out disco track which stands in stark comparison to the tender, singer-songwriter piano ballad “10,000 Hours“.
Listen: “Find a Routine“
“Best Destiny“
“10,000 Hours“
Contact:
Matt Coakley: mattcoakley6@gmail.com — (267) 644-8937
