Matt Burke taught himself banjo, harmonica and clandestinely composed alt-country tunes in between gigs with his indie rock band, The Chase Theory, one of the few acts in the region to appear on Deep Elm Records’ nationally acclaimed Emo Diaries. Under the moniker Have Gun, Will Travel, Burke then quietly issued his acoustic solo debut EP in May of 2006. His hometown newspapers, including Weekly Planet Sarasota, immediately declared the disc a major achievement. Local praise soon led to some national acclaim, with the former emo notable earning a favorable review in American Songwriter. Burke has spent 2007 growing Have Gun from a solo to ensemble project. He enlisted his Chase Theory bandmates, bassist Danny Burke (Matt’s younger bro’) and drummer JP Beaubien, along with lap steel player Scott Anderson, lead guitarist Nate Oliver and fiddler Josh Hernandez. The current lineup has wowed Tampa Bay audiences in recent months with buzz-making performances at high-profile events like this year’s Americana Fest at Skipper’s Smokehouse. The band plans to have its first full-length finished by the time this issue hits the streets. MySpace.com/hgwt.
This article appears in Sep 12-18, 2007.