My Silent Bravery isn’t your typical musical act. Matthew Wade is spiritual, dedicated and thoughtful in all that he does, particularly his music. This has allowed him to overcome a serious sports injury in his youth and pursue music full time. We spoke with him about spirituality, touring, Bob Marley, and working with Matisyahu.

Young Adult: Tell YA a little bit about yourself when you were younger…where did you grow up?

Matthew Wade: I was born in Boston, MA and moved out to Worcester, MA when I was in the second grade. I really enjoyed my youth and being outside playing any kind of sports with my friends. Growing up with four seasons helped mold me into a true New Englander and not to mention avid Boston sports fan!

YA: How did you get your start in music?

MW: I got my start in music my senior year of high school. For a senior project I chose to learn how to play the guitar and wrote my first song. It was a big turning point in my life, as it was one of the first times I felt like I was choosing what I wanted to learn about and explore. Ironically, the song I wrote called “Side of the Road” was featured on the hit TV show One Tree Hill several years later and was one of my first big achievements.

YA: What has been your biggest success to date?

MW: For me it’s a big success any time a fan tells me that they enjoyed one of my songs and how it has impacted their life either after a show or in an online comment. It is also pretty cool sharing the stage with lots of the acts that I grew up listening to. I am a huge Bob Marley and the Wailers fan and this past summer I was fortunate to share the stage with The Wailers. Their tour bus driver actually sat in on drums for a couple of songs in our set. It was a really fun and surreal night. I don’t know if it was my biggest success, but certainly one of the more meaningful accomplishments to me personally.

YA: Do you guys have a mentor? If so, tell us a little more about him/her.

MW: Music is actually one of the few areas in my life where I would say that I don’t have a mentor. Not having a mentor in this field has actually made me work extra hard. My booking agent, Matt, has been a great help to me in terms of helping me navigate the music world. In addition, I have lots of people that support and guide me in my life. My dad is a big mentor to me particularly in business and practical life matters. I think I can count on one hand the amount of times in my life he has been wrong. I also study kabbalah and have a teacher named Benjamin who has been a great guide on my spiritual path.

YA: Tell us a little bit more about working with Matisyahu.

MW: Matis is a super talented dude and I am appreciative for the opportunity to work with him and learned a lot from the experience. For me, “To Give”, is the most important song to date that I have written due to the message in the song. Having Matis on that track has really helped in terms of spreading that positive message to the masses and I am grateful for that.

YA: You tour a ton! Any favorite venues? Any favorite artists you’ve toured with?

MW: I really liked performing at the Chicken Box out on the island of Nantucket, MA. We did a three night stint there a few summers back and that place is wild. In addition to the Wailers, I have really enjoyed sharing the stage with artists like Howie Day, Ed Kowalczyk (Live), and Rusted Root to name a few. It is definitely a cool feeling playing with acts that I grew up listening to and I am really grateful for the opportunity to do so.

YA: Quick: Pick one adjective to describe yourself!

MW: Persistent

YA: Who are some of your favorite artists or bands?

MW: I love all kinds of music and am all over the map. In addition to Bob Marley and the Wailers, some of my favorites include Dave Matthews Band, Sublime, 311, Red Hot Chilipeppers, Pearl Jam, John Mayer, Eminem, and the list goes on.

YA: Who would you most like to work with?

MW: There are so many talented people out there I would love to work with. All of the artists that I list above would be a great place to start. I think it would be particularly interesting to work with Eminem. He is a lyrical genius.

YA: What do you have coming up?

MW: I am really excited to release my fourth album in the next few months and then tour behind it. The album is called, Diamond from Coal, features 12 tracks, and is produced by Anthony Resta (Collective Soul, Elton John, Guster) and Warren Huart (Aerosmith, The Fray, James Blunt). I just released the first single and video for a song called, Amazing, and am excited that MTV.com just picked it up!

YA: What can you tell others pursuing the same career?

MW: Follow your dreams. Keep pushing yourself and surround yourself with people who believe in you!

YA: What are your favorite books or what books are you currently reading?

MW: I love reading spiritual books. I am currently reading The Way of the Kabbalist by Yehuda Berg and The Universal Garden of Emuna by Rabbi Shalom Arush. There is such profound life information in both of these books and I can’t recommend them enough!

YA: Where do you see yourself in 5 years? In 10?

MW: Good question?! I try and focus on the present. I just hope to keep on the path of personal transformation and to be a better human being and musician with each passing day.

YA: What are three things you want your fans to know about you that they might not?

MW: Huge Boston sports fan – Pats, Celts, B’s and Sox. Hoping the Sox take the World Series! I am 6-1 in my Fantasy Football league much in part to the great play of Payton Manning and I am a little conflicted about that. Favorite movie series are the Rocky movies. They still inspire me every time. Yo Adrian!