Talented singer-songwriter Matt Jordan is letting The Boot's readers hear his new song "Chicago" first in this exclusive premiere.

A mid-tempo country-rock song, "Chicago" is wistful and brooding, with lyrics that paint a vivid picture: "Fall growing in with the winter breeze / Hands in my pocket on a crowded street / Thinking about when your fingers locked in mine / I wander by the bay where the waves hit the wall / Remember that summer just before the fall / When everything was going great 'til you said goodbye." The chorus of "Chicago" adds to the tune's melancholy feel, as Jordan confesses, "I hear the skyline lights are awful pretty / But I can't find the good in nothing since I let you go / I'm just a wishful-thinking boy stuck in the city / Talking to your ghost / Dying in Chicago."

"Chicago" is the second single from Jordan's forthcoming record, set for release in early 2017. The project follows 2014’s Nothing Like Home EP and 2015’s Alive EP. As listeners likely garnered from "Chicago," Jordan's music is reminiscent of Bruce Springsteen, the Eagles and Tom Petty blended with modern country rockers such as Eric Church, Lee Brice and Kip Moore. A Belmont alum, Jordan splits his time between Nashville and his hometown of Eureka, Mo.; he credits his time in Music City as a huge boost to his songwriting.

"It's this incredible culture of constant inspiration -- you're surrounded by talent," Jordan says. "You live and breathe music in circles like that, and all of that leads to rapid growth in your personal abilities and artistry.

"My favorite thing is to look back on the songs I recorded before I moved to Nashville and see how I've grown as an artist and a writer," he adds. "Sometimes when I listen to that old stuff, I wonder who ever encouraged me to go to Nashville in the first place -- I had no business there when I was 20."

Jordan recorded "Chicago" with Grammy-nominated producer Sal Oliveri; it's their third release together.

"The best part about recording, for me, is to go into the studio with an acoustic song and say, 'Okay, let's make this a big rocker,' and spend a few days chipping away at it and building it," Jordan explains. "Sal adds things that I'd never think to, and I have ideas that he doesn't. I think one of the most important pieces of recording a project you're proud of is having a producer who you work well with, and I've been really fortunate to find that with Sal."

Fans can stay up to date with Jordan's music via TwitterFacebook and Instagram.

Listen to Matt Jordan, "Chicago":

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