Founder of the FA affiliated league Sheffield, Mat Hook announces how football and music have saved his life. Released on the 23rd August, Mat Hooks debut solo single ‘Runaway Road’ is available on all streaming platforms.
Sheffield’s football community is not only a place that brings together sportsmanship but also can re-invigorated one man’s life. After reaching stardom and continued success as frontman of Sheffield band ‘Kartica’, the band decided to not go on, leading Mat Hook to find other passions and purpose.
Resonating with a rapidly growing fanbase, ‘Kartica’ was making strides within the music industry with their music being played regularly at both Sheffield United & Wednesday football grounds, while also completing sync deals with tv show Hollyoaks. The Sheffield based band went on to share stages with bands such as The Beautiful South, Catfish & The Bottlemen, The Twang and Little Man Tate’s Jon Windle, receiving international press and enjoying endorsements from Tom Clarke of ‘The Enemy’, ex-Man United footballer turned pundit, Gary Neville and even cult US Hip Hop star, Casanova Rud.
Devastatingly, as the band went on to sign CD’s for fans and play in famous clubs such as The Cavern in Liverpool and The 100 Club in London life began to unravel and Mats foundations became unsteady with tensions in relationships and the loss of loved ones. These pressures eventually led to the band splitting, which changed this touring musician into a songwriter looking for a fresh start.
“This developed into a real shot in the dark at starting my own league. The decision to do so was done in one day. I registered a website that morning, spoke to the local FA that afternoon and soon went out on the street, alone, somewhat comically, recruiting teams. It was a real one-man-mission. Roughly 3 months later, I had 6 teams of amateur footballers heading down to play every Wednesday night.”
As football and community spirit changed his life, Mat began to feel his passion for music which later developed into his new approach of stripped back songwriting.