From Oxford to Nashville: Matt Allum Shares His Journey in Music and Business
From Oxford to Nashville: Matt Allum Shares His Journey in Music and Business
By Brooklyn Hoffmann — September 24, 2025
Born on a military base in Jacksonville, Florida, Matt Allum grew up moving from place to place before his family eventually settled in Peachtree City, Georgia, where he spent most of his childhood.
Allum later attended the University of Mississippi, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in business. He is now pursuing his MBA at the University of Tennessee with a concentration in supply chain management.
However, Allum’s ambitions extend far beyond the classroom.
After entering a local songwriting competition at The Lyric in Oxford, Allum caught the attention of Jared Scott, a recording industry executive at Big Lyric Music in Nashville.
From business to music, Allum’s path reflects both versatility and drive. Square had the chance to talk with him about his upbringing, creative inspirations, and the ways Ole Miss helped shape his creative journey.
Born on a military base in Jacksonville, Florida, Matt Allum grew up moving from place to place before his family eventually settled in Peachtree City, Georgia, where he spent most of his childhood.
Allum later attended the University of Mississippi, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in business. He is now pursuing his MBA at the University of Tennessee with a concentration in supply chain management.
However, Allum’s ambitions extend far beyond the classroom.
After entering a local songwriting competition at The Lyric in Oxford, Allum caught the attention of Jared Scott, a recording industry executive at Big Lyric Music in Nashville.
From business to music, Allum’s path reflects both versatility and drive. Square had the chance to talk with him about his upbringing, creative inspirations, and the ways Ole Miss helped shape his creative journey.
Square Magazine: Hi, Matt! We’ll start with a few basic questions to get to know you. How did your upbringing contribute to your passion for music?
MA: I think one of the biggest things was country music because I love the stories that music tells. My dad, growing up, obviously influenced what I watched because he’s a huge role model for me, so I watched a lot of old ’80s TV shows and a lot of old movies. I was always taught growing up to be respectful, always look out for people, and help people. Just having this kind of background led me to want to be more true to the passion of music, which is the lyrics and the storytelling.
SM: Who were some of your inspirations growing up? I know you said your dad was a big part, but were there any country music artists you looked up to?
MA: Alan Jackson, George Strait, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Stevie Ray Vaughan. Anything from grunge rock to ’90s country. I listened to anything and everything.
SM: Very cool. What made you choose to come to Ole Miss?
MA: I wanted to go to a school where, no matter what I did, I would have a really good college experience. I looked around at all the SEC schools, and then finally visited Ole Miss because, funny enough, I remember when Ole Miss beat Alabama when I was in the fifth grade, I was like, “Oh, Ole Miss is super cool.” It was on my mind since I was little, but when we were on the [campus] tour, the guide mentioned the Center for Manufacturing Excellence. The guide told me they had a 12,000-square-foot shop floor and then led me to a new student involvement event going on. I actually got to meet Tyler Biggs, who serves as associate director for external relations for CME, and he showed me around. I knew if I got into CME, I would go, and long story short, I got in. I thought, “This is going to be quite an adventure because it’s all the way in Mississippi.” It turned out to be one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.
SM: What exactly did you study at Ole Miss?
MA: My major was business management, and then I had minors in manufacturing and entrepreneurship.
SM: How did Oxford contribute to the person you are today, just in general and musically?
MA: Well, I was really excited when I got to Ole Miss because I love history and historical places, so that was another key aspect that stood out to me. My grandfather is a really big historian, too. I liked the layout of the campus and the town. On a beautiful day, it’s unmatched. I think the personalities that are attracted to Ole Miss and all the people there are what really make it special.
SM: Absolutely. It’s surprising to a lot of people that Oxford has a big local music scene going on. Did you ever see any local bands or singers perform here that may have contributed to your own pursuit of songwriting and performing?
MA: There were definitely a few. Coming to Oxford my freshman year, there wasn’t really a lot of live music. One of my really good friends there—his name is Austin Spence, but everyone calls him Opie—we got really close, and he started playing music every once in a while at Rooster’s Blues House. Eventually, we started to do the live mics together, and there wasn’t really a country act in Oxford—it was mostly psychedelic rock or DJ sets—so I was like, alright, let’s get some country here and see what happens. Myself, Opie, and some other guys I got to know from playing open mics started putting a band together, and I started getting booked. We started to sell out shows, and I was lucky enough to play almost every week.
SM: Was there a certain bar you played the most at?
MA: I started at Rooster’s a lot, just doing the open mic nights, and then Harrison’s was really cool to me. Harrison’s has definitely been the most open and welcoming.
SM: You were involved in Greek life here at Ole Miss. Did you gain a lot of support from your chapter when you started to perform?
MA: Oh yeah. I played both big spring parties junior and senior year. It’s always fun because the fraternity kind of circles around you, and they’re really excited to have somebody they know. And then, when I played shows around town, they would come out and support me.
SM: So you entered a songwriting competition and caught the attention of a Nashville label. Can you divulge a little bit more about that experience?
MA: Absolutely. Opie actually told me about the songwriting competition at The Lyric, so I went to the website he sent me and signed up. I was kind of nervous because it was my first actual show at The Lyric, which is a hard place to play. I got up on stage and sang my two songs. I didn’t win, but it was a great experience. After, Jared Scott came up to me and said, “Man, I really see a lot of potential in you. You’re a really great dude, and you’ve got some really great songs.” Jared and I sat down, and I got signed to his record label at the time. After a while, I joined his new label he currently has called Big Lyric. He’s a great guy—super supportive and helpful with getting my music out. I’m currently living in Knoxville, but travel back and forth to Nashville.
SM: How is Nashville compared to other places you’ve been? Did the music industry there make you more passionate to pursue music, or did it discourage you due to the high volume of up-and-coming artists trying to make it?
MA: You know, with Nashville being the country capital, in my opinion, it is a little intimidating because everybody up there is so good at what they do. You really see the best of the best in Nashville, but it’s a great place, and there’s nowhere there that doesn’t have good music. I actually drove there by myself my sophomore year to record my first EP.
SM: That’s amazing. With your blossoming music career, are you still pursuing an MBA at UT?
MA: Yes. I’m currently getting my MBA, and I will graduate in December. I have a job offer already lined up. Once I graduate, I have until June before I start working, so I’m going to tour around and play music in Knoxville. I’m trying to build a good sense of community here, then come back to Oxford at some point and get some good shows going out there.
SM: What made you decide on UT after Ole Miss? Was that because of the record deal or just because you wanted to be at UT?
MA: I didn’t know where I wanted to be in life at the time. Obviously, graduating from college is a very stressful thing. I had just signed with the label and was starting to apply for some jobs when I thought about getting my master’s. With my dad being in the military, I had the resources to have it paid for, and I figured if I wanted to be in a leadership position, I would need one. I knew if I didn’t do it then, I wouldn’t go back to school. Tennessee has always been home to me because I have family here.
SM: You said you had a job offer lined up. What does that entail?
MA: I’ll be working for Caterpillar, where I interned this summer, in Morton, Illinois, doing logistics work. The company was so great, and the people were so great, so I accepted their offer.
SM: Do you think you’ll continue to play music in the future? What are your goals regarding it?
MA: I think the biggest thing right now is kind of just seeing where life takes me. Everyone says to follow your dreams and to do what you want, and it’s really scary to do that, but we’re in our twenties, so let’s play some music and see where it goes. I’ve been making songs I really like, and it’s been blowing up pretty fast—it’s almost surreal. We’re actually renting a raceway in Knoxville to film a music video. It’s being filmed on Oct. 25.
SM: You mentioned this a little bit earlier, but do you see yourself coming back to Oxford to play a show anytime soon, or in the future?
MA: I would love to. If I had a gig there tomorrow, I’d be there. Next spring, there’s a high chance I’ll be back there.
SM: Is there anything you’ve released recently you’d like to talk about?
MA: Over the summer, I released three songs, one every three weeks. I think they have a really good dynamic to them. One of them is more fast-tempo, just a hard-hitting summer song. One’s a Riley Green-esque slow love song, just admiring the good things of life. Most recently, I released one called “The Liquor Doesn’t Miss,” which is a little bit more bluegrass. A lot of playing those shows in bars in Oxford was picking up who I am and what my music style is.
SM: I think it’s important to showcase our music scene here in Oxford because it’s so often overlooked. Square worked a lot on spotlighting it last year.
MA: You know, I think I saw that article that y’all did. I’m really good friends with a couple of buddies who still play down there, and it was really good that you guys did that because I really do believe that people are not getting a good enough outreach down there, music-wise, so I really appreciated that. I really do appreciate what you guys do.
SM: Thank you for your time, and we can’t wait to see you in Oxford again.
You can follow Matt Allum on Instagram and Facebook and listen to his music on all streaming platforms, including Spotify and Apple Music.
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