SUTHERLAND Shire muso Matt Corby, 21, has come a long way since his stint on Australian Idol in 2007.The soulful singer has released four EPs, caught the eye of Mumford and Sons singer Ben Lovett and starts a national tour next month — with half the shows already sold out.

His single Brother off the EP Into the Flame that was released in November, has already received quite a bit of air time on Triple J and community radio nationally.

Dom Alessio, the host of the Australian Music show on digital radio station Home & Hosed, said Corby was still finding his voice but had grown.

“He’s got such an extraordinary voice and he plays a mean guitar too,” Mr Alessio said.

“I think Brother is the strongest song Matt’s written so far. You can hear he’s influenced by artists like Jeff Buckley and Bon Iver, but his own personality shines through too.”

Mr Corby’s unique folk-style sound is refreshing as he combines bluesy melodies with raw lyrics to capture his feelings in each song. This EP was recorded in September after he spent several months writing the four tracks.

The singer has recently been posting hints on Facebook and his Twitter account that has more than 3900 followers. He’s using these social networks to link to Secret Garden shows, intimate performances in an outdoor setting for fans of all ages at locations around NSW.

You can show support by voting for him in Triple J’s Hot 100. Voting closes on Monday.

Details: mattcorby.com.au