Matt Powell - Dragonfly

Every so often, a song finds you instead of the other way around. Our Texas Treasures series is about songs, albums and artists that may have been forgotten, underappeeciated or lost to history for one reason or another.

Music that drifts in on a breeze and locks into your consciousness forever. That’s what Matt Powell’s “Dragonfly” has done for over two decades now.

Recorded in an Austin living room on a rainy few days in the fall of 2000, “Dragonfly” never chased charts. It was never meant for algorithms. It was captured, not produced. Played and taped by Powell himself, raw and unfiltered.

This song has been passed around like a sacred mixtape in all the formats of the last 25 years. Burned onto CDs. Shared via Limewire. Found on forgotten playlists and scratched iPods.

When Matt sings,“Everybody calls me the dragonfly… riding along on the wind so low,” you’re immediately hooked.

It’s not a metaphor. It’s not a gimmick. Well, it might be. But, it’s so dang soulful and engrossing it can’t be ignored.

We’ve made a little reel to shine a light on this hidden gem, because some songs deserve a second life.

This song and namesake album would go on to springboard Matt Powell to quite a successful decade during the halcyon days of Texas Music. The Virginia native would release a slew of acclaimed albums and often be recognized as the best songwriter in the game for a few years. He was also a southpaw guitar slinger who did epic stints with Wade Bowen and Brandon Rhyder as their lead player.

A few years back, Powell retuned to Virginia. But, his legend and his songs live on in Texas Music. An influential collection that your favorite songwriters still return to for inspiration and guidance. While “$50 and a Flask of Crown” might remain his most well-known work, there is much more where that came from. Start with “Dragonfly” and work your way through.

Matt Powell, a true Texas Treasure. “Money can’t buy what this is worth…”