A native of Barnegat Light, New Jersey, singer/songwriter Matt McAndrew emerged onto the Philadelphia music scene after graduating from the city's University of the Arts in 2013. He spent some time gigging around the city and working as a music teacher and a grocery store clerk to fund his first album, View of the Pines, which he released in March 2014. That summer, McAndrew successfully auditioned for Season 7 of the popular reality talent show The Voice, which began airing in September of that year. With his smooth voice and honest delivery, he quickly became a crowd favorite under the mentorship of series coach Adam Levine (Maroon 5), eventually taking the runner-up spot behind country singer Craig Wayne Boyd during the show's December 2014 finals round. His final single for The Voice, "Wasted Love," cracked the Billboard Top 20 and reached number one on the iTunes pop charts during the final weeks of 2014. ~ Timothy Monger