Matt Filer, a desert-folk singer-songwriter from Jim Thorpe, plans musical shout-outs to his community on the follow-up to 2023 EP “Birds on the Wires.”

“A new album has been in the works since the last, and will be a full album, with local references and tailored thoughts,” said Filer, who hopes to have the album out by summer. The musician records at The Cantilever/Pisgah Recordings, located in Jim Thorpe.

Local references have appeared in Filer’s music since the 2017 track “Jim Thorpe,” housed on his first full-length set “Sounds of the Days.” Other locally influenced tracks include “Carbon County” and “Pocono Rain.”

Finding inspiration

Filer, who moved from Palmyra to Jim Thorpe, “first gained interest in music because my oldest brother was in bands, and then my brother got a guitar. Now I’ve been playing music for 19 years.”

The Jim Thorpe resident takes influence from 1960s and 1970s music, including artists such as the Beatles, the Doors, Bob Dylan and Neil Young. Filer also credits the band Modest Mouse, who scored the 2000s-era hits “Float On” and “Dashboard,” as a heavy influence.

Writing music since he picked up a guitar, the singer-songwriter “always wanted to learn new instruments. I mainly play guitar, bass guitar and drums, but dabble in pretty much every instrument, mainly stringed instruments.”

After 10 years of writing music, “I didn’t know any actual chords on guitar,” Filer said, “until I moved to Jim Thorpe in 2015. I just played what sounded good to me.

Filer, upon moving to Jim Thorpe and starting to play with other musicians, “had to learn the chords so I could play along.”

A different genre

In terms of genre, Filer has “always described my music as desert folk and jaunty jazz, but mainly folk, easy listening. I also write in another style which could be considered bouncy acoustic jangle pop.”

Aside from “Sounds of the Day” and “Birds on the Wires,” Filer’s discography includes two full-length sets - 2020’s “Kennedy Bound” and 2022’s “Gypsy Love” - and a second EP, 2020’s “Baby Blue Eyes.” The recent “Birds on the Wires,” he said, “has a jazzier acoustic pop sound compared to the other albums.”

Filer, considering all the songs he‘s written, chose “Kennedy Bound” track “Cucumbers” as his favorite.

“‘Hanging all my memories on the wall, I wonder how the nail will hold them all.’ It was about a tough time in my life, trying to figure out who I was and where I was going.”

As for his favorite album, Filer selected “Gypsy Love.” He named the album “after a tragedy that occurred previously and a family lost in a house fire right down the street from where I live. You don’t know what you have until it’s gone.”

The local scene

In addition to his solo career, Filer plays with the band Keystone Groove, which formed in early 2021. The group performs classic rock - “a little jazzy, a little bluesy,” Filer said - plus a lot of original music.

“I was friends with guitarist Josh Martonyak and we linked up with Jeramie and Missy Schock when businesses started opening back up after quarantine. We have recorded some of our originals, but nothing has been released yet.”

Other then performing solo and playing bass with Keystone Groove, Filer also plays in a acoustic flute folk duo called Twin Hill.

“When I first moved here, I was in a bluegrass band called Hats, and after we decided to not play together anymore, me and the flute player, Dee Dasher, continued performing together. We have now been performing together as a duo for eight years.”

Among Filer’s upcoming gigs, Keystone Groove will perform Friday at The Wooden Match in Bethlehem. In addition, the singer will host the Jan. 18 open mic at the Broadway Grille’s Underground in Jim Thorpe, which he does the first and third Thursday of each month.

Twin Hill, meanwhile, has gigs slated for Ouros in Jim Thorpe and The Mansion House in Summit Hill on Jan. 21 and 25, respectively.

Filer, who worked in construction for 13 years before recently changing his career to U.S. Postal Service carrier, has performed in various outlets, though “my favorite venue is my living room, with new ideas, and past experience.

“I also like performing to empty rooms,” he added, “because that’s always when you sound the best.”

Filer, who plans to perform less this year and devote more time to making music, feels “making people dance, smile, laugh or cry through music, is the best shared experience I have ever been a part of.

“Also, the ability to turn any situation or idea into a song and having support from friends and family. That is all I ever really need.”

For more information on Filer or to hear some his music, check out https://mattfiler.bandcamp.com/album/gypsy-love or his Facebook page www.facebook.com/MattFilerMusic.