When Ciaran Wilkie joined Chase Matthew’s band three years ago, they were playing 500-capacity rooms. Today, the 28-year-old Toronto guitarist finds himself on Keith Urban’s High and Alive World Tour and performing for crowds up to and exceeding 20,000 as Matthew’s career has exploded into country’s spotlight.
Nashville’s hired guns form the backbone of country music’s touring economy. These professional musicians provide the consistency and reliability that allow artists to scale from clubs to arenas while maintaining the musical quality that builds careers. They adapt to rapid changes, handle complex logistics, and deliver night after night—all while staying firmly in support of the artist’s vision.
Wilkie exemplifies this essential role alongside Matthew. The numbers tell an extraordinary story: over 400 shows logged, a billion streams, a Warner Music Nashville deal, and major touring slots with Jason Aldean and Luke Bryan. Through Matthew’s meteoric rise, Wilkie has been the constant presence stage right, delivering the heavy, gritty guitar work that has become integral to the live experience.
Wilkie’s musical education began at home in Toronto, where his brother introduced him to classic rock and metal while his father shared jazz and blues records. That diverse foundation eventually led him to Berklee College of Music, where he developed the technical versatility that serves him well in Nashville’s genre-fluid environment.
His first professional break came at 18 with Canadian country artist Kelsi Mayne, touring festivals and venues across Canada while finishing college. Those early experiences taught him the fundamentals of professional touring—preparation, reliability, and understanding your role in the larger operation.
The real education came as Matthew’s audiences grew exponentially. Wilkie adapted his playing for increasingly large venues while maintaining the musical consistency that made the operation work.
As Matthew’s operation matured, Wilkie’s role expanded beyond performance. He co-wrote “Darlin'” with Matthew and other collaborators, a track that emerged from conversations about translating the live energy into recorded form. His arrangement suggestions help Matthew achieve his vision of bringing rock intensity to country audiences without losing musical authenticity.
The collaboration extends to the live show, where Wilkie’s heavy guitar tone provides the foundation for Matthew’s desire to “rock out” the performances. His musical versatility—spanning everything from jazz to musical theater to orchestral work—gives him the range to support Matthew’s eclectic influences.
Matthew’s growing profile has taken the band to international stages, including C2C festivals in Berlin and Rotterdam. Wilkie’s experience touring Canada as a teenager helped prepare him for the logistics and adjustments that international touring requires.
Wilkie represents the new generation of Nashville hired guns—formally trained, internationally experienced, and adaptable to the rapid scaling that defines modern country careers. His journey from Canadian clubs to American arenas illustrates how talent combined with preparation creates opportunities in today’s music landscape.
“There are incredible musicians everywhere in Nashville,” he observes. “The ones who build lasting careers understand that success means making the whole operation better, not just playing your parts correctly.”
As Matthew continues headlining larger venues and expanding internationally, Wilkie’s combination of musical skill, professional reliability, and creative contribution positions him as exactly the kind of musician worth following in Nashville’s evolving landscape.