Matt Nakoa

Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter Matt Nakoa began making music while growing up on a goat farm in upstate New York. He honed his skills as guitarist, pianist, and performer at Boston's famed Berklee College of Music, where his teachers included Livingston Taylor. You might hear echoes of another charismatic lefty, Paul McCartney, in his songs. With his supple voice and warm presence, he's commanded the stage at clubs and folk festivals, and he's got the goods for bigger things. (John Platt)