Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Former Voice standout Matthew Schuler has released his first single in more than two years.

He calls ‘Here’s to You” the official start of the next chapter in a career that got a boost from his Top 6 finish on Season 5 of the show.

And more new music is on the way. Matthew will release his first EP, “Baby Steps” on Jan. 26.

All of which, of course, precedes his debut in “Neon Dreams,” the new Voice-based Las Vegas show that opens in June.

Matthew calls “Here’s to You” one of the favorite songs he’s written, which is one reason he opted to make it the lead single from the EP.

The other is that it simply fits with the time of the season.

“It’s a song of celebration and parties and just having a good time,” Matthew told Voice Views. “Thinking about the time of year with the holidays and the New Year just happening, I wanted ‘Here’s to You’ to embody the joy and excitement of this time and felt that the song just fits to be released now.”

“Honestly, this song is for all the people who have stuck with me for so long waiting for new music from me, coming to my shows, all those things,” he added. “So here’s to all those people for the love they’ve shown me and the love I hope to show back to them.”

Before “Here’s to You,” Matthew’s post-Voice output had been limited to one single, “Invincible,” which came out in 2015.

In the interim, there have been lots of changes, including in management and producers, he explains, saying he’s taken more of a hands-on approach to his music.

“I really had to search my heart and see where I wanted to go with my music,” Matthew explains. “This single and this EP as a whole, represents the struggle in finding who you are, what you want to say, what you will do, and what you won’t do. I had to make those decisions and the music reflects that.”

If you don’t remember, Matthew, 20 at the time, turned four chairs in the blink of an eye during his Voice blind audition. He later cracked the Top 5 on iTunes with his cover of “Hallelujah.”

And he’ll sure be busy come June. He’ll be joining Alisan Porter, Mary Sarah, Matt McAndrew, Chris Mann and Michael Sanchez — plus new Voice winner Chloe Kohanski in that Vegas show. Tickets for The Voice: Neon Dreams are on sale now.