Formerly a drummer, guitarist and singer in a number of bands including Euphoriacs, Honey Badgers and Buried Feather, Al Matcott made his solo debut in 2021 with the release of the four-track EP You Can Be Anyone and quickly followed with a string of singles in 2022 including ‘Crystal Ball’ and ‘Sophia’.
His releases saw swift support from CLASH, The Indie Scene, Radio X (UK), Triple R, Double J, Pilerats and many others, all praising his strong storytelling and delicate balance of the dark and the light across expertly written songs.
Matcott’s debut album Summer’s Coming was written over two years and recorded under the watchful eye of producer Wade Keighran (The Scare, Wolf & Cub, Elvis – music supervisor) between Head Gap Studios in Naarm/Melbourne, Golden Retriever Studios in Eora/Sydney and The Tender Joint in Colomatta/the Blue Mountains. It was a period of many firsts for Al Matcott: his first time working with a producer; his first time recording in an established studio; and his first time collaborating with his live band – Brendan West (he/him; bass), Miranda Holt (she/her; drums) and Steve McLennan (he/him; guitar). The album also features Freya Josephine Hollick (on Matcott’s cover of Townes Van Zandt’s ‘Our Mother The Mountain’) and instrumental collaborations with Jack Ladder (keys) and Taylor Hollingsworth from Conor Oberst’s Mystic Valley Band (slide guitar) who both feature on ‘O My Darling’.
A blend of alt-rock and country that relishes with its personality, taking these charming and quite bright-eyed guitar melodies and twisting them with darker, potent lyrics that envelop the song… Matcott hits a newfound stride, both as a musician and as a person.
– Pilerats
Al Matcott – Summer’s Coming
Finding inspiration in classical literature, philosophy, poetry, and bands like Interpol and A Place To Bury Strangers, Al Matcott adopts a series of characters throughout Summer’s Coming to tell stories punctuated with his masterful songwriting craft: caterwauling guitars, a blistering rhythm section and a dark, despairing mood.
His engrossing lyricism focuses on the encroaching climate crisis – “It’s what keeps me up at night. What is happening to mother earth should be viewed as an act of violence.” he firmly states – and delves into daily tensions that many of us face: the unrelentingly addictive design of social media, being held hostage by your own mind and turning to meditation, and continually pulling that same irritating-as-all-hell tarot card that holds a mirror to the ugliest parts of yourself. It’s a journey of a record, one that sees Al Matcott’s celebrated songwriting reach scorching new heights.
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