Hailing from Kununurra in North West WA, one of the most isolated, hottest and sparsely populated places in the world, Chris Matthews is one of our country's most unique songwriters and performers, carrying on the ancient tradition of singing up country, the people, the places, spaces and everything else in-between. An astounding multi-instrumentalist and jaw dropping live performer, 2017 and 18 were incredibly busy years for Matthews, with his 4th Album “Hell West And Crooked” released, 2 full national tours of the country, with about 300 shows and 150,000kms travelled, major festival performances all over the country and about 9 days actually spent at home in the East Kimberley.
Matthews is known to many Australia wide as the resident musician of the stunning East Kimberley El Questro Wilderness Resort – yet Chris spends the remainder of the year playing every pub, club, and festival around Australia, averaging about 200-250 shows a year, every year. And just like every year prior, in 2018 Chris is pretty much permanently back on the road. With a massive 18 shows at the Tamworth Festival over 9 days, a WA tour with 9 time Golden Guitar winner Luke O’Shea in May, and performances at the National Folk Festival, Airlie Beach Festival, Dorrigo Folk and Bluegrass Festival, Wintermoon, and Black Mountain Festival to name just a few, along with a full national tour to every state and territory, he’s not slowing down.
Whilst Chris is becoming recognized as one of the great players in Australia on the guitar, mandolin, banjo, lap steel, and anything else with strings, he’s also an incredibly talented songwriter. Eminently listenable, approachable, and a truly Australian sound to his tunes, he’s one of the rare artists who can combine impeccable musicianship with self penned songs that almost anyone can relate to – not an easy or simple thing to achieve. And you can dance to it.
With 4 albums already under his belt, Matthews' next release "Little Bit Long Way" is set to be unleashed early in 2019. With a bunch of songs co-written with some of Australia's best songwriters including Luke O'Shea, Allan Caswell, Jen Mize and John Kruslja, as well as his own self penned tunes, it's set to be an absolute cracker.
And it’s his unique approach to music that has put Matthews in such good stead. As well as touring to every town known to man, and supporting spme rather diverse artists such as John Butler, Jimmy Barnes, The Hoodoo Gurus, Bernard Fanning, Troy Cassar-Daley, Kasey Chambers, and John Farnham, his commitment to his art is second to none. All the hours on the road and stage have led Matthews to become an astonishing purveyor of his craft, from the smallest front bar gig to the biggest stages in Australia. He’s played and written with nearly everyone, toured with the greats, and stands alone as a performer who can match it with nearly anyone you care to mention.
Learning from the best and also taking his cues from all the great Australian songwriters before him, Matthews has also managed to find something of a rarity in today's music world - his own voice.
