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Monday, April 1, 2019

The Heard

Band of the Week: Matthew Fowler

Posted By Jason Ferguson on Mon, Apr 1, 2019 at 9:00 AM

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Mike Dunn

Welcome to Orlando Weekly's "Band of the Week." Every week, we highlight one of our favorite local bands. This week, we're pleased to bring you Matthew Fowler.

Matthew Fowler is playing April 3 at Will's Pub.

Just the facts:

When did the band form?
I started performing original music in 2013.

Who's in the band?
I'm the only consistent member of the band; I play guitar, sing, and sometimes harmonica.

Currently available releases:
Beginning (full-length album)

Audiotree Live (live studio session)

Websites:
Facebook
Instagram

Describe your sound in five words:
Introspective songwriter seeking listening audience.

Five questions:

What has been your most memorable show so far?
I turned 20 years old onstage at The Social for a headlining show to a full room of people cheering me on and singing "Happy Birthday." Last year I got to open for The Weepies at Variety Playhouse in Atlanta. It was a packed house, The Weepies themselves loved the set, and the manager of the venue said I reminded him of Glen Hansard (my favorite musician of all time). I also got to open for Richard Thompson at the Plaza Live, and I took a selfie with him. Those have all been real "rockstar moments" that carry me through the less-than-great shows we all play sometimes.

Which local band is your favorite one to play a show with?
Terri Binion. She has become a wonderful friend and mentor to me over the last few years. A powerhouse of a songwriter, and a gem of a human being.

What description gets used for your band that you would most
like to correct people on? Why?
I get pegged a lot as a "sad folk singer". I think my songs have solemn elements to them for sure, but sad is too simple of a word. I think they're mostly confessional, and have a lot of different emotions being conveyed, like any real situation. Nothing is ever just "sad" or "happy". It's a blend of a lot of things.

What’s your favorite thing about being an Orlando band? What's your least favorite? Why?
I think Orlando is a great place to get your chops. It's a city big enough to feel like you have to earn your place and win people over, and small enough that you can lock into a community and start to thrive and bounce energy off of other like-minded creatives. My least favorite part is the location. It's so far out of the way from a lot of other major cities and regular touring routes; it's the reason a lot of musicians end up moving away.

Any big news to share?
I'll coming out with a brand new full-length album in October!

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