Biography

Multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter and producer, Matt Williams, has a unique approach to making music. Composing and singing for several completely different projects while performing as a guest regularly with others, Matt is a very engaging artist who remains in a constant state of collaboration. Equally astonishing in a variety of styles on violin, guitar, mandolin, bass, lap-steel, percussion and voice; Williams is just as an original musician compositionally as he is while improvising.

Some of his most notable achievements include several studio collaborations with kid-hop superstar Secret Agent 23 Skidoo earning him recognition as a “Featured Artist and Arranger” on the Grammy Award-Winning album "Infinity Plus One" (2017), a 2015 Grammy Nomination as both a “Featured Artist, Arranger, and Recording/Audio Engineer” on "The Perfect Quirk", and a Grammy Certificate for his contribution as “Recording/Audio Engineer” on the Grammy Award-Winning compilation album, "All About Bullies... Big And Small" (2012). Utilizing his talents as a producer, engineer, arranger, and performer, Matt has collaborated in the studio with an extremely wide variety of incredible artists. Being a highly-versatile strings player, he will often arrange strings for music and record himself playing the individual violin parts, even viola and cello parts using a custom made 7-string electric violin. In addition to working as a session guitarist, vocalist, bassist, or producing the music of other artists on a creative level, Matt is also a passionate performer.

Most recently, Matt Williams teamed up with MonoNeon, Jonathan Scales, Jon Lauterer and Roddy Wilder on a 311 Tribute he produced entitled, “Please Stay Home” that is an adaptation of the 311 single, “Don’t Stay Home.” “Please Stay Home” is dedicated to everyone affected by the coronavirus pandemic and resulting quarantine. Since 2015, both Jon Lauterer and Roddy Wilder have performed alongside Williams an exclusive entertainment band called Royal Suits, whose high-energy shows are greatly elevated by Matt's genre-defying abilities, both vocally and instrumentally. Since 2012, Williams and Royal Suits bassist, Ryan Reardon, have been collaborating with 33rd generation Malian-born musician, Adama Dembele, in their Afropop ensemble Zansa, creating an original take on the authentic sounds of West Africa. From 2011-2014, Williams joined notable fusion guitarist, Bon Lozaga (Gong, Gongzilla), in a band called Tiny Boxes, whose years of performances included special guests like Jake Cinninger and Joel Cummins of jamband giants Umphrey's McGee and appearances by Ryan Martinie (Mudvayne, Korn). Matt also refines his musical vocabulary playing violin and mandolin with the popular Gypsy Jazz group, HotPoint Trio, whose regular performances include established residencies.

Long before his many ensemble collaborations, Matt has been widely-known for his own original music which he can perform solo (using live-loop sampling of multiple instruments), or with a band. Since the release of his first solo studio album in 2001, Matt has recorded all or most of the instruments on his studio records. In a fitting artistic way, his solo live performances creatively represent his multi-instrumental approach to songwriting and recording. Having earned a degree in Commercial Music Production and Jazz Arranging on scholarship at Western Carolina University, Matt currently resides in the beautiful mountains of Western North Carolina. He maintains and operates a boutique recording space called The Eagle Room where he produces albums and recordings for other artists, and remains hard at work on his fifth original studio album. Presenting his musical diversity alongside pop sensibility, the forthcoming record spans the genres of Pop, Rock, Hip-Hop, RnB, Jazz, Fusion and promises to be his most creative release to date.

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