MATTHEW FOWLER

'GOING NOWHERE' - IMPACTING AUGUST 18 - from THE GRIEF WE GAVE OUR MOTHER

LABEL DEBUT OUT SEPTEMBER 10th ON SIGNATURE SOUNDS

"The result is his upcoming album: The Grief We Gave Our Mother, a record that is whittled to perfection. With stunningly poetic lyrics and a warm, woodsy sound, the album feels like coming home." - The Luna Collective

 “Some people are good at separating themselves from their art,” says Matthew Fowler, “but I’ve never been able to do that. I live and breathe these songs every single day.”

Written over the course of the past several years, The Grief We Gave Our Mother, Fowler’s stunning label debut, is indeed a profoundly personal work of self-discovery and introspection, but more than that, it’s an ode to growing up and chasing dreams. The songs here radiate all the joy and wonder and heartbreak and confusion of young adulthood, wrestling with love and loss in the face of ambition and independence, and the arrangements are captivatingly complex to match, layering dynamic guitars, breathy woodwinds, and lush harmonies into a transcendent soundscape that blurs the lines between traditional roots music and experimental chamber folk. Fowler’s vocal delivery, meanwhile, is raw and direct, hinting at everything from Damien Rice and Glen Hansard to Ray LaMontagne and Ben Howard in its mix of gritty grandeur and vulnerable intimacy. The result is a record that’s at once bold and timid, hopeful and anxious, jaded and naïve, an honest, revelatory collection all about putting one foot in front of the other and forging a life of purpose, passion, and meaning.

“This record is the sound of me finding myself and my place in the world,” Fowler reflects. “It’s about real moments and real stories and real people.”

Born and raised in Florida, Fowler fell in love with music at an early age, and by 19, he’d already self-released his debut and begun booking his own cross-country tours. Critics were quick to take notice, with American Songwriter praising Fowler’s “earnest, strummy songcraft” andThe Bluegrass Situationproclaiming that his “assured, velvety vocals are rivaled only by the intimacy of his lyrics.” In addition to helping Fowler land support slots with everyone from Richard Thompson and Damien Jurado to Angel Olsen and The Weepies, the music also caught the ear of acclaimed producer Shane Leonard, who invited Fowler to Eau Claire, WI, to complete work on The Grief We Gave Our Mother in 2020.