After 30 years of playing shows, making records and writing songs, it’s fair to call Matthew Carlson a veteran. From his current work in the Stick Arounds and Harborcoat, to his previous stints in The Pantones and Third Uncle, Carlson has spent a lifetime writing songs filled with vivid characters, detailed worlds, and personal touches.

Carlson is a born storyteller. His solo acoustic shows are filled with emotional, funny, and moving stories about the hidden lives and places behind his songs. To see Matty C play solo is to see, feel, and hear his songs in a new, and perhaps more profound way.

Harmony, bombast, and distortion are removed from even the most boisterous of numbers, and a bare, more vulnerable version of the songs appears. The tunes take on new life as they are stripped to only the most essential of ingredients.

Over the last three years, Matty has played more than 120 shows across 31 states. This enormous spate of gigs featured performances in a wide variety of spaces including homes, breweries, festivals, listening rooms, theatres, bars, and back patios.. 

Throughout his long career, Matty has performed at venues and festivals like the NXNE Festival, the Hideout in Chicago, IL, Rockin’ The Suburbs Fest, The Blind Pig, The Lager House, PodJam Las Vegas, The Robin Theatre, and many more.

In addition to his touring and recording efforts, Matty also works tirelessly at his Substack and podcast,What Am I Making. WAIM is a space for Matty to share his experiences as an independent touring artist, and it affords him the opportunity to explore the corners of our current culture and how it is shaping the ways in which we live and create. You can learn more at whatamimaking.substack.com.