Matt Stevens is a solo guitarist, band member and composer from North London. He is probably currently best known for his work as a guitarist and songwriter for the instrumental rock band The Fierce And The Dead. Between 2006 and 2015 he performed a series of live concerts using an acoustic guitar and a loop pedal across the UK opening for Steve Rothery, Nick Harper, Jon Gomm, RM Hubbert, IQ, Thomas Leeb, Fish, Mike Keneally, Daevid Allen and many others. He has recorded four solo albums. In 2014 he signed to Esoteric/Cherry Red records for the release of the Lucid album which featured members of King Crimson, Knifeworld, Chrome Hoof and Frost*. It stayed in the Prog magazine chart for 3 months peaking at 8.
Matt Stevens was voted 5th in the Prog Magazine 2014 Reader's Poll for best guitarist alongside Steve Howe, Steve Hackett, Steve Rothery and Guthrie Govan. He was nominated for a Breakthrough Artist Prog award in 2014. Lucid was a Guitar Player Magazine Editor's Album Of The Month and in various magazine and website's albums of the year critics polls. He was also worked with Judy Dyble, Cosmograf, Lextrical, Shineback, Emmett Elvin, Andy Tillison, Nine Stones Close and numerous others.
The Fierce And The Dead have released 2 albums and 3 EPs since 2010 and are currently signed to BEM records. They continue to tour regularly and have recently supported bands including The Aristocrats & Crippled Black Phoenix and played at the Arctangent festival with 65daysofstatic, Deafheaven and Deerhoof, amongst many other festival appearances. They were nominated for a Prog Magazine Award for best new act and have received positive press from Time Out New York, Total Guitar, Rock A Rolla, Echoes And Dust and others. They have been selected to be the first instrumental act to play the 2016 Ramblin Man festival with Hawkwind, Europe & Whitesnake and are currently recording their third album.
"An effortless display of cleverly arranged and resourceful playing....(an)acoustic masterclass"Classic Rock Presents Prog (live review June 2011)
"A one man guitar orchestra" Acoustic Magazine UK
"This is a unique album coming from a unique musician and one i would seriously implore anyone to experience it."Music Mafia UK.
This collection includes a live solo guitar and loop pedal set from a church for Farncombe Music Club from 2014 that was recorded from the desk, 2 ambient pieces and two lost songs. I'm really pleased that the live songs exist as a record of my live performances from this period, no overdubs were made to the recording. The versions of the songs are really different from the studio ones, I usually wrote the songs in this format and added the production with Kevin afterwards so it's nice to have these versions out there. Pecadillo was recorded for my friend Kavus Torabi's Believers Roast label for a compilation in 2012 and Blue Filter is an out take from the recording of the Ghost album from 2010. I believe the ambient tracks were recorded around 2011 live on my home studio. This is material that has been released as downloads online but never on CD before and they have been remastered and tidied up for this album.
Matt Stevens Sites
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Progressive Rock & Progressive Metal - E-Zine
