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From the moment he heard Adrock address the brighter points of drinking brass monkey, Matt Shwachman was addicted to music. Whether it was the call and response lyricism of the early eighties or the biting crunch of G n' R-era guitars, Shwach kept his ears and mind open to the influences of his childhood. As he got older, those influences shifted and took a back seat to the sounds and people that would eventually influence his music and his life. Drawing from both soft and hard edges (Bob Marley/ Dave Matthews vs. 311/Pearl Jam), Shwach has worked to develop a musical style that mirrors his personality and interests; introspective and metered on one hand and dynamic and boisterous on the other. An odd twist of fate, a school project of all things, finally set his music in motion. In his senior year of high school, Shwach picked up a guitar and began to create his own answer to the music he loved. In collaborating with his friend Ari Fontecchio, now front man for NYC's Indie rock group On my Signal, Shwach began to find his musical voice. During these sessions, Shwach began to write and perform the songs that sparked his love for creation and collaboration. Early versions of "Monday Driver" and "Better than I'll Ever Be" soon took shape. Over the next several years, Shwach found himself jamming with various friends and local musicians, building up a collection of original songs. He began honing his style by combining elements of Reggae, Rock, Jazz, Hip-Hop and Blues. "I like to keep the listener guessing. I am not afraid to switch-up styles, whether it be from song to song, or within the same song, going from a rock driven verse into a reggae chorus or vice versa." Indeed, it is this no-rules approach that immediately strikes the listener. The versatility of this artist is already apparent in his debut album, "A Night in the Life of SHWACH"; set for release in fall of '04. The album was recorded independently in Dover NH, where Shwach hooked up with friend and former Worcester native Aaron Katz (Percy Hill, Aaron Katz Band) and Andy Gallagher (AKB), co-founders of Waterway Productions. According to Katz, "Shwach has the ability to clearly express his warm and intuitive personality in his songwriting. He is a kind soul with a gentle way of expressing powerful messages." When asked about working with Waterway producers, Shwach said, "It was really good timing, everything fell into place. I wanted to take some of my solo acoustic material and bring it to life with a full-band sound. Aaron and Andy had just begun working with and developing new artists. I had long respected and been a fan of Percy and the AKB, and felt that creatively they had a good idea of what I wanted to accomplish with the record." With Katz co-producing and playing various instruments, and Gallagher engineering, Shwach ended up recording 14 songs, and including 10 on the record. Also recruited for the project were several notable East Coast musicians including Nate Wilson (keyboards, Percy Hill and Reid Genaur's AOD), Jason Yost (guitar, Analog Method and AKB), singer/songwriter Jess Tardy, Nate Edgar (bass, AKB), and drummer Josh Gromblom to fill in the gaps. The result is an incredibly original and explosive album that ranges from the upbeat reggae driven title track "A Night in the Life", to the insightful and reflective "Monday Driver". The album's juxtaposed influences are apparent, but it flows smoothly from song to song, never sacrificing character to play by the rules. To learn more about Shwach visit www.shwach.com Check out the artist's website: http://www.shwach.com Track List: 1. A Night in the Life 2. Like Heaven 3. The Albatross 4. Fancy Pants 5. Monday Driver 6. Better than I'll Ever Be 7. Personal Legend 8. These are the Moments 9. Back to Sleep 10. Comfortable Silence Suggested CDs:Other Genres:
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