Matt Mays

Matt Mays is on a quest to find and create the music he hears in his head. When he stays still
the sound drifts farther away: "when the vibrations stop,” he says “it’s time to move on." A
few years back, Matt left to embark on a journey into open space. To live in the midst of a
world where anything could happen. A crusade into the sound, traversing the vast musical
divide that he calls home. Mexico, California, Indonesia, Hawaii, Costa Rica, New York.
Wherever. He used surfing, yoga, and a ukulele as tools to bring him closer to the melodies
and words different places and experiences inspired. Eventually, the sound was found. As
soon as he stepped off the plane in Halifax he started work an album he called Coyote: a
proper home for all his experiences. Imagery painted with song. Coyote covers the whole
spectrum of the sound that Mays finally found. “I've always loved animals that are beautiful
but dangerous,” Matt explains. “It's a good analogy for life. Coyotes are native to Canada,
Mexico and the United States and that's where I lived while writing this album.”
Coyote is Matt’s fifth album since his self-titled debut. He’s won numerous ECMAs and been
nominated for four JUNO Awards. He’s toured Canada, the USA, and the UK.
Whether it’s a California stoned and hazy rock and roll song like 'Indio' or an alone at the
microphone heart-string strummer like 'Chase The Light', you'll feel it. You can tell Matt found
what he was looking for. In every song you can hear a freedom in his voice, and if you listen
closely enough can hear the sand from ten different beaches scratching on the fret board
of his guitar. “I wanted to make songs that followed my outlook on life as honestly as possible
and record them as honestly as possible. That's it.”
The gods were on Matt’s side one day while working on Coyote. He was scheduled for a
mixing session at one of New York's most prestigious studios and the mix files didn't show up.
Panic mode. The studio engineer asked Matt if he had any songs to record to make use of
the time. Luckily, the night before Matt stayed up all night and wrote 'Take It On Faith', which
ended up being Coyote’s first single. “I had no musicians handy so I was forced to play
everything myself except for the drums which were played by local monster Greg Wieczorek
who happened to be one street over in Soho with his drums in his car. He nailed it, first take.
The whole song was recorded in a few hours. It was one of those rare sessions where
everything works out.” It's fitting that fate was such an integral part of the birth of the song
'Take It On Faith'.
Matt will bring this sound to your town and his band will play it loud. He will sing these songs
with soul because every verse means the world to him. After all, he chased them down,