Matty James Cassidy has rock ‘n’ roll in his veins. Whether it’s folk-rock, the soulful sound of The Faces or Exile era Rolling Stones, country music, or honky tonk blues – he embraces it all and makes it his own. It’s a tradition and a passion for which he remains unapologetic – and serves him well on his new debut solo outing, ‘Old Souls’.
Matty says, “While there’s country, blues, folk, punk and all sorts happening on this album, the result to me is just a straight up rock n’ roll record, something you don’t hear a lot of these days. I’m keeping it honest and song orientated, with a few twists and turns. I’m not reinventing the wheel; I’m just keeping it well oiled.”
Kicking off the album with harmonica laden bar room stomper, ‘Said & Done’, songs like ‘Contradiction In Terms’ keep a raucous pace, and no doubt benefit from Cassidy’s formative years gigging pubs and clubs across Ireland. Dues have been paid, and heart-felt, tale-telling, toe-tapping, singalongs ensue. Alongside, there are softer crooners like the brooding, country ‘Rosary’, the melancholic and reflective, ‘The Art of Falling Down’ and title track, ‘Old Souls’ -which casts its own darkly poetic spell.
Matty James Cassidy has been described as “A rousing listen” (Vive Le Rock), “Rabble-rousing & feisty” (Louder Than War), “Pure, honest-to-goodness rawk ’n’ roll” (Uber Rock) and “Proper gritty scuffed-up dust & bones rock” (Pure Rawk).
As Matty says, “Sometimes songs play out in your head like short films, you can see the colours, picture the scene and imagine the world-weary characters… maybe they are the Old Souls”.
Biography
Rhyme, rhythm & song – Matty James Cassidy pens and performs heart-felt, sing-along, tale-telling, rabble-rousing songs you can hang your hat on. Originally a drummer, playing in pubs and clubs across Ireland from the age of 13, he set sail for England a few years later and picked up the acoustic guitar as a tool to write songs. This led him down the beaten track of the modern day troubadour, playing his own brand of roots rock n’ roll all over the country and beyond, both solo and more recently backed by his rip-roaring live band.
With critically acclaimed records, hundreds of gigs across the UK and Europe plus appearances at major festivals all under his belt, this multitalented songsmith is just getting started.
