Matt Walker is one of the most respected musicians on the Australian scene. His work as a songwriter, producer, session guitarist and composer is credited on dozens of albums, films and documentary scores, and among his peers down under he enjoys the status of a true cult legend. He has toured with people such as Bob Dylan, Patti Smith, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Dirty Three, Nick Cave, Tony Joe White, Cat Power, The Black Keys and Joe Cocker. Matt has also written, recorded and performed with many outstanding artists, including Mick Harvey (Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds), Rob Hirst and Jim Mogine (both from Midnight Oil), Kim Salmon (The Scientists) and Ashley Davies (Mighty Servant). He is currently a fulltime guitarist for The Band of Gold, fronted by Tex Perkins (Cruel Sea, Beasts of Bourbon).
His commitment to other projects has often overshadowed his own work, but he has nevertheless won a coveted ARIA award for his music in 2000, as well receiving two nominations the previous year. It goes without saying that, within the Australian music industry, there is much respect for Matt Walker.
With the release of his latest solo album In Echoes of Dawn (to be launched on Sat 6 October at The Bridge Hotel in Castlemaine and Sun 7 October at The Toff in Town in Melbourne), we are convinced that his status as a quiet, behind-the-scenes player is about to change for good. It may have been seven years since he has released an album of his own, but In Echoes of Dawn will put him right back in the foreground again. It is a stunning, uplifting piece of work that moves from swamp-soul through to harmony-rich country blues and lilting piano-driven balladry. Matt’s voice is haunting, effortless and pure and his song-writing here is nothing short of a revelation. Absolutely worth the wait, and all those folks he has been helping out over the years are going to have to take a back seat now. Initial copies will come with a bonus disc Lost Ragas, featuring 50 minutes of instrumental music recorded before and during the process of making the album.
Listen back to 5ft High & Rising with Myles for a live set from Matt Walker.