Ami Mattison

Bio:

“A spoken word force to be reckoned with” (Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 2004), Ami Mattison is “a powerhouse poet...sexy, funny, funky, and yet substantive." (The Tennessean, 2004)

Touring since 2002, Ami has performed at numerous art venues, festivals, conferences, colleges, and universities around the country.

Velvet Park Magazine (2007) writes: “To get an idea of the glory that occurs when a woman finds her voice, one need look no further than Ami Mattison, badass spoken word poet and warrior…Veins strained along her skin, her eyes unblinking and fierce, Ami’s going to let you have it, wake you up by shaking the very floorboards with her stomping feet. And oh yeah,because she’s from the South, she’ll do it all with the most gracious smile on her face.”

Out and About Newspaper (2006) writes: "Defiant, poignant and straightforward Mattison’s work hits you where you live and cuts to the very core with a razor sharp edge of rage at the policies of exclusion, apathy and greed that permeate out society. Unafraid to offend delicate sensibilities or coddle the faint-of-heart, Mattison tackles the issues of poverty, homophobia, gender issues, and civil rights with an unparalleled ferocity that challenges even the most stalwart of opposition."

Ami's demo CD, Strange and Potent Mixture, is described by Nashville Scene (2004) as "not for the faint of heart or those with sensibilities too delicate to confront tough issues straight on. Of the nine poetic performances on Strange and Potent Mixture, all deal with identity, all are political, and all but a couple rage against American antipathy toward people of color, women, homosexuals and the poor…her poems are broadsides against a hostile culture of hate and greed.”

Ami shares co-writing credits and featured performances on Nashville songwriter Ross Falzone’s debut CD Radical Heart (Poet People, 2004) as well as his latest album, Life Here on Earth (Falzone, 2007). Nashville Scene described Dyke Verse City--Ami’s collaboration with indie-rocker Sonia Tetlow and her longtime co-conspirator, the Atlanta-based poet Amanda Kail—-as “a kind of feminist Ramones combining mock-rock anthems with scathing political and social critique” (2004).

Born in New Orleans, LA and raised in Montgomery, AL, Ami lived in Atlanta, GA for nearly two decades. She currently resides in Detroit, Michigan.

Member Since:

Members:

Influences:

Sounds Like:

Record Label: