“...THE AREA'S PRINCE OF AMERICANA.” -Orlando Weekly
“Matt Butcher has carved out his own immediately recognizable niche, a dewey-praire mix of wistfulness and confession executed with a deceptively light touch that only barely suggests the material’s substance... and it only gets better with repeated listens.” -4 ½ out of 5 Stars, REAX Magazine
“The Orlando singer-songwriter and his band, the Revolvers, specialize in evocative alt-country. In that realm, songs such as the title track and ‘Giving My Sadness a Name’ are as good as it gets.” -Orlando Sentinel (voted one of the ten best albums of 2008)
"A gorgeous collection of alternative country songs, Me and My Friends sneaks up on you in a way that seems innocuous at first but eventually reveals itself to be a remarkable composition." -Grooveshark
"Butcher's cycle of songs chronicle heartbreak, loss, sadness, and emotional drift. Each one is a gem, expertly constructed by producer Justin Beckler to bring out the best in Butcher's songs." -Swampland.com
“From the first notes of the opening track, Butcher sets a somber and introspective mood. With atmospheric instrumentation as spacious as it is unobtrusive, the songs are propelled by Butcher’s lyrical delivery- which, though still possessed of a powerful melodic sense and a little bit of alt-country twang, is less concerned with getting you to sing along that it is getting you to pay attention.” -Orlando Weekly
Order "Me & My Friends" now for $12.99
(shipping included, allow 10 business days for delivery)
Florida locals can find the album at these fine record shops:
Park Ave Cd's, Orlando
Vinyl Fever, Tampa
Hear Again Cd's, Gainesville
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“This is music for late night drives,” says Matt Butcher. “It sounds best at two in the morning on a winding country road.” Me and My Friends, the debut record from the 25 year old singer-songwriter, is a beautifully stark affair. Backed by piano, pedal steel, and horns, Butcher weaves tails of desperation and loneliness, grace and redemption. The material spans the course of his adult life. The title track was written at the tender age of eighteen, while the gospel-infused song, “Grace on a Greyhound Bus,” was completed during the recording process. “It’s like looking in the rearview mirror,” he says of the record. “Six years of scenic drives, dead ends, joy rides, and near-fatal accidents. I have always written very honestly from my life. There’s a story in there. But it’s not intentional.” Featuring his excellent live band the Revolvers, the album runs the gamut from country tinged americana and bluesy rockers, to soulful ballads and delicate folk. The music brings to mind artists of the late sixties and early seventies. The usual names apply; Dylan, Springsteen, Young, Parsons, Browne. “I wear my influences on my sleeve. Proudly. I’m not trying to re-invent the wheel. Just keep it spinning.” The influences are there, but the voice is entirely his own. Butcher writes with a wisdom and maturity that belie his twenty-five years. On the standout duet “Giving My Sadness a Name,” he tells an ex-lover, “I came into this world crying, and not much has changed. You’re just giving my sadness a name.” Throughout the record, Butcher infuses new insight into age old themes. On “Grey Skies, Green Shoes,” he sings of a widowed man, “Sitting by himself on a sofa that’s intended for two.” Saying, “A love seat aint no good when one person leaves.” The album was coproduced with Justin Beckler, and recorded in various home studios and a church. These rooms become as much a part of the songs as the instrumentation. It gives the music both an ethereal and intimate quality. “We want it to wash over the listener,” he says. “ It has to be subtle.” As for the title, Butcher says it was a natural fit. “It’s what the songs are about, who they were played by, and who they are intended for. And yes, I know its grammatically incorrect...”
Hi Matt! The new Glass Head is out and now at Park Ave CD's! You can also get one through me. See you soon. Oh, There is a new movie with Jack White, the Edge and JImmy Page called IT MIGHT GET LOUD. Have you heard about it? Rave reviews. Maybe it'll be at Enzian. Bethany
I saw you last November with my best friend, and we cannot wait to go to another show! Your music is beautiful. Hoping for some August shows near Orlando. ;)
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“This is music for late night drives,” says Matt Butcher. “It sounds best at two in the morning on a winding country road.” Me and My Friends, the debut record from the 25 year old singer-songwriter, is a beautifully stark affair. Backed by piano, pedal steel, and horns, Butcher weaves tails of desperation and loneliness, grace and redemption. The material spans the course of his adult life. The title track was written at the tender age of eighteen, while the gospel-infused song, “Grace on a Greyhound Bus,” was completed during the recording process. “It’s like looking in the rearview mirror,” he says of the record. “Six years of scenic drives, dead ends, joy rides, and near-fatal accidents. I have always written very honestly from my life. There’s a story in there. But it’s not intentional.” Featuring his excellent live band the Revolvers, the album runs the gamut from country tinged americana and bluesy rockers, to soulful ballads and delicate folk. The music brings to mind artists of the late sixties and early seventies. The usual names apply; Dylan, Springsteen, Young, Parsons, Browne. “I wear my influences on my sleeve. Proudly. I’m not trying to re-invent the wheel. Just keep it spinning.” The influences are there, but the voice is entirely his own. Butcher writes with a wisdom and maturity that belie his twenty-five years. On the standout duet “Giving My Sadness a Name,” he tells an ex-lover, “I came into this world crying, and not much has changed. You’re just giving my sadness a name.” Throughout the record, Butcher infuses new insight into age old themes. On “Grey Skies, Green Shoes,” he sings of a widowed man, “Sitting by himself on a sofa that’s intended for two.” Saying, “A love seat aint no good when one person leaves.” The album was coproduced with Justin Beckler, and recorded in various home studios and a church. These rooms become as much a part of the songs as the instrumentation. It gives the music both an ethereal and intimate quality. “We want it to wash over the listener,” he says. “ It has to be subtle.” As for the title, Butcher says it was a natural fit. “It’s what the songs are about, who they were played by, and who they are intended for. And yes, I know its grammatically incorrect...”
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