Matthew Morgan and the Lost Brigade

Matthew Morgan and the Lost Brigade

With a painter's eye for detail Matthew Morgan sketches his sonic canvas combining his lyric tenor voice with evocative tales that stem from the heart. He skillfully weaves together glimmers of American folk, country, rock and blues to create a unique sound that is sophisticated and poignantly contemporary while remaining firmly rooted in acoustic tradition. With a keen social insight and poetic skills his stories conjure tales of courage in the face of adversity merging his own life experiences with historical footnotes. A multi-instrumentalist he crafts his songs playing the guitar, piano, organ, harmonica, and a variety of other stringed instruments.

Matthew grew up in Ohio where he attended music school, majoring in vocal performance. With this strong musical background he quickly realized that his passion for music was more than just singing. So, he set out to discover his true voice as a singer/songwriter.

Released in February 2011, Matthew's debut CD “Red Silhouettes” is a tour de force in “Do It Yourself” recording. Entirely self produced and engineered he performs nearly every instrument himself with a few notable musicians and friends adding exuberance to the mix. Featured guest musicians on the CD include Kurt Baumer and the irrepressible duo of Anita Chase and Sheela Reddy of the Chicago-based rock band ½ Mad Poet. Kurt is a former Nashville fiddler who has toured with groups including Lonestar, Ricky Lynn Gregg and Brett James, while ½ Mad Poet has performed at Lilith Fair and shared the stage with bands as diverse as Joan Jett, Sugar Ray, and Smash Mouth.

“Red Silhouettes” is loosely based on surviving stories and letters that reveal the hardships and daily struggles of those present during the American Civil War. No stranger to life's struggles himself Matt was diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in 2005. This poorly understood and often misdiagnosed chronic illness left him incapacitated and housebound for nearly two years. Matthew credits music and songwriting among the catalysts fostering his slow recovery from CFS and his songs reflect this positive outlook on life.

Matt performs both as a soloist and with his band "The Lost Brigade" (Kevin Lahvic - bass/acoustic guitar/vox, Anita Chase - lead guitar/vox, Sheela Reddy - bass/vox, Dave Szpunar - banjo/12 string acoustic, Jeff Gilbert - percussion, Anand Christopher - violin). He is also an accomplished painter having shown his fine art regularly as a member of the Flat Iron Artist's Association (Chicago, IL).