Matt Woods is a product of Appalachia. You can hear his East Tennessee roots tangled in the lines of his songs and it is through this filter he distills the world, both external and internal, into his unique brand of songwriting. You can call it Americana, folk rock, even country music but no matter what it’s called it is, at its core, honest and heartfelt. Spending most of his time on the road, either engaging listeners as a solo artist or with his band, Matt Woods and the Natural Disasters, he would say, if asked, that he is “just trying to share some truth and get along.” 2019 brought the release of Woods’ 4th full length studio album, Natural Disasters, and an impressive touring schedule in support of it across the US and Europe, the latter of which having become a yearly endeavor since the release of 2016’s How To Survive. As the global Covid-19 pandemic brought touring to a halt, Matt moved forward in other ways including keeping connected via online events, writing for future releases, and even releasing an EP titled Mornings After. In 2022, Matt’s song “My Southern Heart” was prominently placed in the feature film Crawlspace, starring Henry Thomas (E.T. the Extra Terrestrial, The Haunting of Hill House, Midnight Mass). As we move into 2025, Woods is releasing new music in the form of digital singles while finalizing plans for the release of his 5th full length studio album by year’s end. “Burning Bed,” the first of those singles, will be available everywhere in January.
Both Natural Disasters and Mornings After, produced by Joey Kneiser (Glossary and Austin Lucas), share insights to the realities of our place in time as perceived through Woods’ eyes and enriched by the talents of Adam Meisterhans on electric guitars, Jeremy Mackinder on bass guitar, PJ Schreiner on drums, and Mike Webb (Chris Stapleton, Poco) on keys with Lance Howell (Big Shoals) and Kashena Sampson providing harmonies throughout. Along the way, Matt has shared the stage with the likes of Tyler Childers, Chris Knight, Black Oak Arkansas, Frank Turner, Roger Alan Wade, Zac Brown, Drivin' n' Cryin', Will Hoge, Roger Clyne (of The Refreshments), CAKE, Robbie Fulks, The White Buffalo, The Black Lillies and others.
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On April 7, 1862, the morning after the first day of the battle of Shiloh in West Tennessee, it frosted. The peach trees that were on the fields where the battle took place had recently blossomed and fell with the frost, covering the dead bodies of the young soldiers like pink snow. As a child growing up in the 1970s, Mic Harrison had no idea of the significance that Shiloh held in history. He only knew that it was his family’s favorite place for picnics and reunions.
Those memories make up “Picnic at Shiloh,” the final track on Harrison’s new album, “Peach Blossom Youth.” Now a noted singer-songwriter and amateur historian, Harrison feels the full irony of the sweet memories contrasted with the area’s bloody past.
Harrison has been writing songs since he was a high school student in Bradford, Tenn.
“Even early on I hardly ever wrote songs about girls and all that,” says Harrison. “I wrote about life, history… that stuff.”
Harrison moved to Knoxville in the 1990s to join proto-Americana act The V-Roys, and later joined power pop favorites Superdrag before recording his solo album “Pallbearer’s Shoes.” When he teamed up with The High Score early in the new millennium he found the perfect collaborators. The band now consists of guitarists Robbie Trosper and Kevin Abernathy, bassist Vance Hillard and drummer Mark T. Dunn. Harrison’s 20-year collaboration with The High Score has resulted in a stack of albums as well featured spots in music festivals, including Bonnaroo, Rhythm N’ Blooms, and Easyriders Rodeo, and national tours in elegant concert halls, sweaty bars, and listening rooms across America.
To make sure the recording of these new songs were as good as possible, Harrison brought in famed producer Eric “Roscoe” Ambel, whose credits include producing albums for The Bottle Rockets, Nils Lofgren, The Backsliders, and many others, co-leading the Del-Lords and The Yayhoos, as well as playing guitar with Joan Jett and the Blackhearts and Steve Earle.
“Sonically, this is the best record we’ve ever done,” says Harrison.
Nearly all of the songs are about real people – from a West Tennessee character named Bobby Jack, who inspired “Scrap Iron Man” to a Mexican American War soldier in the song “Dallas Sutton.”
“A lot of these songs are very personal,” says Harrison. “It could be a book.”
“Lose You Over This” was written after a family member’s suicide attempt. “Keep Drivin’” was inspired by a beloved niece being kicked out of church because she is gay. “Old Man” is about Harrison’s late father, who died of Alzheimer’s disease.
With their upbeat melodies and energetic delivery, it would be easy to miss the sometimes-dark subject matter of Harrison’s new songs. Yet, that’s what makes this and all of Harrison’s work special. It draws you in and delivers a good time, but if you care to dig a little deeper, there’s plenty more to discover.
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G.S. Harper, an independent singer-songwriter and guitarist, was born and raised in San Angelo, Texas where he taught himself to play guitar at the age of 12. He began playing live at the age of 14 and everything since then has been what he calls a long and crazy ride. One that's not going to stop any time soon. Harper has played all over the United States, in small corner pubs and major arenas. He performs his original work and works as a freelance guitarist and bassist with bands and solo artists, from local independent musicians to national touring artists.
For most of the last 20 years, Harper has called Cleveland, Ohio home. Its gritty, hardworking, rust belt attitude added depth to his songwriting and was a good match for his Texas roots. Harper released his fifth project, New Mexico Dirt, in 2016 following a successful tour supporting his fourth release, Sixteen Winters. Harper's previous albums were Waiting for April (2002), Live from Cleveland (G.S. Harper and the Lonesome Tomatoes, 2006) and The Belmont Sessions (G.S. Harper with Andrew Zeager, 2008).
