Singer/Songwriter in the vein of Americana / Alt. Country / Folk Rock - Mather currently resides in Las Vegas and is writing songs left and right. His guitar playing like Neil Young, his singing smooth yet gritty like Billie Holiday. Mather writes songs for the world…
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I'm currently working on my second album. At this point it's looking like 11 songs, most of which were written over the past few months. Album title is tentatively "A Little Green" after my new song "A little green can go a long way." Carlos Guerrero on guitar and I'm still scoping out bass player and drummer. This is going to be a good one!!
For the World 2
Like his guitar collection, the singer/songwriter/guitar player’s colorful repertoires of songs, styles and musical skills are as fascinating to behold as they are anxiously played by the always-curious 27-year-old. Justin Mather hails from the Berkshire Hills of Massachusetts and has been performing with bands and as a solo artist for more than a decade. Spiriting an easy-riding fusion of AMERICANA / ALT-COUNTRY /FOLK ROCK, Mather writes songs about and for the world.
Mather began his musical journey early on - playing saxophone in the school band and singing tenor in the school choir at age 9. At 13 he picked up his dad’s electric guitar and began figuring out his favorite rock songs by ear. Throughout High School Mather played in classic rock/grunge cover bands - rhythm guitar or bass, whichever the band needed. Time after time his versatile vocal ability and charismatic stage presence moved him to front man in the band.
After high school Mather hopped an airliner to Chile where he spent the next year as an exchange student. This time abroad branded him with a love of being in a foreign place, and the Spanish language. During the next 10 years Mather found himself traveling the world and writing songs constantly. From busking on the streets throughout Europe to playing in backyards in Mexico, Mather has connected with the people and world abroad. The miles traveled echo throughout his songs.
By college Mather was well into the art of songwriting having written dozens of songs. He soon joined an already working band Tave Hu but didn’t take the usual express route to front man. Instead Mather was greatly humbled by the songwriting, singing ability and most of all stage presence of his counterpart, David Buchalter. Their partnership produced more than 50 songs. Together they tested the bounds of songwriting, throwing off the usual constrictions resulting in a highly original sound - Imagine John Lennon fronting Phish, but a little more rusty. Tave Hu produced two albums: “Live in the Fire” (2000) and “Tave Who?” (2002) and quickly became the University of Massachusetts’ favorite band while their touring radius spanned Massachusetts.
In 2003 Mather graduated from the University of Massachusetts with a BA in Spanish and Latin American studies. The departure from college resulted in the breakup of Tave Hu. This time Mather focused on his solo career. Facing post-college debt Mather needed a real job, knowing he wouldn’t be able to make it on the music. Later that year he landed a position at his old High School where he taught Spanish for the next four years. This job enabled Mather to still play gigs at night and save money to release his first album.
Justin Mather / One Pillow came out in the winter of 2006. While the backing band is minimal (Jazz Drummer Nick Halley doubling on Keys and Blues Guitarist Sam Crawford doubling on Bass) Mather chose some of the finest musicians in Western Massachusetts. One Pillow has received cross-generational applause and enjoys steady play on both local and nationally syndicated radio shows of the Northeast. Mather took the album on the road with his newly formed band Spirit Macaw. In their short time together (one year) they took their show out of Massachusetts to Vermont, New York and Connecticut, wowing their audiences with new politically charged songs by Mather and the intense musical chops of his band.
Mather ended Spirit Macaw prematurely in late 2006 when he decided to turn again to his solo career, this time taking it across the country to Las Vegas where he currently resides. Mather has quickly made a name for himself as a solo singer/songwriter and is working full time as a musician playing around the city and in neighboring Arizona. Mather cannot be sure but he thinks it was the move west that triggered a wild explosion of new songs, by far his most prolific time ever. He is currently working on his second album.