Sixth time Airlie Beach Festival of Music veteran, Matty Rogers is back by popular demand and ready to carve up the main stage – this year marking the first time he is bringing his band along too!
Based in Burringbar in the Northern Rivers of NSW, this blues, soul and country singer says he likes to “weave a path in between genres” and that each song is more about “meaning” than it is conforming to a certain style.
“I don’t like to get stuck in a box,” said Matty.
“I play loads of different genres and they all come from emotion and connection – the challenges we might face personally and also as a global society.”
Matty began playing music with his father when he was a child and by high school he was playing with friends, starting his first band ‘Ramjet’ when he was 17.
Writing his own lyrics and playing original music whenever he could, Matty soon began carving a name out for himself.
“I was lucky that the first gig where I played all originals went really well,” he explained.
“I owe everything to that gig – it gave me the confidence to keep writing and forging a career playing originals when everyone else played covers.”
Matty spent 10 years playing gigs part time and earning an extra income in the construction trade as a labourer and landscaper.
For the past eight years, however, he has been playing gigs full-time, sharing music with audiences throughout the Northern Rivers and Gold Coast.
He has a wife called Cedar and a young boy called Riley.
Next weekend Matty will be playing on the main stage at the Airlie Beach Festival of Music and also some of the venues across town.
He brings with him a drummer, bass player and organ player to complete the band.
Quick Quiz:
Favourite band of all time: Eagles
Least favourite song: Happy Birthday
Favourite song to play: Tennessee Whisky as a cover and Walk to the Water as an original
Last song you listened to: Something by Lauren Kate
Matty Rogers and his band are appearing live at the Airlie Beach Festival of Music next weekend
