Folks we need to reschedule the Foxboro show that was scheduled for this Friday, January 21st due a family member of mine testing positive for COVID. The new date is Saturday, February 5th at 7:30. Tickets can be purchased at www.orpheum.org.

First off, if you are looking for information on The Highwaymen - Songs and Stories, there's a lot of info about that on this site, but I've also created a separate website that is dedicated to it. That website is www.mattyorksongsandstories.com.

A few updates. I've got a bunch of shows in January and hopefully COVID will not prevent them from taking place. For more info on January gigs, please visit the Shows page. 

I'm excited to return to two great New England rooms, the historic Stone Church in Newmarket, New Hampshire on Wednesday, January 26th. I'll also be returning to The Porch Southern Fare and Juke Joint in Medford, MA on Saturday, January 29th.

My new album, Where the Hard Part Starts, will be coming out in May. There will be some singles coming out before then though. I'm looking forward to finally getting that music out to the world.

Thanks for stopping by and Happy New Year!

Happy Holidays folks!

First off, a lot of people ask how they can help indie musicians in these weird times where people listen to the music through streaming services, there's apprehension about going out to see live music etc. Well, you can click on my Link Tree  and follow me on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Music and/or social media. That helps me get the word out about upcoming music and gigs, which there are plenty of in 2022. You can also go to the top of my website and join my mailing list. I only email every month or two generally. Now onto a winter update

I'll be all over New England in December and January. If you are part of an LCC and looking for more information on the Highwaymen, please scroll down to the November update which has a bunch of information about that.

In January, I'll be bringing the HIghwaymen - Songs and Stories to the Marilyn Rodman Performing Arts Center in Foxborough. Mass. The date is January 21st. Advanced tickets can be purchased at www.orpheum.org

Thanks and hope to see you soon. If you haven't signed up for my mailing list, you can do so at the top of this page.

Recent Highwaymen Songs and Stories at The Boyden Library in Foxborough, Massachusetts.

Here's an article written by Jay Miller of The Patriot Ledger talking about a bunch of what's been going on with the music life. A lot of stuff about the Highwaymen project I've been working on, as well as a lot of talk about the new album and the ever-changing musical landscape. If you are from a Massachusetts LCC and looking for info about the Highwaymen - Songs and Stories, scroll to the October update below for a lot of information.  Thanks for stopping by. Click here to read the Ledger article or click the picture below.

Hello all,

This update will be a little different than most. If you're a member of a Local Cultural Council in Massachusetts, there's a bunch of information below and at this link talking more about "Songs and Stories - The Highwaymen". For LCC members, most of the information you're likely seeking is in my responses on the LCC application. However, I just wanted to mention a couple of things about the project as well. First off, if you're curious, click on the one of the videos below. That'll give you a sense of the music and stories that are covered. This series is something I began doing right before COVID and then started back up again in the springtime. It's not a lecture, it's not a concert per se, it's me telling stories and singing songs about the four country stars that made up the country supergroup The Highwaymen. Country musician Marty Stuart once said about Johnny Cash that “There are two kinds of people, there's those who like Johnny Cash, and those that will.” The same could be said of the other members of the band as well. The band consisted of Cash, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings and Kris Kristofferson. I weave stories about their careers with some of their greatest songs. One of the things that made their stories so unusual, is that they all lived incredibly full lives. They all grew up poor, three of the four served in military, all of them battled alcoholism and drug issues. All of them were considered "outlaws" yet also made religious music and faith was a big part of their lives. They also wrote some of the greatest country songs of all-time, changed the shape of popular music and did so on their own terms. There are some video links to the project. One of the things that's been nice about this, is that the crowd has varied in age and it's been something that couples have enjoyed attending together. My goal is to visit as many towns as I can doing this in 2022. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to email me at mattyorkpembroke@gmail.com or call/text me at 781-953-6177.

For those of you seeking a normal music update, I've got some great shows coming up this fall. I'm really looking forward to opening for Nashville's Jeremy Pirnell on October 17th at Askew in Providence, Rhode Island. That should be a great night of music.

There are two videos below.  

This video is both an interview and performance I did on Whitman Hanson Community Access . The first 5-10 minutes are me talking about how the Highwaymen performances first came about. The remainder of the video is me performing for a a small crowd at the Whitman Senior Center. It's a good example of what these gigs usually are like. Thanks to Paul at Whitman Hanson Community Access for recording them.

The video below was shot at City Winery in NYC and is of a song  written by Billy Joe Shaver and made famous by Waylon Jennings. 

Hi folks,

One of Willie Nelson's biggest hit songs, was a duet he recorded with Merle Haggard. The song was written by Townes Van Zandt. Here's a performance I did of it recently. 

This video below talks about The Highwaymen Music Project that I've been doing a lot of during 2021. In short, I tell stories and play songs by the four country icons that made up The Highwaymen, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings and Kris Kristofferson. The program ranges from 60 to 90 minutes and I try and weave stories about their careers and lives with some of their greatest songs. This isn't an impersonator or some sort of tribute act, it's just me telling stories and singing songs by some of my musical heroes.

In other news, I've got a boatload of gigs during the month of September. For those interested in The Highwaymen shows, I've created a Facebook page for that. You can visit https://www.facebook.com/songsandstoriesthehighwaymen to get updates about that. I just recently recorded some songs in the studio that you can listen to at the link below. I also made some CDs of those songs. Shoot an email to mattyorkpembroke@gmail.com if you'd like to purchase one.

I'm all over New England in the coming months. I still don't have a release date yet for the new album, but that'll hopefully be released this fall/early winter.

Thanks for stopping by!

https://mattyorkboston.bandcamp.com/album/matt-york-sings-the-highwaymen

Hello folks!

If you are looking for information on Songs and Stories - The Highwaymen, please click here. I also have a Facebook page up for Songs and Stories that you can follow my clicking here. I have several shows coming up in August and September. I'm also booking private gigs/house parties as we work our way into fall, so if you have an interest in that, shoot me an email at mattyorkpembroke@gmail.com or text/call 781-953-6177. I'll be opening up for Christine Ohlman at the iconic venue, The Knickerbocker Music Center on Saturday, August 7th in Westerly, Rhode Island. I have a bunch of Highwaymen Gigs coming up throughout New England as well. For those on the south shore, I'll be performing at Levitate's Rexicana Cantina in Marshfield on Wednesday, August 11th outdoors at 5 p.m.

I'll also be doing my first full band show in a while opening up for touring national act Sam Morrow at the Porch Southern Fare and Juke Joint in early September. For more info, visit my shows page at https://mattyorkmusic.com/shows

The new album is done, mastered and ready to go. I'll be releasing it presumably this fall. I'm still working the details out on that

. 

I've got a bunch of shows coming up throughout New England this summer. I hope to catch you at one of them. The new album is done and will be released before 2021. I'm still figuring out the logistics of that. I'll be playing my first full band show in nearly two years, opening for Sam Morrow at The Porch Southern Fare and Juke Joint in Medford, MA on Sunday, September 5th.

Here's a video my set at The Stone Church in Newmarket, NH. https://fb.watch/v/1QQeVcwSd/

Hi folks,

I've got a few shows coming up in May. It was nice to be back out there playing some gigs in April as well. Beginning May 7th, Massachusetts can have indoor singing again, so I'll hopefully be doing a lot more gigs in the coming weeks/months. I'll also be doing some house concerts this spring/summer. If you are interested in having me perform, please reach out at mattyorkpembroke@gmail.com and we can make it happen.

Songs and Stories 

Songs and Stories is a new music series that I'm performing throughout New England in 2021. While all my life, I've performed my own original songs, I've also been a huge fan of music and been an avid reader and listener of so many of my musical heroes. Songs and Stories is a 60 or 90 minute performance that blends songs by the artists and stories about their upbringing and careers. For the summer/fall of 2021, I'll be focusing on the country supergroup The Highwaymen, which consisted of Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings and Kris Kristofferson. I'll talk about the various collaborations those artists had with each other earlier in their careers, talk about the forming of The Highwaymen and perform a bunch of their most famous songs. If you'd be interested in booking me to perform, please call/text 781-953-6177 or email me at mattyorkpembroke@gmail.com. 

Lastly, I recently had a chance to take part in a livestream put on by Tiny Oak Booking at the Midway Cafe in Jamaica Plain. The quality of the video/audio is excellent. I play for about 45 minutes and there's a bunch of new songs on there. Just click on the picture below or here to watch/listen. 

I had a chance to talk w/ the Patriot Ledger about the music life during COVID, along with some other area musicians. You can read the article here. 

I recently had a chance to chat with The Local Seen on PacTV and play a new song called "Baby Doll". Click below to watch.

I've added a Rhode Island and Massachusetts dates for late March and April. I'd suggest checking back at those dates draw closer in case anything changes regarding state guidelines for live shows. Hopefully, I'll be playing a bunch of gigs here before long.

If you listen to Spotify, please consider following me at this link. I'll be releasing new music in the coming months and Spotify will let you know when, if you follow me.

Thanks!

Happy February,

Massachusetts still isn't allowing live music at this time, so I remain in a holding pattern as far as gigs. However, I've had an opportunity to spend a bunch of time in the studio recording. The tracking of the album is done and we're just in the mixing and mastering stages now. Hopefully, I will be releasing some new music out into the world very soon.

Recently, I was asked to be part of a series hosted by the great Brick Briscoe on PBS's show Any Road with Brick Briscoe to talk about the state of the music world. I appear a few times throughout the episode, which speaks with musicians from all over the world about what they think the post-COVID world of music will look like. You can click on the picture below or click https://www.pbs.org/video/any-road-with-brick-briscoe-music-is-dead-part-3-4-j8n90t/ if you'd like to watch it. If you want to stream it through Chromecast to your TV, you'll need to download the PBS app and seach for the show on their app. 

Hope everyone is safe out there and hopefully we'll see each other soon.

Best,

Matt