The Matt Skinner Band formed in the winter of 2012 and released Native Stranger (2013) shortly thereafter which was recorded at the highly acclaimed Stout Studio in Fort Collins, CO. The band consists of Matt Skinner on lead vocals and guitars, Darren Radach on drums and mandolin, Ben O’Connor on electric and upright bass, all rounded out by Ansel Foxley on electric and acoustic dobro. Notable sometime-band members include Joe Lessard on fiddle, Michael O’Connor on lead guitar, and Amanda Hofer on backup and lead vocals.
Matt has released three solo albums, Four Winds (2001), The Nighthawk Affair (2007) and Live at StoneCringe: Vol I (2009) on the Tapadero Productions label and one independent rock EP, Four Day March (2010) with the supergroup, Eleven Bones. Matt is also featured on Waylon Jennings: The Red River tribute (2004) and Undone: A Tribute to Robert Earl Keen (2009) with many of the best and brightest singer/songwriters on the scene. Additionally, songs penned by Matt are included in the film, Secret at Arrow Lake (2009) starring C. Thomas Howell in which Matt and some old band mates also make a cameo.
Skinner’s lyrics capture the raw human spirit and come to life as the band deftly weaves a colorful tapestry of songs and stories of love and danger with a passion born of living and tempered with an infectious groove. The detail and imagery of each song is magnified by the intense electricity of the band as Skinner’s powerful, road-worn tenor voice commands the stage with a presence that is spellbinding in its organic honesty and mercurial resonance. Each performance is a thrilling, emotional carnival ride filled with love, laughter, pain and heartbreak.