We are all searching for something…
 
For Matt Shwachman, it is a search for melody, for motion, and for fulfillment of the mind. This search began when he was five and his mom bought him his first cassette tape, Beastie Boys’ Licensed to Ill, which created a spark of curiosity that would spend years gaining heat. Now, that spark, that longing, has forged an acoustic guitar driven-blend of pop/rock with lyrics that often tackle difficult philosophical questions.
 
Matt compares his music style to a blend of Dave Matthews meets U2. Skope Magazine states that Matt’s music “would impress fans of artists such as John Mayer, Tom Petty and Jason Mraz.”
 
Although his artistic vision and style took years to take shape, Matt would taste success with his very first finished song. Although written years earlier, “Side of the Road” recentlytouched listeners across the country when it earned a spot on the hit TV series One Tree Hill. “When I wrote ‘Side of the Road,’ it was a moment of liberation for me,” recalls Matt. “It was one of the first times in my life that I really felt passionate about something. It’s a song about finding your own way in the world, chasing your dreams, and not letting what everyone else thinks get in the way of that.”
 
Despite his growing artistic success, Matt has had to overcome a serious battle with an injury in order to be able to enjoy any of his achievements.  While traveling in Australia years earlier, Matt had suffered a sports injury to his neck and back, which would wind up altering the course of his life. “I was diagnosed with a couple herniated discs and there was little doctors seemed to be able to do for me. I was experiencing a lot of pain and was unhappy with having to alter my lifestyle, after having lived an extremely active lifestyle before. I sought out every kind of treatment you could think over a 4 to 5 year period and nothing seemed to work only provide temporary relief." says Matt.  
His search for a lasting cure eventually and inevitably led him to spirituality and personal transformation. There was suddenly a bigger picture and deeper meaning to his life, and a newfound urgency to seek out this fulfillment for which he had always been searching. Upon this realization, the floodgates opened and Matt’s new album, Uncharted Territory ensued. “Uncharted Territory is a journey about the process, not the end result”, Matt says.  “We are all ever-evolving, changing and growing people. It is this growth process that brings fulfillment, and in order to attain any sense of it, it must be earned.” While Matt still experiences some pain, he says the injury no longer runs his life and credits his spiritual journey and music for the bulk of his personal growth.
Indeed, Matt’s efforts have been earning him some attention as of late. He recently picked up two local awards as write in winner for Best New Album and Best Singer Songwriter. He has also seen his music do well in the AAA format alongside some industry greats such as Amy Winehouse, O.A.R., Dido, Sarah McLachlan, Widespread Panic and Sister Hazel on Jim Nelson’s renowned “A Taste of Triple A” samplers.  College Radio and several TV appearances seem to have industry people taking notice, as Matt has had his music played on over 150 college radio stations. CMJ, the college radio industry's top trade magazine, recently stated, “Acoustic-wielding, Boston-Based singer songwriter Matt Shwachman will be giving established heart-melters like One Republic and Five For Fighting a run for their money when he performs a brief handful of East Coast dates this month and makes an appearance on the tri-state area’s (Delaware, New Jersey, and Philly) The Tim Qualls Show.” The latest television stop for Shwachman was Comcast/CN-8’s Backstage, which is televised in over 13 million homes in 12 states along the East Coast.
 
Matt recently recruited guitarist Mike Fiore, bassist Hugh Allen, and drummer Dana Bonardi to form the Matt Shwachman Band (MSB). Matt and company have played many of New England’s top club venues including The Hard Rock Café Boston (MA), (which recent show drew over 300 fans) The Middle East (MA), T.T. the Bear’s Place (MA), Harpers Ferry (MA), The Bitter End (NYC), Sullivan Hall (NYC), Arlene’s Grocery (NYC), Doc Watson’s (PA), and the Grog & Tankard (D.C.), to name a few. MSB also recently just had a headlining slot as part of the Boston Music Festival. In addition to their extensive club calendar, they are currently working on their new album entitled “Are You Prepared” scheduled to be released in late 2009.