Mathew Sydney

Artist Information

Biography

A consummate entertainer, Mathew Sydney has been a composer, actor and visual artist since an early age. His influences include classic rock giants such as Elton John, Fleetwood Mac, The Beatles and The Beach Boys; pop sensations such as Pink, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry and Maroon5 and alternative artists such as R.E.M, The B-52's, Neko Case, The New Pornographers and Aimee Mann.

Sydney began performing at open mics in 2005 and by 2009 he was headlining his own shows at coffeehouses and clubs. Not one to simply strum away on his guitar, Sydney engages his audience through storytelling, conversation and dry humor. There is a story behind every song: sometimes funny, sometimes serious but always uplifting.

A devoted supporter of his fellow independent artists, Sydney also hosts a weekly internet radio show (http://blogtalkradio.com/indieflorida) where he features music by and interviews other artists. His live performances are also structured in a 'variety show' format, creating a showcase for audiences to experience other talented artists as well as Sydney's original music.

'The Game' (released in Feb, 2012) highlights his versatility as a composer with songs that feature elements of rock, jazz, folk, dance and psychedelia.

Sydney is currently at work on his follow-up album, which will include show favorites such as "Slow Burn," "Texas Hold Me" and "Mercedes and Lexus." He is also composing a rock opera that he describes as "a cross between 'Jesus Christ Superstar' and 'Rent.'"

Instrumentation

Mathew Sydney - Vocals, guitars

Discography

"The Fiddler" (digital single) 2012

The Game (full-length studio album) 2012

"You Know My Name" (digital single) 2011

"Stacked Against You (Acoustic)" (digital single) 2010

"Blackbird (Acoustic)" (digital single) 2010

"Don't Push (Acoustic)" (digital single) 2010

Drank Too Much (EP, acoustic/live) 2010

Official Website

http://mathewsydney.com

Links

• Facebook
• MySpace
• Twitter

Audio

• You Know My Name
  Listen  
• Touch Me Like That
  Listen  
• Blue Car
  Listen  
• Stacked Against You
  Listen  
• The Hunter (Radio mix)
  Listen  
• Coinleach glas an fhomhair
  Listen  

Lyrics

• You Know My Name
• Touch Me Like That
• Blue Car
• Blackbird (Follow Him Down)
• Stacked Against You
• Little Hunter

Video

Photo Gallery

Press

• Spreading Wings [+ Show ]
  

  A fundraiser at Max's Grille in Mizner Park reeled in more than $5,000 for Pelican Harbor Seabird St...A fundraiser at Max's Grille in Mizner Park reeled in more than $5,000 for Pelican Harbor Seabird Station to benefit the wildlife victims of the Gulf oil spill. The event, co-sponsored by the Keyes Company, was headlined by local singer-songwriter Mathew Sydney and attracted more than 300 people.

• Life With A Twist - Spotlight On! - Mathew Sydney [+ Show ]
  

  There's something about the melody (of "Blackbird")... and the tone that really effects me at the co...There's something about the melody (of "Blackbird")... and the tone that really effects me at the core... thank you for the courage of being able to put yourself- pieces of yourself- in a song.
  
  "Don't Push..." I love the lyrics to that song but I just really love the hook too. It is just so catchy!
  
  [follow the link to hear the entire interview]

• Interview with Mathew Sydney on 'Lunch with Kevin' [+ Show ]
  

  February 04, 2011 Kevin Shuppe - Lunch with Kevin on WPBR 1340 AM Kevin Shuppe interviews singer-...February 04, 2011 Kevin Shuppe - Lunch with Kevin on WPBR 1340 AM
  
  Kevin Shuppe interviews singer-songwriter, Mathew Sydney about his music and his career.
  

• West Palm Beach Mathew Sydney [+ Show ]
  

  I met singer-songwriter Mathew Sydney in a bathroom line, and he completely satisfied me. Don't l...I met singer-songwriter Mathew Sydney in a bathroom line, and he completely satisfied me.
  
  Don't let that confuse you, cornchips; let a self-respecting carouser remind you that bathroom lines are for more than extracurricular cruising or bathroom-dance gyrations. At their most spiritual peak, bathroom lines are stolen moments with often like-gendered and sometimes like-minded revelers.
  
  And a stolen moment it was in a bathroom line at West Palm Beach’s Fort Dix where I was able to trap the ears and mind of the budding musician Mathew Sydney.
  
  First impressions: Sydney does not appear overly colorful or imposing. He doesn’t appear jaded and full of witticisms like so many gays today. He doesn’t seem overly concerned with class.
  
  "I love D-major," Sydney tells me. Simple.
  
  Now, after listening to his music, simplicity is what I've come to love about the guitar-playing crooner. He radiates a refreshing brand of straightforwardness. His personality and music make honesty easy and realness a virtue. He is simply a gay man dealing with a gay world.
  
  If you need an example, then just listen to the song “Stacked Against You.” There is no trite-as-it-is-deep, overemotional outpouring. Instead, the song possesses a general gay truthfulness (reflected perfectly in the line: “You say you want me when you're chasing dick downtown.").
  
  Other songs like "The Fiddler,” "Don't Push,” and “Ace of Hearts” betray Sydney’s cigarette charm: part Marlboro man, part smoke-covered Courtney Love. Always sultry.
  
  
  Overall, Sydney is still a little raw, but I am totally taken by the friendly, pub-style mockery of his lyrics. In the future, I'd like to hear more crowd-riling jams and vocal-range exploration, but until then, fellow Palm Beachers, I recommend doing what I do and following his voice and career.
  
  Mathew Sydney is one musician worth standing in a bathroom line for.
  
  Check out Mathew Sydney’s upcoming shows and songs at www.mathewsydney.com.
  

Setlist

Wild Horses (Rolling Stones)
Blue Car (Mathew Sydney)
Stacked Against You (Mathew Sydney)
Who's Crying Now (Journey)
Phoenix (Mathew Sydney)
Lost in the Game (Mathew Sydney)
Coinleach Glas an Fhomhair (Traditional, Irish)
Texas Hold Me (Mathew Sydney)
Please Don't Leave Me (Pink)

(intermission)

Don't be Shy (Cat Stevens)
The Fiddler (Mathew Sydney)
Don't Push (Mathew Sydney)
Down (Jay Sean)
Drank Too Much (Mathew Sydney)
Little Hunter (Mathew Sydney)
Dreams (Fleetwood Mac)
You Know My Name (Mathew Sydney)
Blackbird (Mathew Sydney)
Paparazzi (Lady Gaga)

Basic Requirements

Calendar