MATT AND ISOM

MATT AND ISOM

www.myspace.com/mattandisom

"Most amazing new live band I've seen in years." -Mike Kaminsky (Vans Warped Tour)

Matt Wilcox - Guitar, Synth, Programming
Isom Innis - Vocals, Piano, Rhodes, Guitar, Drums

The musical careers of Matt Wilcox and Isom Innis began on opposite sides of the world and thus their hunger for music was provoked by very different upbringings and influences. Isom, born in Nashville, Tennessee to country recording artist Dave Innis of Restless Heart, began his musical livelihood and fed his appetite for playing and creating music by seeking influence from Nashville’s greatest: "I grew up listening to stories about Willie Nelson and playing with Johnny Cash. My childhood was one extraordinary picture of country legends." Eventually uprooted from his country establishment, Isom relocated to Oxford, England where he was introduced to a culture, both historically and musically, that infused him with the talents of bands like Radiohead and Oasis; "Being able to walk the same streets as Thom Yorke and attend the same primary school as Supergrass enthralled me with this deep musical passion that I had to release."

Matt Wilcox, inversely, was born in England to an American military Colonel. Raised as a true army brat, he grew up moving every few months, living in nearly every US state, and bouncing between schools. Having to relocate continuously, often to towns in the middle of nowhere, Matt turned to music as a constant in his life. In 2003, after Matt’s final relocation and Isom’s return to the US from England, the two met in Colorado Springs, Colorado. A quiet mountain town, Colorado Springs provided the perfect atmosphere and time in the boys lives for them to come together. Matt’s older brother introduced the two: "I remember meeting Matt for the first time. We went back to his apartment to play some guitar. I started to strum the opening chords of Don’t Panic and Matt immediately jumped in playing Johnny Buckland’s guitar solo. From that moment on I knew this was going to work." Matt and Isom was born.

Over the next few years Matt and Isom locked themselves in the basement of Isom’s step father's church. There they started to write music and record demos together. "The Church", as Matt and Isom rightfully dubbed the basement, gave life to their music. "We would play for hours, messing around with old drum machines and samplers, and experiment with church organs from the 1940s," says Isom, lead singer of Matt and Isom. "At first it was a bit chaotic but as time passed it started to grow into something beautiful." The time spent in "The Church" allowed for a permanent, inseparable bond between the two boys. Their personalities are distinctly different; however musically they make a perfect pair. They compliment each other fantastically: Isom takes the reigns as the front man, playing piano, drums, Rhodes, and guitar, while Matt engineers an array of synths and sampled beats from the lap top, playing guitar and occasionally taking center stage to play drums.

Over the summer of 2005, Matt and Isom attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA. There they were honored with the prestigious and coveted Berklee College of Music Songwriting Showcase first place award. Throughout 2006 Matt and Isom played a series of concerts and label showcases, which ultimately led them to Los Angeles where they received accolades from Filter Magazine, Warcon Records, Vans Warped Tour, and Cobra Starship's Gabe Saporta. Their energetic and exciting live shows have gained them much respect on the independent music scene, generating a buzz which has led to offers from several independent labels.

For more information contact mattandisom@hotmail.com