Matt Lewis Band
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Matt Lewis Band

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This band has not uploaded any videos

Music

The best kept secret in music

Press


"Showdown to SXSW"

Singer-guitarist Matt Lewis’ rapid-fire flow and infectious funny-folk melodies brought to mind the sugar-jittered lovechild of Barenaked Ladies, G. Love and an unhinged auctioneer, and the Band (it’s not just a clever name) hung tight on every curve. The MLB were easily the most stage-savvy act of the night. - Salt Lake's City Weekly


"Revamped foursome revisits Alaska to promote debut CD and hang out with friends"

Matt Lewis spent last summer working and playing in the 49th state and swore he’d return. And he is in September, during a two-week tour around Alaska under the guise of The Matt Lewis Band.
“We talk it up, Chad Bates and I. The rest of the band is really excited to see Alaska because we love it so much,” said frontman Lewis from his home in Provo, Utah.
The Alaska music scene inspired his heartfelt admiration. Lewis made an immediate connection with musicians and promoters while touring with a makeshift band last year and hopes to rekindle those feelings.
“Alaska is just a fun place and the people are amazing. There’s no judgment. It’s kind of like ‘anything goes’ and that is just how our band is. We have the same personality.”
Like most groups, this Utah-based sensation hit a few rough spots on the way to its present lineup. The original drummer left early on, and then guitarist Ben “Fish” Fisher joined up without an audition because Lewis and Bates felt he was “the one.” They added Cameron Runyon on drums just before the Alaska trip.
This lineup avoids the pop clichés, offering a clean sound that favors acoustic instruments over heavily blurred synthesized or electric sounds. And Lewis delivers a smooth ballad or belts out a perky super-speed tune.
Netnews writer Stephanie Terry described the band as a cross between “Jack Johnson and Barenaked Ladies with 311 and Sublime.” Netnews also called the group’s recent opening slot for Maroon 5 an “energetic opening performance.”
Funky blues trio G. Love & Special Sauce also urged listeners to “check these guys out because they are…awesome.”
Lewis finds singing comfortable. He had formal voice training and joked that his voice is way stronger than his guitar playing. In comparison, drummer Runyon grew up with a father who is a professional composer. Runyon’s an all-around musician with experience with guitar and vocals, Lewis said. Likewise, Fish and Bates go a long way to keep the sound together, he added.
Lewis may write the lyrics, but the band collaborates on the rest. Different musical backgrounds can, of course, make this difficult. For instance, the guys hit several setbacks the first time they worked together on a song, Lewis said. Just weeks before beginning the self-titled debut album, Lewis introduced a number he had written and performed during his last trip to Alaska. But the chord progression wasn’t working and the song began to drag, he said.
“We wanted to record it. So we sat down and began throwing stuff on top of it and changing it. It really became a group effort. We’ve been doing it ever since.”
Besides opening for Maroon 5 and G. Love & Special Sauce, the band’s ultimate highlight was laying down tunes at the Sound Factory in Los Angeles, where The Doors, Led Zeppelin and No Doubt have recorded. The guys produced and mixed the disc, and Lewis is proud of the shared accomplishment.
“For me, being a singer/songwriter for so long, and to finally have a CD. To get this big package in the mail with hundreds of boxes with CDs wrapped in cellophane. It’s a great experience.”
THE MATT LEWIS BAND performs in Totem, Fairbanks, Denali, Seward, Anchorage and Girdwood from September 1-14. For more information visit www.mattlewisband.com.
- AK This Month


"the Buzz Bin"

Virgin has assembled line-ups that highlight the best of national and local acts at each store.

Salt Lake City's Gateway location will be graced by the likes of...Utah's own...the Matt Lewis Band... - The Daily Utah Chronicle


Discography

Matt Lewis Band Self Titled Album
Tracks 1, 4, 6, 8 currently receive airplay in Utah, Alaska, and online.

1. Killing Time
2. Friction
3. Gravity
4. Chili Davis
5. Old Enough
6. Away From Myself
7. Head Games
8. In For a Ride
9. Make Believe World
10. The River

Photos

Feeling a bit camera shy

Bio

MATT LEWIS BAND
“Check him out...
that guy is dope”
-G Love

Provo, Utah based Matt Lewis Band isn’t just Punk, Hip Hop, Folk Rock, or Reggae, but ask one of their throngs of fans and you could get any one of these for an answer. Attending one of their energetic crowd-pleasing performances led Maroon 5’s lead guitarist James Valentine to proclaim, “You guys completely owned that crowd!”

Bassist Chad Bates, drummer Cameron Runyan, and guitarist Eric Ellsworth came together around Matt Lewis’ ability to freestyle rhymes so quickly that Eminem himself would have trouble keeping pace. Their commanding stage presence always steals the center of attention in the noisiest of artist-unfriendly bars. MLB’s ability to make a crowd forget about their drinks and move their feet is paramount in describing their live performance--a sea of faces either with jaws dropped to the floor or bodies moving in all directions.

It's no secret that seeing the Matt Lewis Band live is like shooting caffeine directly into the veins.

MLB has a crossover style that is due to their wide range of influences. Their appeal spans from dyed-hair teenagers with one to many piercings, to college students, as well as those approaching mid-life crisis and beyond. Their catchy tunes and creative lyrics have helped to establish a cult-like following which keeps people coming back for more and bringing new friends each time.

MLB could easily fit on bills with Slightly Stupid, Ben Harper, Taking Back Sunday, Jack Johnson, Cypress Hill, and Willie Nelson. Comparisons run amuck from Sublime to Jason Mraz, but MLB can hold their own with any of these artists. Leading MTV video director, Mike Scheartle, announced Matt Lewis Band as “one of the most promising new acts [he had] seen in a long time.”

Whether it’s opening for Maroon 5 or headlining the annual Girdwood Forest Fair in Alaska, MLB continues to gain momentum in the Pacific Northwest and is looking to bring their explosive live crowd pleasing performance to the rest of the United States and the world.

Their self-titled debut was released in April
2004, after selling thousands of demos
by word of mouth and live performances.
It won’t be long before the rest of the world
catches on to MLB’s unforgettable, crowd
rousing anthems and embraces them.

Contact info: 801.830.1352 - Cameron
camrunyan@yahoo.com, contact@mattlewisband.com, booking@mattlewisband.com

LEGAL: Robert Reynolds
rhr@callister-reynolds.com
Callister & Reynolds Law Offices
823 Las Vegas Boulevard South
Las Vegas, Nevada 89101
Phone - 702-385-3343