Crys Matthews

Biography

Crys Matthews was born and raised in Richlands, a small town in Southeastern North Carolina known as the 'Town of Perfect Water.' A preacher's kid, classically-trained clarinetist, and former drum major, she initially aspired to become a high school band director after starting clarinet in sixth grade. Her path shifted dramatically in college at Appalachian State University, where a serendipitous gig filling in on keys and singing for a band ignited her passion for songwriting and performance; she wrote her first song shortly after, won a campus talent show, taught herself guitar, and began her journey as a folk singer inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s call to be a 'drum major for justice.'

Matthews began performing professionally around 2010, relocating from North Carolina to Herndon, Virginia about ten years ago, and later to Nashville, Tennessee. She blends Americana, folk, blues, bluegrass, country, jazz, and funk into bold performances featuring traditional melodies and honest, original lyrics focused on social justice, hope, and truth—earning comparisons to Woody Guthrie as a troubadour of her generation. Key milestones include winning the 2017 NewSong Music and Performance Competition grand prize at Lincoln Center out of 5,000 entrants, performing at Sundance Film Festival’s ASCAP Music Café, Northeast Regional Folk Alliance, Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, and a riverboat cruise from Paris to Normandy; her 2021 album Changemakers saw its title track named the International Folk Music Association's Song of the Year in 2022.

Now a prolific lyricist and composer, Matthews released Reclamation recorded at Nashville's Sound Emporium Studios, reclaiming spaces in Country and Americana for Black artists, LGBTQ+ people, and women while embracing her identity as a Black butch lesbian Southerner. Her music galvanizes audiences at festivals, clubs, and coffeehouses nationwide, emphasizing hope amid division, with recent projects like Battle Hymn for an Army of Lovers and The Imagineers solidifying her as a leading voice in social justice music.

Fun Facts

• Richlands, NC, her hometown, is nicknamed the 'Town of Perfect Water.'
• She won $500 (described as 'a million college dollars') in her first campus talent show at Appalachian State University with her debut song written on keys.
• Her very first U.S. train ride on the Coast Starlight from San Francisco to Corvallis, Oregon inspired the song 'Exactly Where You Are.'
• A one-off gig with a temporary band configuration in college was the pivotal night that changed her music career trajectory.

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. - Ideological inspiration to become a 'drum major for justice' (Influenced shift from classical music to social justice folk songwriting) [Ongoing since career start ~2010]

Key Collaborators

• Levi Lowry - Producer of album Reclamation (co-writer of Zac Brown Band's 'Colder Weather') (Reclamation) [2020s]
• Mark Williams - Producer, lead guitarist, and band member (Battle Hymn for an Army of Lovers, The Imagineers) [Recent years]
• Heather Mae - Partner on and off stage (Reclamation) [2020s]
• Kyshona - Friend and fellow singer-songwriter featured on album (Reclamation) [2020s]
• Melody Walker - Friend and fellow singer-songwriter featured on album (Reclamation) [2020s]
• Chris Housman - Friend and fellow singer-songwriter featured on album (Reclamation) [2020s]
• Ben Tufts - Drummer and staple of D.C. music scene (Live band performances) [Recent years]
• Graham Drew - Bassist in band (Live band performances) [Recent years]
• Wes Lanich - Keyboard player in band (recently moved to Colorado) (Live band performances) [Until ~2023]

External Links

• Spotify