(MONTCLAIR, NJ) -- Outpost in the Burbs presents Matthew Fowler as part of their New Voices Series on Friday, October 6, 2023 at 8:00pm at First Congregational Church of Montclair. Tickets are $28.
Documenting all the joy and wonder and heartbreak and confusion of life in your early 20s, Matthew Fowler’s stunning label debut, The Grief We Gave Our Mother, is a profoundly personal work of self-discovery and introspection, but more than that, it’s an ode to growing up and chasing dreams. The songs here wrestle with love and loss in the face of ambition and independence, and the arrangements are captivatingly complex to match, layering dynamic guitars, breathy woodwinds, and lush harmonies into a transcendent soundscape that blurs the lines between traditional roots music and experimental chamber folk. The result is a record that’s at once bold and timid, hopeful and anxious, world-weary and naïve, an honest, revelatory collection all about forging a life of purpose, passion, and meaning.
Born and raised in Florida, Fowler fell in love with music at an early age, and by 19, he’d already self-released his debutand begun booking his own cross-country tours. Critics were quick to take notice, with American Songwriter praising Fowler’s “earnest, strummy songcraft” and The Bluegrass Situation proclaiming that his “assured, velvety vocals are rivaled only by the intimacy of his lyrics.” In addition to helping Fowler land support slots with everyone from Richard Thompson and Damien Jurado to Angel Olsen and The Weepies, the music also caught the ear of acclaimed producer Shane Leonard, who invited Fowler to Eau Claire, WI, to complete work on The Grief We Gave Our Mother in 2020.
Tickets are $28 (plus fees) and available for purchase online. First Congregational Church of Montclair is located at 40 S Fullerton Avenue in Montclair, New Jersey.
Outpost in the Burbs is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization in Montclair dedicated to building community through music and volunteerism. For over 35 years, the Outpost has presented concerts by internationally known artists such as Judy Collins, Roger McGuinn, Jorma Kaukonen, Jimmy Webb, Richie Havens, The Jayhawks, Nick Lowe, Richard Thompson, and Shawn Colvin. In addition to presenting concerts, Outpost volunteers have donated many hours of their time for programs affiliated with the Human Needs Food Pantry of Mont- clair, the Community Food Bank of NJ, MESH (Montclair Emergency Services for Hope), and a monthly community food program run by Outpost volunteers in Orange, New Jersey.
