I’ve known Matt since grade school. During our formative years we were in a number of bands together, some good, some slightly less good. Over the last decade or so, Matt has been moving on up and has been performing his introspective piano songs for the Western Massachusetts music community. He’s gone through a lot, including a two time battle with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, and I’m glad to say that he has had a clean bill of health for some time now.

Matthew (and his band The Documents) had spent the last year or so recording his new album Apheresis. To help finance the recording, he received The Andrea Coller Memorial Award, presented by Andrea Coller’s family members and The SAMFund, an organization that assists cancer survivors with the transition to post-treatment life. Andrea Coller was a fellow Massachusetts musician who lost her battle with cancer in 2008.

Sometimes “short, quiet and sweet—other times building into wall-of-sound Hotel-California-like anthems”, Matt’s songs often recall the serious health issues he has endured. I was lucky enough to have taken a trip back east last summer while they were tracking with Dave Chalfant at his studio in Conway, Massachusetts, and I contributed a few guitar parts. Earlier this year, when Matt asked me to mix and master the album, of course I couldn’t refuse. The songs are just great. I spent quite a few months behind the studio monitors, with many in-progress tracks being sent across from California to Massachusetts to be reviewed via SoundCloud. I was really honored to be a part of this project, and I highly recommend checking out Matt’s music.

::: Click here to listen.

From Matt’s site:

With a trio of instrumentalists called The Documents (Greg Saulmon, Aric Bieganek, and first cousin and longtime collaborator, Steve Biegner), their debut album Apheresis was lovingly recorded in studios, hallways, and living rooms. Dave Chalfant (The Nields) and Ethan Tufts (State Shirt) were at the helm, as well as an incredible cast of guest musicians: Mark Schwaber (Lloyd Cole and the Small Ensemble), Rebekah Dutkiewicz (Oweihops, Northernly), Julia Suriano (Steve Biegner), Matthew Loiacano (Matthew Carefully, Kamikaze Hearts), and Philip Price (Winterpills).