“Matt J Ward & The Rising Sons” is the self-titled debut EP from South Australian artist Matt J Ward and his band. With raw emotion, landscaped stories, catchy hooks, Matt sings of heartbreak, road trips and desert country like a veteran country performer.
The new music delivers a unique blend of contemporary Australian alt. country and draws comparisons with Neil Murray, Shane Howard, Corb Lund and Sturgill Simpson. The diverse EP delivers snippets of Nashville, the drive of late 70s Australian rock and swaggering tales of west Texan dive bars.
Sitting comfortably in the Alt-country/Americana wing of country music, Matt divides his time between music and his day job of working in national park and wildlife management. His work and music have taken him across Australia and more recently to the desert regions of West Texas. One such journey inspired much of what you hear on the debut EP.
‘Terlingua’ – the focus track on the EP was inspired by the West Texan ghost town of the same name. Once a town supporting a mercury mine, it has since been abandoned and is now home to a host of musicians looking for inspiration from its landscape and characters. Matt wrote this track after he visited in 2015 and ended up playing some shows at the famous Starlight Theatre, where well-known Texan country musicians such as George Goss and Butch Hancock play regularly.
Check out a live performance of ‘Terlingua’ HERE
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The self-titled debut EP features five self-penned tracks which will be familiar to those who attend Matt’s regular “Dive Bars and Bar Flies” shows across South Australia – past shows have featured Fanny Lumsden & Aaron Thomas, upcoming shows will feature Nick Payne & Peasant Moon. There is a small but strong country scene in South Australia, of which Matt is an active member. “Dive Bars and Bar Flies”, the brainchild of Matt and fellow country artist Paul Heggart (The Heggarties), aims to provide an avenue for local and national country artists to play in smaller bars across his home state. 
Over the years, Matt has fronted three bands including Where There’s Smoke and more recently the two piece Battle of Flowers with Yvette Booth, which is more of a combination of alternative country and indie rock. Battle of Flowers gained popularity and had good supports such as international troubadour Hugo Race (Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds) as well as staying in the local radio Top 20 charts for over 4 months.
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For more information or an interview with Matt J Ward, contact KrisKat Publicity:
E: kris@kriskatpublicity.com.au | Ph: 02 9349 5328 | 0414 334 348