Matthew Kenneally started learning guitar at a young age and quickly developed an interest in composition, recording his earliest works onto cassette tape. His love for and fascination with music carried him through his high school years before he went on to study Composition and Improvisation at the Victorian College of the Arts, completing a Bachelor of Music in 2009.
At present, Matthew is best-known as the front man of his band Canary (formed in 2009). The five-piece is known for its eclectic range of sounds and styles, innovative use of instruments, and Matthew’s very personal, honest and often heartbreaking lyrics. Early formations of the band featured a beat-boxing trumpet player and an electric violin.
Matthew has written and recorded two albums with Canary, both of which have been extremely well-received by the music community. Canary’s first album, Dear Universe (Bandcamp, Spotify), attracted the attention of musical producer heavyweight Greg Walker (of Machine Translations) who wrote a feature article on the album in the April, 2012 edition of Audio Technology Magazine. Walker went on to track and co-produce Canary’s second album I Am Lion (SoundCloud, Spotify) an album that has garnered praise from the likes of Richard Kingsmill, Paul Gough and Rolling Stone Australia.
Matthew’s music, both as a solo artist and with Canary, is known for its honesty, richness in color and emotion, as well as imaginative combinations and the use of different instruments, ranging from horns, beat-boxing, synths, choirs and strings. His music is highly evocative and has been featured abroad in French indie film Love is Dead and the UK hit TV show Made In Chelsea. Matthew has also written music for ads in Sweden and Germany and an indie video game in Australia.
Matthew has a broad range of influences and so his style can be difficult to pin down. He is a versatile writer and enjoys the creative challenge and deadline pressures when writing to various commercial, film and game briefs.
Matthew writes and records from his home studio in Geelong and is currently focusing his attention on composing for commercials, film and television, in addition to working on his third Canary album; a solo project under his own name; and various collaborations with other artists.
When you need music that is truly unique, emotionally evocative and full of heart, contact Matthew Kenneally.
Music
Videos
