Performing songwriter, Matthew Griswold, made the transition
from US Army Soldier to Professional Songwriter/Musician in
2008, and has been going full force ever since. After a short stint
in Nashville, and securing an elite publishing deal with Universal
Music Group, Matthew headed back to his native land of Minnesota and
began his career of writing and producing songs for Film and Television.
Though every songwriter dreams of a breakthrough chance
to sign a major league publishing deal, and have millions of
people hear their songs around the world, Matthew's true passion
has always been being the personal messenger. So, he's taken his sound,
which the MNPLS Star Tribune described as "The rough and howling edge
that has helped him earn his stripes as a songwriter", and began to
dedicate time between writing sessions, to going out and performing
live for people in a rapidly growing market of restaurants, vineyards,
brewpubs and taprooms, all around the northern midwest and now in NYC.
He finds a natural comfort in providing the more casual crowds with a
well-crafted soundscape to pair with an evening muse. As an artist
who never desired "Rock Star" like fame, this was a better fit for his
career, rather than face the spotlight heat of nightclub touring.
Matthew often chooses to reinvent the songs written by the great
songwriters of the past, playing the works of The Beatles, CCR,
Bruce Springsteen, Johnny Cash, and Bob Dylan, but he also plugs his
originals during live sets and closely observes a crowd's response.
He once stated in an interview with PBS, that "When a song can prove
itself to a crowd of strangers, it makes it much easier to imagine it being
used for TV or the silver screen. So, any given night is often a unique experience."
As a songwriter, performer and recording artist, Matthew
continues to hold a unique sonic outlook, backed with a primitive
form of passion, and driven forward with an endlessly active ambition...
HIGHLIGHTS:
- Featured on PBS “Prairie Musicians”
- Top 50 artist ranking on Apple Music "Alternative Folk" charts (U.S.)
- Top 200 SHAZAM Chart (Norway)
- Selected "Brand Ambassador" for KALA Brand Music Co.
- Over 600 Playlist features on Spotify
- Over 500 song placements in TV & Film productions
- Awarded a "Professional" certificate from Berklee College of Music
- Guest Lecturer at U of M Carlson School Of Business
- Guest Speaker for the American Music Therapy Association
- Pro Guest for the Minnesota Association of Songwriters
- "Above and Beyond Person of the Year" MN Council for Veterans
