Matt Sanders (7)

Louisiana-born Tennessee songwriter Matt Sanders makes meaningful music rooted in the styles of the American South yet beholden to no tradition, combining Dylanesque acoustic guitar stylings with haunting vocals and dynamic melodies to create an ethereal Americana style all his own. With lyrical rhythm reminiscent of Damien Rice and a fresh folk sound that brings to mind Phoebe Bridgers, Matt Sanders is carving a niche for himself in the singer-songwriter genre. Sanders is a writer with an opinion and a heart, juxtaposing biting cultural and political critiques with heartfelt confessions. His Home EP (2017), with songs like “Starlight” and “Home,” highlights his bent for the bittersweet and his knack for poetic imagery. And the songwriter’s most recent compositions contain an effective thematic blend of satire and sincerity—if the sardonic song “Riverbed” leads you into cynicism, the poignant piano ballad “The Path//” will lead you out. It’s this ability to speak to both the romantic and the cynic that makes Sanders’s lyrics resonate. You can find “The Path//,” Matt Sanders’s latest single, on NoiseTrade and wherever music is streamed.