Matthew Hansen

"Fearlessly navigating the borders of blues, rock, soul, funk, pop and 90's hip hop and R&B, Matthew Hansen defiantly eschews categorization of his music into a particular genre. Evocative and clever songwriting paired with explosive, guitar-laden melodies are perhaps the only two consistencies that one can pin to Hansen. His music reflects a stream of influences that he explores in able to continually redefine how he is represented inside popular music formats. Pairing that with visceral and dynamic singing and a truly spontaneous, 'all bets are off' performance style which sees Hansen effortlessly swing between a full band, a two-piece outfit a la The White Stripes or completely solo with his electric guitar, proves Hansen a truly captivating, in-your-face showman and performer. A Berkeley native and Oakland resident, Hansen has continued to master his self-proclaimed crafts of songwriting and guitar and consistently mesmerize Bay Area audiences with his electric live performances since 2005. He has had the good fortune to share the stage with local talents and friends such as Dave Rude of the band Tesla, Bay Area blues legend Tommy Castro and former Black Crows guitarist Marc Ford. Hansen lives by the notion that spontaneity and experimentation connect his message best with those watching and listening. While Hansen has thoughtfully and skillfully recorded singles that he has written, composed, mixed and mastered himself, he is an artist whose alchemy is best experienced live."