ABOUT

Matthew Larsen has been a member of the vibrant Western Massachusetts music scene for a few decades, attracting audiences with introspective piano rock songs. Sometimes short, quiet and sweet, and other times building into wall-of-sound anthems, Matthew’s songs often recall serious health issues (Matthew underwent a stem cell transplant at Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston in 2005). Greg Saulmon, Alex Peterson and Mark Schwaber join Matthew to contribute multi-part harmonies, guitars, bass, bells, and quiet percussion.

INFLUENCES

mortality, cancer, journalism, the digital age, post-industrial cities, photographs, broken bones, shingles, appendectomies, ancestry, ex-loves, new loves, smoked meats, boiler rooms, politics, horizons, oceans, mountains, small towns, hope

HOUSE CONCERTS

Matthew Larsen and The Documents coordinate a house concert series called Dark Dining Room, most recently held at the Wistariahurst Museum in Holyoke, MA. Acts Matthew has featured and/or performed with have been The Low Anthem, David Berkeley, Will Stratton, Heather Maloney, Winterpills, Native Run, Eef Barzelay, and others.

“APHERESIS”

Apheresis, the debut album by Matthew Larsen and The Documents contains 12 tracks of introspective piano pop about love, progress, health, and mortality. It features Greg Saulmon, Steve Biegner, and Aric Bieganek with guest appearances by Dave Chalfant (The Nields), Philip Price (Winterpills), Matthew Loiacono (Matthew Carefully / Rosary Beard / Kamikaze Hearts) , Mark Schwaber (Hospital), Ethan Tufts (State Shirt), Rebekah Dutkiewicz, and Julia Suriano. Recorded with help from The Sam Fund in studios, houses, and apartments in Massachusetts, New York, and California.

IT’S AVAILABLE ON BANDCAMP AS WELL AS ITUNES, AMAZON, ETC.

To help finance the recording of this collection of songs, Matthew received The Andrea Coller Memorial Award, presented to Matthew by Andrea Coller’s family members and The SAMFund, an organization that assists cancer survivors with the transition to post-treatment life. Andrea Coller was a fellow Massachusetts musician and comrade who lost her battle with cancer in 2008.

LICENSED MUSIC (FILMS/DOCS/COMMERCIALS):

Sometimes you need some melodramatic piano music for your video.

THE MEDIA INFORMS THE PUBLIC:

CLUBLAND: Futuristic listening party launches band’s new CD
THE SPRINGFIELD REPUBLICAN: Sometimes you get a second chance. And a third. And a fourth.
THE VALLEY ADVOCATE: Behind The Beat: Rock Therapy
MASSLIVE.COM: An interview with Matthew Larsen