BIOGRAPHY
"The music industry is a very complex profession. You either evolve or you dissolve, theres no room for complacency . I'm constantly trying to develop my voice on my instrument to stand out from the thousands that are trying to do the same thing. I hope my unique style gives listeners a breath of fresh air in my genre while also giving respect and reverence to the greats that have come before me."
Matthew Lee
Matthew has been playing professionally since the age of 15 back in the state line area of his native Wisconsin. He quickly fell in love with the instrument and after much time practicing was playing in church and then in the nightclubs. His local music store Paradise Guitars became his home away from home.
He went on to study Music Merchandising and Recording Technology at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh where his primary applied instrument was classical guitar. In addition to playing required curriculum he fell in love with Jazz and South American music and was performing several times a week in addition to his studies. He graduated with a Bachelors Degree in 2003 in both Majors as well as an Honorary Recitalist Award.
After teaching private lessons in his home town at his local music store for almost four years and playing in a well respected band he decided in was time for a new career path, Nashville.
Matthew has been in Nashville for a decade now and has been able to make a living as well as move up the ranks of guitar players in one of the most popular music cities in the world. In his time in Nashville Matthew has been a guitar player in the downtown scene for the Travis Mann Band and a first call fill in for The Don Kelly Band among others.
Matthew has been the band leader for Outlaw Artist Shooter Jennings and has been featured on two live CD's with Shooter and Jessi Colter. For the two years he was with the Jennings team he got a chance to play over 40 US states, tour Europe and play the Grand Ole Opry .
In 2017 Matthew released his EP "Musical Tattoo" a mostly instrumental album showcasing his range as both a writer and musician. Backed by some of the most respected players in town and some Grammy award winning talent , the record is a multi-genre exploration into the creative journey Matthew has taken in his time in Nashville. The entire album is available in the MUSIC section on this site.
Currently Matthew is working with Ray Scott on the road playing lead guitar. Matthew has backed up artists such as Darell Worley, David Lee Murphy and Randy Houser as well. When in town he can be found playing long sets at Roberts Western World and other downtown venues several times a week. He is also backing up several other great songwriter/ vocalists Shawn Lacy , Dawn Boers and Hannah Aldridge on their respective projects.
Matthew helped co-found and and is a large part of the operation behind a growing guitar based community on social media called Nashville Guitar Community. They host special events all around showcasing the amazing talent from some of Nashville's finest guitar players. For more information on joining or checking out the forum click on the icon.
