Matthew Byrne

Storytelling through song is a fundamental duty of traditional music, and Matthew Byrne does this brilliantly. His musical upbringing has shaped his repertoire, and Byrne supports this tradition with powerful vocals, polished guitar work, and a presence that fills the room.

With parents who were both singers and song collectors and a strong family focus on sharing songs, Byrne has inherited a unique repertoire and a fascination with unearthing and reimagining traditional songs.

“I’m not a folklorist or ethnomusicologist, at least not officially. And I’m not a purist. I’ve poured over the nuances of the pub standards as much as the obscure murder balladry. What attracts me to a traditional song is the right combination of melody and language, which have always fascinated me.”

But Byrne is also a student of history whose love of traditional music goes well beyond the words and music. For him, songs are ways of understanding people before him...their lives, work, language, and worldview.

“I see songs as sources of the past—windows into my own family history. Traditional music has always been the most important tool for understanding where I come from and who I am. My live performance is meant to take audiences on a journey through the lineage of my repertoire and share what these songs have revealed to me.”