Matt McGinn
Matt McGinn
Entry Requirements: All Ages (Under 18's must be accompanied by and adult)
We are delighted to welcome back the wonderful Irish award-winning singer-songwriter Matt McGinn to 50rpm.
** Please note we have a no talking policy when the acts are performing. If you can't manage this, don't buy a ticket **
** Please note our venue is located upstairs so is not suitable for wheelchair users, and may not be suitable for those with walking difficulties. **
Matt McGinn is a singer, songwriter & producer from Hilltown in Co. Down. His 5th and latest album release ‘Time Well Spent’ was RTÉ Radio 1 and BBC Radio Ulster’s ‘Album of the Week’ at the beginning of 2022 and features a wealth of incredible musicians like legendary fiddle player Eliza Carthy MBE and award wining folk singer Aoife Scott.
Matt was named ‘one to watch’ in 2020 by Hotpress Magazine, and rightly so. Since then he had 4 singles top The BBC Radio Ulster and RTÉ Radio 1 radio airplay charts. His album ‘Lessons of War’ received much acclaim. The lead track ‘Bubblegum’ ft. Ciara O’Neill, which was written with Mick Flannery, promted BBC 6 Music’s Tom Robinson to ask the question “…now wasn’t that just extraordinary?…”
In a virtual session in Folk Alliance in 2020 Matt 'met' Aoife Scott, daughter of Frances Black, and sang for her his song 'Time Well Spent'. Aoife loved the song so much and was delighted when Matt asked her to duet on it. It became one of Ireland's biggest folk songs in 2021.
In 2022 Matt was commissioned by Northern Ireland Screen to compose a Suite to celebrate their Digital Archives. Matt composed, arranged and performed in 'Tribute to Willie Campbell', a man who busked the streets of Belfast for 40 years until he died in 1969. Matt's piece was filmed and is touring Irish Film Festivals next year.
As lockdown began in March of 2020, Matt, along with fellow performer Cormac Neeson of The Answer, developed the online platform Cocoons. Spanning over 60 weeks, it became a much loved diverse and inclusive platform that has saw performances from over 140 established artists all around the word and raised over £12,000 for various charities.
Recorded live in 2 days with incredible Irish musicians, Matt will be releasing his 6th studio album ‘Behind Every Door’ in Spring 2023.
"A very lucky find...a beautiful thing on a Saturday morning" Fergal Sharkey
"One of our very best songwriters..." Ralph McClean BBC Radio Ulster
"Matt, your album is superb... I've seen Matt play live and he's fantastic!" Bob Harris
Line Up
Matt McGinn is a singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer from Hilltown in Co. Down, Northern Ireland. He studied music at Queens University in Belfast, yet cites his early days as his real musical education trawling through his parents record collection – from Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson to Beatles and Beethoven. He learned complex harmonies in the school choir and later delved into the sounds Hendrix and Horslips. Then along came John Martyn, Nick Drake Bob Dylan, Planxty, Robert Johnson, Paul Brady & Andy Irvine. He drew inspiration from them all.
Matt began writing his own songs - a personal, intimate representation of where he is in the moment – and began playing live, opening for the likes of Chris Smither, John Hammond Jnr, Peter Green and Lucy Kaplansky.
Matt recorded his debut album, ‘Livin’ in 2012, but it was his third recording, ‘Lessons of War’ in 2020 and its lead track ‘Bubblegum’ ft. Ciara O’Neill (written with Mick Flannery) that put him firmly on the map. It enjoyed significant acclaim and he was named one to watch’ by Hotpress Magazine.
In 2020 Aoife Scott, daughter of Frances Black, duet with him on his track, ‘Time Well Spent’ which became one of the biggest folk songs on Irish radio. Since then, Matt has had 4 singles top The BBC Radio Ulster and RTÉ Radio 1 radio airplay charts and released his fifth album, ‘Time Well Spent’ (2022)
To celebrate Northern Ireland Screen’s digital archives, Matt composed, arranged and performed a 'Tribute to Willie Campbell’, a man who busked the streets of Belfast for 40 years until he died in 1969. The piece has been screened at film festivals as far as New York and Berlin and has been nominated for a FOCAL International award.
Matt McGinn is currently nominated for a Hotpress award for Best Irish Songwriter and releases his sixth album, ‘Behind every Door’ in 2023.
