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