The Haven Social Club

Doors at 7:30pm
Tickets $10 in advance
Advance tickets available at YEG Live

Matt Epp is a troubadour in the purest sense. He lives on the road and crafts his songs from his experiences, from Mexico to Newfoundland and everywhere in between. His new album ‘Safe or Free’ is a testament to that lifestyle influenced by the geography of his travels and the relationships he develops along the way. Co-Produced with John Paul Peters (Waking Eyes, Comeback Kid) and recorded at Private Ear Studios in Winnipeg, MB, ‘Safe or Free’ proves Epp Canada’s folk-soul mystery collaborator.

The 12 songs on ‘Safe of Free’ showcase Epp’s dynamic vocal range and unique songwriting. From the unshakeable love duet This Old House (with Eliza Gilkyson), the dynamic commercial radio ready Working Holiday, to the Ryan Adams-esque rock of Cover Me, and the haunting duets They Won’t Find The Bodies (with Brandy Zdan of Twilight Hotel) and I Am The Wind (with Jesse DeNatale).

Emerging from the rich music community of Winnipeg, MB, Matt Epp is known for his diverse personal and musical connections including collaborations with Eliza Gilkyson, Jesse DeNatale, Matt Mays among others. His pre-music history includes professional skateboard film-making and acting, and his preference for homelessness and hitchhiking over a fixed address. His previous release ‘Orphan Horse’ (2008) was a favorite on CBC radio and Alberta’s CKUA radio network. Matt will be on tour in support of ‘Safe or Free’ in the fall of 2009 in Canada and Europe in early 2010.

And now a word about my third album, Orphan Horse (2008): It was recorded in an old theatre in Winnipeg during an early december blizzard with some good mics, a grand piano and my guitar & harmonicas. It’s mostly a solo performance album, but Brian James colours a couple songs nicely, and Kerri Woelke and Shannon Laliberte help me sing a couple of duets. I’ve had demand over the past couple years for a recording that reflects what I do live at a show.

Love, Matt
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Somewhere in the Rocky Mountains, while traveling across Canada in the summer of 2006, my life was changed forever. I met someone that gave me the courage to live life fully. She was what is known as a ‘catalyst’. I don’t know that she did anything specific, but her presence, combined with the big blue sky, and the 4am June sunrise generated a chemical reaction that I’ll never be able to articulate fully.

Following that encounter, I gave up everything to make my own music, follow my dreams, and most importantly, be a positive influence in this world. By the fall of 2007, I released my debut CD ‘Athabasca’, and I played shows – some big, and many small.

In December 2007 I decided to leave Toronto for Alberta to recapture the magic I had found. After purging the majority of useless things I had collected over 20 years, I packed the rest of my stuff in a 12 foot home made wooden florescent-yellow trailer and started to head west.

Between Queen Street and Thunder Bay, I blew my transmission twice, blew three tires, lost my driver’s license, broke a tail light, lost my trailer break lights, broke two windows, and eventually lost my love. I did, however, experience the love of strangers each day of this journey. Some literally saved my life, but all saved my faith in the beauty of this world.

Now I spend most of my time in Alberta making new friends, making music I love, and trying to give Alberta what it gave me.

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Heralded as “where street meets book,” Clea Roddick is a volcano of poetic full-of-hope lyrics, brandishing groove based piano/Rhodes/accordion and roller skates to accompany her quirky but soulful voice. Her debut album is making the charts on college radio (number 1 New York) and has been licensed by MTV, E!TV and VH1 for their upcoming seasons.

“Not one throwaway lyric to be heard.” – Mary-Lynn McEwen, FFWD