MATT DUKE

Genre-breaking Philadelphia singer/songwriter launches debut album in the UK

Matt Duke’s Rykodisc debut album, ‘Kingdom Underground’ imports a fresh, promising singer/songwriter talent straight from Philadelphia to the UK music scene, where nothing but great things are sure to prevail.  With an invigorating raw and honest lyrical approach woven into the fabric of delightfully catchy beats, ‘Kingdom Underground ’ is a collection of exhilarating tracks that will deliver instant satisfaction to acoustic/rock hungry audiences.

At the tender age of 23, Matt Duke has a smart lyrical wisdom far beyond his years, injecting a much-needed diversity into his genre.  Veering away from conventional tales of love and heartbreak, Duke feels more at ease addressing sophisticated philosophical and spiritual subject matter such as agoraphobia in ‘Opossum ’, or the self-medicating properties of the internet and TV in, ‘Sex and Reruns’ , whilst the tender ballad, ‘Rabbit ’ was highlighted by the infamous blogger Perez Hilton as a standout track back in May 2008.  Duke steps beyond the boundaries of the acoustic/rock genre, amalgamating elements of pop, jazz, folk and even progressive rock to create a sound that is very much his own.  When original content matter and an exclusive sound are delivered through Duke’s vibrant youthful exuberance and expressed in such a raw, honest vocal, the synthesis is nothing short of mind-blowingly awesome.

Born in Southern New Jersey and attending school at St Joseph’s Prep in Philadelphia, the music obsessed Matt Duke began playing the piano at the age of seven.  Inspired by legends such as Pearl Jam, Van Morrison and The Band, Matt has always been drawn to music as a means of self-discovery – his self-taught talent on his mum’s vintage guitar was ‘solely for the purpose of getting girls’!  However, when a coffee house in New Jersey launched open-mike sessions for local talent, Duke decided to get a little more serious and used the nights as a springboard to nurture his flare for singer/song-writing. 

But it was when Matt’s parents surprised him with the gift of some recording time that the real Matt Duke story begins.  From the moment Matt entered into the studio to commence recording of his demos the magic was electrifying.  The demos ended up in the hands of, Marcy Rauer Wagman, who was both the head of Drexel University’s Music Industry Programme and MAD Dragon Records.  The release of Duke’s debut acoustic-based album, ‘Winter Child’ later ensued in 2006 on MAD Dragon Records, distributed by Ryko.  Ryko were so impressed with Duke’s ability that they quickly added him to their label’s artist roster.

With his second album, ‘Kingdom Underground’ complete, Matt Duke is now ready to take on the world and comes smashing into the UK with a mighty Philadelphia fan base behind him, including the staunch support of the highly influential radio station WXPN-FM.  Music lovers who relish the opportunity of seizing a fresh, vibrant genre-breaking talent right from the start will embrace the arrival of Matt Duke with the vigour that he deserves.  ‘Kingdom Underground’ is an album of unrivalled quality, talent and diversity and one not to be missed.

The album, ‘Kingdom Underground’ is released on Rykodisc on 23 February, 2009.

For further information visit www.myspace.com/mattduke