Matt Andersen

“Andersen knows how to make a joyful noise… soul-stirring” – No Depression

The Big Bottle of Joy is about celebration – hard-won, overflowing, exuberant celebration. Matt Andersen’s latest long-player lives up to the grand title. Andersen finds reason to sustain this celebration of the life we share together everywhere. Here, he’s on the road, missing a lover; then, between the sheets in a southern Ontario motel room. The album is infused with raw blues-rock, rollicking Americana, thoughtful folk, and ecstatic gospel. Moreover, he testifies to something we could all do well to remember. He reminds us that the time we have together is special, so let’s spend it the right way. 

“Being good to each other, you know, in taking care of each other – those are the biggest things I want to put out there,” Andersen says. “If we’re in it together, it’ll be a lot easier than trying to do it on our own.” 

When Andersen steps on stage, he brings a lifetime of music to every note he plays. Andersen’s stage presence is informed by decades of cutting his teeth in dusty clubs, dim-lit bars, and grand theatres. Further, he consistently delivers soulful performances that run the gamut from intimate to wall-shaking. Additionally, his recordings are revered: he has amassed over 31 million streams on Spotify and 30 million views on YouTube.

Andersen nabbed the 2013 and 2016 European Blues Awards for Best Solo/Acoustic Act. Then, he became the first ever Canadian to take home top honors in the solo category at the 2010 International Blues Challenge in Memphis. Also, he won the CIMA Road Gold award in 2015, and has won multiple Maple Blues Awards. Matt Andersen & The Big Bottle of Joy was nominated for a Juno Award in 2024.

Award-winning, Toronto-based singer-songwriter Julian Taylor has been part of the musical fabric and landscape in Canada for two decades. Loaded with soulful Americana and country twang, Taylor has garnered millions of streams and several awards. Taylor’s live show always wows audiences. Furthermore, he caught the attention of Jeremy Vine of BBC2 last year at his show in London, who proclaimed that Taylor is “an incredible, profound, thoughtful, musical genius”.

Recommended for fans of Keb’ Mo’, Solomon Burke, Ruthie Foster & Tedeschi Trucks Band.

LEARN MORE: https://www.stubbyfingers.ca/

📸: Scott Doubt