“Matt is a talent on the guitar and has a great vocal style. Now a Portland resident he's one to watch.”- Chris Darling US Folk WMPG

Matt Shipman, who has become a familiar face on the traditional music stages of New England and has been performing for 10 years all the way from the Mid-West to the East Coast. He is from Exeter, NH but has lived all over the country and has now lived in Maine for the last 9 years. Matt began to play guitar and mandolin in his early teens taught himself to play. He also enjoys playing bozouki, tenor and old time 5 string banjo. He also grew up playing jazz trumpet and had a brief career with that at the Hartt School of music in CT, before doing a semester of Native American studies in South Dakota where he ended up living and performing for a number of years. His love of traditional music is reflected later in his college career, a 2004 graduate of Vermont College, majoring in a self designed major of Traditional Music Studies. For this study he traveled through Nova Scotia, North Carolina and Maine compiling songs and stories from people he met, which later culminated as a radio documentary about traditional music in the 21st century. During that time he also attended the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago where he studied various instruments and styles.

The groups Matt is a part of include; The High Range from NH;, and Splittin’ Hairs; a fiddle duo with Melissa Bragdon, Erica Brown’s Bluegrass Connection, The Stowaways, Branach traditional Irish trio, and playing in various ensembles of traditional Irish music. He has one recording of his own called Highway Shoes and another with High Range called Shoulder to the Wheel, and has recorded on various others including Ron Cody’s Talking Rake. He is currently working on a project centered around Celtic finger-style guitar.

 His latest solo release is "Highway Shoes."Released in August 2005, this CD incorporates not only what you would expect from Shipman such as traditional bluegrass and folk tracks, but some new sounds as well. Shipman's rich baritone voice together with his solid mandolin and guitar playing take center stage, and carry the listener down an old-time road, with able support from some of the best players in New England. Contributing on fiddle, dobro, pedal steel, drums, and upright bass are members of Mill City Ramblers, Splittin' Hairs and High Range, as well as Bruce Derr, Jon Nolan, Jon Ross, Joyce Andersen, Roger Williams. The sidemen shine behind Shipman as he sings songs that harken back to the days of old country music, blues, swing and bluegrass. Matt has lent his talents to other musicians records as well including Tree By Leaf, Dierdre Randall, and others.

Shipman’s songwriting has recently received recognition in becoming a semi-finalist at the Great Waters Songwriting Contest and being selected as part of a panel of judges at the New England Songwriting Contest as well. Click here to listen to mp3's of Matt's album "Highway Shoes"

“Matt Shipman really pleased the crowd with that great, deep voice, excellent fingerstyle guitar skills, and heartfelt, old-timey melodies and lyrics!  Everyone I spoke with thought that his set was a real pleasure to listen to and watch!”- Bob McIllop Maine Songwriters Association