Matt Skinner

Art & Music

Matt Skinner was born in Dallas, Texas in 1978, but grew up in Alpine.  Not much more than an outpost in the high desert mountains of West Texas, Alpine served as the perfect foundry to produce this magnificent singer / songwriter / storyteller / artist.  Winner of the 1999 Tom T. Hall Music Scholarship in Commercial Music from South Plains College and a 2002 graduate of Texas State University, Matt now dedicates himself to the pursuit of the arts. 

Matt has long followed the traditional path of the ‘poet and a one-man band’ mentality where he holds fast to artistic integrity and truth with each earned note.  Graced with a keen eye for detail and imagery, coupled with a cultivated tenor voice, Skinner commands any stage with a tender ferocity and presence that is spellbinding in its organic honesty.  As a solo performer or with his dynamite band, he captures the spirit of the music and serves as space-captain on the emotional carnival ride of an evening’s performance.   

A boom in the popularity of the desolate vastness of West Texas to artists and musicians alike since the 1970s allowed for Matt’s early exposure to fine art and music different than that of mainstream America.  He began performing at age 14 in restaurants and hotels then naturally moved on to bars, nightclubs, and beyond.  From a campfire in the desert to the largest of arenas, Skinner’s performances showcase a leaden foundation with stoic elegance and infectious passion seldom seen in the modern entertainment climate.    

His most recent album release The Nighthawk Affair, has garnered much acclaim from the international musical community and is a testament to his skill as a producer and studio musician.  Built around one guitar and one voice, The Nighthawk Affair is an acoustic rollercoaster chasing through the shades and shadows of life’s ups and downs. 

“I wanted the record to feel like I came into your kitchen and brought a few of my closest friends to play songs just for you.” said Skinner.  “It’s a definitive war-bag of stories wrought from hard years on the road tempered with romance and recklessness.”

Matt currently keeps a closet of clothes in Austin, Texas where he continues to write music when not on the road.  Certainly, he’s one of the mad ones, definitely one of the searchers, and coming soon to a theater near you!