Matthew’s vocals crack with raw authenticity and the songs sparkle like bright amethysts you find when you split open the dusty rocks of life. Life will offer shocking events and pain along with celebration and Payne clearly knows how to tackle them head on and draw out their pure human emotion in songs.
EP Coyote Howlin Blues is four original songs played on acoustic guitar, fiddle, upright bass, harmonica and a gentle rhythm that emulate old time country and acoustic bluesy styles as they recount adventures and life experiences.
Matthew harnesses that rare sought-after storytelling songwriting that quality music lovers mine for, and the songs are top shelf.
His sound blends many of the influences of his home state, as he seeks to honour the poetry of the land and the people he’s met along the way. Mixing old-time country with a little blues and the keen eye of a poet, creating songs that explore the human heart at its rawest depth. With the help of Camille Schiess on violin and Dana Wygmans on upright bass, each of these four songs is out of the top drawer, in particular the title track that opens the EP with a style that tips its hat to Townes Van Zandt, and ‘The Light I Cannot See’, where his plaintive narrative is beautifully complimented by some excellent harmonica while Schiess’ fiddle playing puts the icing on the cake. All wonderful stuff that continues with the driving rhythm and intense vocal delivery of ‘Spiderhouse Blues’, marking Matthew Payne out as a serious contender, and “Coyote Howlin Blues” is another EP that comes highly recommended.
The lonesome fiddle at the start of “Coyote Howlin’ Blues” is perfect for this weary traveling single by Matthew Payne.
“Coyote Howlin Blues” is the feeling one gets in the vast landscapes of West Texas. It also hints at our connection to nature and the freedom the open road can bring.
Matthew Payne is a songwriter from just outside of Austin, raised in the Hill Country, and his music really reflects that—earthy, poetic, and rooted in place.
He’s got that classic Texas Americana sound, but what makes him stand out is the way his lyrics paint a picture—of the land, the people, and the quiet in-between moments.
Bandera Songwriters Festival (2025)
Matthew Payne is carrying on the tradition of Texas songwriters.
A rhythmic rumble rides through the tale of “Spider House Blues” while a hush falls on the guitar picking when he delivers “The Light I Cannot See’ with a vocal barely above a whisper. Words are Mathew Payne’s safe zone.
all photos taken by Townes Payne