GRAVEN (Matty McKechnie) is an independent folk-rock singer-songwriter from Ottawa, Canada.  An innovative Nepean-born songmaker with a key focus on cultivating joy and wonder in Canadian geography, Matty (Graven) is a wiley wordsmith whose passion is to create a highly accepting and inclusive community of music lovers.

 

Although exposed to classical tunes with piano lessons during childhood and playing the alto sax in Grade 9 - none of that moved the needle. Hearing his dad spin endless vinyl through the floorboards to the tune of Lionel Richie, Kenny Rogers, Whitney Houston, Neil Diamond and many others in his preteens, however, was the spark in Matty's musical fire. Later, he was enthralled by the rhymes and rhythms and wordplay of Hip Hop and rap music, with Run DMC, Beastie Boys, LL Cool J and the Fat Boys kicking open a door in his subconscious teen mind.. Lyrics have always been Matty's true north and they provide the canvas for the rainbow-coloured paint spatter of his heart-sleeve songs. Whether he's firing up the machine with his ferocious five piece band,  playing in a trio or duo with his talented side-players, or completely exposed in a solo setting, Matty is a versatile performer who brings passionate thunder and lightning along with somber ponderous post-storm thought-drizzle to every live setting.

 

Graven's first release was a basement reccording in 1999, and since  then, he's shared stages with the likes of Steve Poltz, Jim Bryson, Danny Michel, Sarah Harmer, Elliott Brood, Joel Plaskett, Kathryn Calder (New Pornographers),  Stephen  Stanley, Ron Hawkins and many more.  Focusing on the guitar and vocals, and having eclectic and broad contemporary Canadian musical influences with more than 16 major releases under his belt, Matty has toured all the way across Canada thrice, with a powerful mission to empower his listeners to embrace their authentic selves without judgment. Graven has shared stages with Steve Poltz, Jim Bryson, Sarah Harmer, Ellliott Brood, Kathryn Calder (New Pornographers) Joel Plaskett, Wintersleep, Sloan, Ron Hawkins and many more. 

 

In September 2021, Matty started a popular podcast entitled Graventown, and he has interviewed many unique creators including Juno Award winners Jill Barber, Matt Mays, comedian Seth Morris (from Curb Your Enthusiasm) and NY Times acclaimed Anishinaabe writer and journalist Waubgeshig Rice. His previous record "Years", released in 2020, was produced by singer/songwriter Jim Bryson, who also produced Kathleen Edward’s award-winning album Total Freedom. Graven’s 2022 album "Simple Complex" (mixed and recorded by Joel Plaskett at Fang Studios in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia) is still charting across many college radio stations in Canada and the US, with decent AirPlay on CBC, and even scoring a number 3 spot on CKCU FM’s top 50 albums of 2022. 

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Graven is currently preparing to record and release a new album while touring throughout Southern and Eastern Ontario, Southwestern Quebec, the Maritimes, the Golden Horseshoe, and growing his dedicated fanbase, who follow him primarily on Instagram, as well as Facebook and Twitter.