"Discovery of the year: Matt Nakoa, a supremely gifted singer-songwriter-guitarist-pianist ..."
- John Platt, WFUV

MATT NAKOA grew up on a small goat farm in Central New York and began composing music as a teenager. Following a formative stint as a concert pianist, he won scholarship to attend Berklee College of Music. There, Matt worked alongside a who’s who of soon-to-be industry darlings, including St. Vincent, Esperanza Spaulding, and members of the bands Karmin and Lucius. After school, Matt wrote and toured with his Berklee-bred band, The Fens. His first solo release, 2012’s Light In The Dark, was received by fans as an eclectic pop/rock masterpiece while Matt’s latest studio album, A Dozen Other Loves (2014), explores a mainly acoustic palette. This acoustic avenue has led to steady folk radio airplay and performances with veteran songsmiths Patty Larkin, Ellis Paul, and Tom Rush. An engaging performer, Matt tours internationally, recently giving concerts at The White House and throughout India. Matt is a 2014 Kerrville Folk Festival New Folk Winner and a Falcon Ridge Folk Festival Most Wanted Artist. Additionally, Matt’s piano music has received favorable reviews in publications including The New York Times, and his film scoring has been featured at BAM, and on Disney.com.