Matthew Logan Vasquez

In 2015, one decade after founding the critically acclaimed band Delta Spirit, Matthew Logan Vasquez decided to go solo with the EP Austin. The following year, he released the LP Solicitor Returns. Vasquez, who plays practically every instrument on those records, is influenced by rock artists such as Iggy Pop, Neil Young, Kurt Cobain, and Gram Parsons.

“Matt’s voice and words have that Nashville outcast vibe to it,” said Jay Sweet, producer of the Newport Folk Festival and a longtime champion of Vasquez’s music. “He’s not California, he’s not Texas, he’s not Brooklyn—even though he’s lived in all of those places. He’s a transplant and a vagabond, which is why he embodies folk and rock music. For a singer-songwriter, he is truly refreshing.”