Cleveland, OH

Matthew J. Rolin’s emotionally resonant fingerstyle guitar is a direct result of his d.i.y. upbringing. Created primarily on solitary acoustic six or twelve strings, these pieces are technically stunning but not afraid to wander, offering a surreal and sometimes psychedelic counterpoint to instrumental guitar music modeled more traditionally after American Primitive sounds. Deep roots in punk, noise, and other fiercely independent music and cultural communities informs every step of Rolin’s hyper specific approach, including his prolific release schedule, embrace of collaboration, experimental edges, and non-stop touring that’s more likely to find him playing at a gnarled house show or d.i.y. venue than in a stuffy auditorium.

Rolin grew up in Cleveland and spent his formative years immersed in his city’s local scene. He consistently played in a string of bands, sometimes as a leader, sometimes in a supportive role, eventually landing in Chicago where he started focusing on instrumental guitar composition sometime around 2016. He worked backwards to discover the roots of fingerstyle guitar, learning about some of the heroes of Appalachia and rustic folk blues only after getting into contemporaries of his own who were doing new things with the format. This helped him develop a personalized language with his guitar playing, one that skipped over reverence and nostalgia for an unlived past, and more directly reflected his own experiences. Because of this, Rolin’s songs can contain as much pastoral beauty as they do jittery confusion or dazed droning. He finds a path separate from both the overly-serious academia mindset and hokey front porch romanticism, instead delving deeper within for inspiration. The playing is executed with precision, but not tethered to any roots or rulebook, allowing for unlimited and ongoing exploration.

True to a do-it-yourself work ethic, Rolin recorded all of his early albums at home while he was developing his style. This included a self-titled 2019 debut and 2021 double album The Dreaming Bridge, both released on Feeding Tube. Along with various one-off tapes, more fully-formed albums like 2022’s Passing quickly followed. An improviser’s spirit offsets the more clearly drawn boundaries of Rolin’s solo work, as does steady touring and frequent collaboration. Along with wife Jen Powers, Rolin improvises and records as part of both Powers/Rolin Duo, a dulcimer and guitar configuration that expands to become Gerycz/Powers/Rolin when drummer Jayson Gerycz (Cloud Nothings, Monocot, etc.) joins in. Along with early joint performances with noise figureheads Wolf Eyes and work with experimental saxophonist Cole Pulice, Powers/Rolin duo were asked to open a 2022 tour for Bonnie “Prince” Billy and Matt Sweeney’s Superwolves that found both acts joining forces on stage some nights. On his own, Rolin plays guitar in Winged Wheel, a band that began as a remote project in the deepest dregs of pandemic lockdown with members of Spray Paint, Matchesse, and Tyvek, but took on a new life when the players could meet in person, and Sonic Youth’s Steve Shelley stepped in on drums for the recording of their second album.

Dead Currencies is very excited to be able to release Rolin’s “Twos” in 2024. Stay tuned for details.

“The playing is so sure footed that it gets out of the way of itself and the music casts a spell that is somewhere between an embrace and an uplift.”

-Matt Sweeney

“Rolin's deft hands on his instrument display an assured sense of composition, and a bright present for the state of guitar soil.”

-NPR