About

Jesse Matas is a singer, songwriter, poet, and multi-instrumentalist from Treaty One Territory in Winnipeg, Manitoba. For over a decade, he toured North America and Europe extensively as one-third of the celebrated band Crooked Brothers, releasing three full-length albums along the way. In more recent years, Jesse has carved his own path as a solo artist, debuting with his LP Tamarock in 2018. His solo career has been marked by critical acclaim and international recognition, with Tamarock named Album of the Year by three radio shows on two continents. The album saw regular rotation on major and community stations across Canada, the US, UK, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands.

As part of Crooked Brothers, Jesse and his bandmates won and were nominated for several prestigious awards, including a Canadian Folk Music Award and a Western Canadian Music Award. Their music has been featured on HBO and in major motion pictures and their live shows have become the stuff of legend—an electrifying tradition that Jesse continues to bring to his solo performances.

Jesse’s music is deeply emotional and socially conscious, blending diverse musical traditions with the raw energy of his Winnipeg grunge and punk rock roots. His songs have been described as having “more feeling than a bag full of feelings made out from feelings-cloth bought from the shop of feelings on feelings-street in feelings-town.” His lyrics and poetry often blur together, creating a unique sonic landscape that invites listeners to lose themselves in the music. The songs aren't just for casual listeners—they’re for those who want to dive deep, to journey into the spaces beyond the words and the sounds. Even in its loudest moments, his music retains a sense of space and intimacy—each note carrying the weight of where it was made.

One of the most captivating aspects of Jesse’s sound is its rootedness in place. Whether it’s the warmth of a snare drum or the breath of a piano pedal lifting, his recordings always hold the presence of the room where they were created. Tamarock, in particular, has been described as a soundtrack for communion with nature— the album is a great soundtrack for the woods.

Live, Jesse’s performances are intimate and interactive, balancing storytelling with expression. While his songs often touch on heavy subjects like colonial genocide and environmental destruction, there’s a thread of hope and resilience that runs through them. Despite the gravity of the themes, the live shows are uplifting and light-hearted. The darkness in the lyrics is always offset by cutting humour or the warmth of the music—a combination that allows the audience to process tough topics while still feeling hopeful, moved, and inspired to take action.

At the core of Jesse’s music lies his dedication to songwriting. Each song is crafted to shape its performance, and though his lyrics often tackle difficult truths, they’re delivered with a sense of optimism and a belief in the power of resilience and love. The music and the show are ultimately about feeling good, and not just in the face of adversity—a subversive act in itself, as poet Ross Gay notes it in “Loitering Is Delightful”, just feeling good can be enough. In the end, Jesse’s work is about embracing both the light and the dark, and finding a sense of joy, healing, and connection in the process.

New songs and tours are on the horizon for the coming years, so stay tuned for more.