Not surprisingly, Matt Coughlin & The Growlers represent the Pacific Northwest region as much geographically as they do musically. Representing four states and currently claiming Tacoma, WA, as home, Matt Coughlin (lead), Dalton Shotwell (drums), Kim Fox (violin), and Mitchell Vandenburg (bass) bring with them to the stage a vast array of musical knowledge and influences that speak to where each calls home.
Having performed with the likes of Vicci Martinez, James Whiton and the Downtown Apostles, The Head and the Heart, Storyhill, and more, the Swiss’s summer “artists in residence” have enjoyed much support from the musical community and developed a relationship with several respected venues. The band brings its blend of funk, country, folk, and a splash of pop — “Funktry”, as the band describes it — into each performance. The result is typically an evening of fantastic music and general joviality.
With the exception of a handful of specially-chosen cover songs, the entire library of music offered by the band comes from the hearts and minds of the four members with all lyrical content springing from the honest and optimistic pen of Matt Coughlin. The band operates on the same wavelength musically, pulling the best from each other as though it were procedure. The result is a strong musical fellowship as well as friendship. And the results at a live show can be infectious.
Matt Coughlin & The Growlers have one full-length album to their credit — a live album recorded in the winter of 2009 at The High Dive in Seattle. Its success continues to propel them into creating more material to share with their growing fan base.
For all the effort each member of the band makes to contribute each one’s craft to the sound, they emphasize being good folk above all. So next time you happen to find yourself where the music of Matt Coughlin & the Growlers can be heard, come by the stage and shake a howdy. There’s always room for more friends (along with a tall IPA).