GRAVEN "Pretty Good At Being OK" (Self-Released)
Add Date: 4/25/2023
Release Date: 4/7/2023
FCC: Clean
Focus Tracks: Middle Relief, Punching Bag, Think Skin
Formats: College, Specialty, Non-Comm AAA
RIYL: Hayden, JAson Collett, Dan Mangan
Graven (Matty McKechnie) is an independent folk-rock singer / song-writer from Ottawa, Canada. With 15 major releases under his belt, and his latest album Simple Complex recorded at Fang Studios in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia and mixed by JUNO winning songmaker and producer Joel Plaskett, Nepean, Ontario-born Matty (Graven) is a passionate wordsmith of song who wears his heart on the sleeve of his melodies. “Simple Complex” is charting across many college radio stations in Canada and the USA and was #3 on CKCU FM’s top 50 albums of 2022. His last record Years (2020) was produced by Jim Bryson (singer songwriter and producer of Kathleen Edwards award winning album “Total Freedom”) and helped put his music into new realms. He is a FACES Awards Nominee, and has opened for and shared stages with Steve Poltz, Kathryn Calder (New Pornographers), Megan Nash, Slow Leaves, Jim Bryson and many more. Having toured across Canada thrice, he always has uplifting words and self-love promoting songs of support for anyone at his shows and his dedicated fan-base (who have dubbed themselves as “Graventown”). Graven always tries to create a highly accepting and inclusive community and his music has become a safe-haven for anyone and everyone who wants to be their real-self without judgement.
GETTING PRETTY GOOD AT BEING OKAY EPK:
As I've grown into fatherhood and middle age, I've realized that there really is a fine art form to just being "okay" - not amazing and not fantastic, but just a baseline of "okay'. Being okay with yourself. Being okay with your status in life. Being okay with the self doubt and knowing it will come and go - like an annoying old friend who shows up at parties and only talks about high school. This album is hopefully a way to kickstart my creative juices which, since the monolith mountain of releasing Simple Complex, have been a little dulled. GPGABO sort of represents my mind these days - it's a smattering of some brand new offerings, a cover of a cover that I adore by Johnny Cash via Simon and Garfunkel, some live recordings with my mega rad band (The New Band, as I like to call them) and an old song of mine when I was in a band called Sunkissed Keilah in 2001-2003. I also made this album as a way to offset the minuscule revenue that independent artists gain from streaming services so your support is massive and amazing and soul-fuelling. I hope that you are okay with you - and every part of you - wherever you are.