MATT PLESS
Matt’s extensive travel schedule has seen him tour all around the United States playing coffee shops, clubs, basements,
living rooms, boxcars, wherever there are people who want to hear his music. A consummate performer with a high-energy stage presence, he books his own tour dates and along the way has managed to share the stage with Maroon 5, Fallout Boy, Ani DiFranco, David Amram, Rilo Kiley, Alkaline Trio, NOFX, Arlo Guthrie, Bad Brains, the late Pete Seeger and many other heavyweight names in the music scene. Matt was also the inspiration for Occupy This Album and wrote and performed the opening song for the compilation. That disc (which combined both well-known and unknown artists) arose from the Occupy Wall Street movement and featured Jackson Browne, David Crosby, Graham Nash, Yoko Ono, Willie Nelson, Deborah Harry, Loudon Wainwright III, Arlo Guthrie, and many others.
FFO: Pat the Bunny, Daze n Daze, Apes of the State
https://www.facebook.com/mattplessofficial
https://www.instagram.com/mattplessmusic
WALTER ETC. (solo)
In ’09 Dustin Hayes (aka Walter) formed Walter Mitty and His Makeshift Orchestra in high school, emulating bands like
Defiance Ohio and AJJ, yet with the inescapable innocence of a suburban Southern California. The band’s sound formed
a unique niche characterized by honest lyrics, jangly instrumentation, and home recording charm. Although their
DIY ethic and nonchalant attitude kept them away from press and under the radar for five years, the band’s four LP’s
developed a devout cult following all around the country. After the US tour following their fourth LP “Well Soon”,
members began to struggle with mental health issues and drug addiction. In 2015 the band played a sold out show in
Orange County then called a hiatus. During that hiatus, the members split off towards grad school, professional careers,
or rehab. Without his band, Walter was left with an unfulfilled dream and struggled to find where to go next.
During this time Walter fell into a period of depression and anomie, concerned about his best friend’s drug addiction and recovery, watching the other people in his life moving on and away from their shared passion of music. To cope with the loss, he wrote a concept album called Gloom Cruise – a journey into the darkest corners of the psyche and a
mediation on sadness – with lyrics revolving around his missing buddy’s addiction issues and Walter’s own struggles
with mental health. In 2016 he reformed the band as Walter Etc., a slight variation of his original group yet including past members Kris Schobert and Russell Park. On the first tour it was clear that in their absence the group’s following had grown to be stronger than ever. After an EP “Always Leaving” and a split release with Phoenix’s Diners, the band continues to tour to consistently packed audiences while waiting for Gloom Cruise
to finally come out.
FFO: Pat the Bunny, Daze n Daze, Apes of the State
https://www.facebook.com/WalterEtc.1
https://www.instagram.com/walteretc
BOOGEDY SMAK
Kingston Upon Thames based 4-piece metal inspired acoustic folk punk, core Firejam Familia members
FFO: Ramshackle Glory, Daze N Daze
https://www.facebook.com/boogedysmak
https://www.instagram.com/boogedyfckingsmak
CROW
Originally from near Reading, but based in Plymouth for over six years, former Pee After Sex member CROW is embarking on a solo venture armed with a baritone ukulele and acoustic guitar. Somewhere between Pat the Bunny, AJJ, Daze’N’Daze, Nirvana, Poly Styrene, Kae Tempest and Violent Femmes, CROW brings influences of folk punk, grunge, riot grrrl and spoken word to the stage in a one man and his uke meets crust punk way. CROW has shared stages with the likes of: 3 Daft Monkeys, JollyRoger, Babar Luck, Fidget and the Twitchers, Nasty Fishmonger, Andrea Kenny, Boom Boom Racoon and The Bus Station Loonies.
FFO: Daze and Daze, AJJ, Corporate Hearts
https://www.facebook.com/CROWmusics
