Matthew Holtby doesn’t write songs for the background. They’re the kind you lean into, the kind that ask for your attention and then reward it with melody, truth, and just enough grit to keep things grounded. Call it folk-rock, call it indie with roots showing, call it singer-songwriter — whatever box you try, it never quite fits, and that’s the point.
There’s a warmth to his style, the kind you’d expect from a songwriter raised on honest Canadian airwaves. His voice is steady, full of heart, and just weathered enough to feel lived-in. It’s the kind of voice that sounds just as right in a crowded bar as it does in the quiet of your headphones at 2 a.m. His guitar work carries the same duality — shimmery strums that float, then dig deep when the song calls for it.
With his latest track “This Is Bliss” Holtby balances intimacy and energy like a tightrope walker. One moment he’s pulling you into a whispered confession, the next he’s letting the band push the song into a bigger, louder place. It’s dynamic without being flashy, emotional without being sentimental. The throughline is honesty. You believe him.
And then there’s “Give Me a Reason,” a standout cut that feels like the purest snapshot of what Holtby does best. It’s got that driving rhythm that makes you want to move, but at its core it’s about vulnerability — asking for something to hold onto when life feels uncertain. The hook lands like a demand and a plea all at once, catchy enough to live rent-free in your head, but heavy enough to hit your chest. It’s the kind of song that begs for a live room — the crowd singing the chorus back until the walls shake.
His live shows carry that same honesty. Small-room gigs where he can look the audience in the eye, larger stages where the songs expand and take flight — Holtby knows how to read a crowd and give them a piece of himself without holding back. He’s not chasing spectacle, he’s building a connection. Fans leave with choruses still humming in their heads, verses replaying like conversations they just had.
Between gigs, Holtby is as much a craftsman as a performer. In the studio, he’s always pushing at the edges of his sound, layering roots textures against indie sensibilities, letting pop melodies sneak in when they’re strong enough to hold their weight. He’s got that producer’s ear — knowing when to let a song breathe and when to load it up with everything it needs to hit home.
Matthew Holtby is one of those artists who quietly grows into something undeniable. Folk, indie, rock, roots — sure. But really, it’s music built to last, the kind you’ll come back to in a year or ten and still feel the same pull. Because at the heart of it, Holtby’s songs aren’t chasing trends.
