Portland, Oregon's The American West is an upright bass and guitar duo, combining desert noir, folk, and indie-rock, birthing their self-described "post-americana," or as songwriter Matthew Zeltzer calls it, "Americana without the handclaps." Driven by his poignant lyrics and soul-wrenching voice, songwriter Matthew Zeltzer blends influences as diverse as John Steinbeck and Cormac McCarthy, as well as Neil Young and Wilco to build a sound that harkens back to early American music, while facing modernity square in the face.
Following the success of his 2011 EP, "Desert Tortoise," and a brief phone conversation with Hulk Hogan (true story), Zeltzer is currently self-producing a new EP with help from Drew Allsbrook (Ryan Adams, The Mars Volta). Zeltzer spent most of 2014 touring the west coast, highlighted by a residency at McMenamin’s Al’s Den in Portland, Or, and tours with LA songwriter Jaime Wyatt, the McCoy Tyler Band, and Frankie Boots and the County Line during their 2014 Megatour, and a stint as Fantastic Negrito's (NPR Tiny Desk Contest winner) lead guitarist.
BIO
PRESS
Matthew Zeltzer is a 25-year old singer/songwriter, but don’t tell him that. He doesn’t like getting pigeonholed. He has worked on an organic farm in France, he’s toured the country, visited musical Meccas like Nashville, and all the while has gathered experiences to fuel the fire in his belly for music. Showing modern day trailblazer wisdom, he writes and performs what he loves and gets his fulfillment from just the joy of performing. On his second album, Desert Tortoise, this comes out more than ever.
Matthew seems to live life through experiences, not by milestones. This might be a quality you’d ask in a friend, but you’ll like it in his music, too. He is a genuine singer, and an honest writer. His music breaks genres apart. He doesn’t want people to worry about what it is they’re listening to, he just appreciates a person who is really listening and not getting bogged down in the label. - Wesley Bauman, Disarray Magazine
Full Interview: http://www.disarraymagazine.com/2011/09/matthew-zeltzer-takes-few-minutes-for.html
