For the Birds. New music by Matt Lenny & The Breakdown.

Have you felt it? You’ve felt it. That excitement when a door opens on a room you’ve dreamt of but never seen. That charge, that crackle, the sweet hurt of life as it cuts you. That’s this album.

Matt Lenny got lost in guitar as a kid. Kept him sane. Sort of saved him. He’s made albums

For the Birds. New music by Matt Lenny & The Breakdown.

Have you felt it? You’ve felt it. That excitement when a door opens on a room you’ve dreamt of but never seen. That charge, that crackle, the sweet hurt of life as it cuts you. That’s this album.

Matt Lenny got lost in guitar as a kid. Kept him sane. Sort of saved him. He’s made albums before, loud ones, soft ones, rock and country and blues, but none like this.

He blew out his voice last year. Had to learn to sing again. Spent time writing. Hearing new tunes. Dreaming of the room where he and The Breakdown could not just play the songs but bring them to life. What does coming to life sound like? This.

The Breakdown is scattered all over these days: they have separate lives in Chicago and Michigan and out East, but they came together for three days to follow a path to a sound Matt only faintly heard.

Three days means no time for doubt. Fewer hours placing mikes and turning dials and punching vocal lines and perfecting perfect: more time fast tracking and finger picking and letting the music lead.

This is the sound of a band of brothers cutting through new terrain. Learning the path through songs while playing the songs. The sound of doors opening to new rooms and the joy of filling all that new space. The good life as it’s celebrated and lived. As familiar but rare as the shape birds trace in the air. -Bryan VanDyke, NYC, Fall 2022

Matt Lenny & the Breakdown is:

Matt Lenny - Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar Dave Méndez - Electric Guitar, Dobro, Vocals David Jamison - Drums, Vocals Erik Vaveris - Bass, Vocals Bryan Trenis - Piano, Hammond, Rhodes, Acoustic Guitar, Vocals Bucky Hayes - Acoustic Guitar, Vocals Sonny Ratcliff - Banjo Anthony Gravino - Percussion, Guitar Kait Rose - Vocals on tracks 2 & 4 Laura Neuroth - Vocals on track 5

All songs written by Matt Lenny and published by Harmon Street Songs, ASCAP Recorded by J Kaufman at Local Legend Recording Additional recording by Matt Lenny, Bryan Trenis, and Anthony Gravino Mixed and mastered by Anthony Gravino at High Cross Sound Produced by Matt Lenny with big assists from Josh and Anthony Graphic design by Dan Spielman, Cover photo by Joshua Woroniecki This album is dedicated to Laura, Archer, and Bowie. Thanks for giving me the space, time, and support I needed to create these songs. Thanks beyond words to my amazing band for making them a reality, and to their loved ones for letting me steal them away for a long weekend. Thanks to Jim Carson for giving me back my voice. - ML