Atlanta-based duo Mattiel -- Mattiel Brown and Jonah Swilley -- craft sunbaked rock & roll with a retro vibe that harks back to 1960s garage rock and a blues-rock edge similar to early White Stripes. That spirit was helped along on Mattiel's 2017 eponymous debut, which was recorded live in the studio with a band backing Brown and presented as a solo project. A more sophisticated indie rock sound that incorporated touches of local Americana, pop, and even hip-hop influences emerged on Mattiel's more collaborative third album, 2022's Georgia Gothic, though it remained anchored in visceral blues-rock.
Mattiel Brown spent much of her early life on a farm in Georgia, where she would learn how to play guitar and ride horses, among other daily tasks that come with farm life. Eventually, she moved to Atlanta, where she got a job working as a web designer and illustrator. Soon after, Brown met Randy Michael and Jonah Swilley and bonded with them over their taste in music. She sent them some demos; they were impressed by her voice and asked her to perform live with their band Black Linen. Both multi-instrumentalists, Michael and Swilley were also the co-owners of a songwriting and production team named InCrowd, and when Brown put forward the idea of fronting her own musical act, they were keen to help. By 2017, their rough concepts had turned into fully fledged songs, leading to nine months of recording with a full in-house band. InCrowd also had connections with the now-defunct Burger Records, which, upon hearing Brown's music, signed her for her first album, Mattiel. It was released as a solo project in late 2017. Heavenly Recording struck a deal to issue the record in the U.K. and Europe, where it arrived in mid-2018.
Mattiel toured in support of the release, including a handful of dates opening for Portugal. The Man and appearances at several major European festivals.
