Murmrr Presents: The Tallest Man On Earth
Thursday, October 9th | Crown Hill Theatre
Ages 18+
The Tallest Man on Earth
The Swedish singer-songwriter troubadour Kristian Matsson, better known as The Tallest Man on Earth has a rare talent for captivating an audience with just his raw, grainy voice and a guitar. He plays various string instruments, ranging from acoustic guitar, banjo and he recently picked up and started exploring the realm of the violin as well. The coming year will see him on the road again through Europe and North-America.
The project of Kristian Matsson - who has spent much of the last 19 years touring around the world as The Tallest Man On Earth - has captivated audiences using “every inch of his long guitar cord to roam the stage: darting around, crouching, stretching, hip-twitching, perching briefly and jittering away...” (The New York Times). In 2020, Matsson left New York City and returned to his farm in Sweden where he drowned out his thoughts by manically growing vegetables in his garden. It was only near the end of 2021, as he began to tour again, that the inspiration returned. “When I’m in motion, I can focus on my instinct, have my daydreams again. When I was finally able to tour again, I started writing like a madman.” He eventually had a collection of songs, revealing what would become Henry St, an album that sees Matsson exploring his own stubborn optimism and “how to be a person in this world”.
Critics often draw comparisons between The Tallest Man on Earth and Bob Dylan, citing similarities in both songwriting and vocal style. Matsson himself has acknowledged Dylan's influence, revealing that he started listening to him at the age of fifteen. Fascinated by Dylan's covers, he delved into their origins, which gradually introduced him to early American folk artists like Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie. However, Matsson is quick to distance himself from being part of any specific tradition, stating, “I don’t want to be part of a tradition. I just want to do what feels natural to me. This is how I play, and this is how I write songs".
In 2024 Matteson performed together with the string orchestra Amsterdam Sinfonietta. He presented a program featuring Swedish folk music, works by classical Scandinavian composers, a selection of the singer’s own growing repertoire of beautiful songs, and covers of artists such as Bob Dylan and Adele. Special guests included the New York-based string quartet Brooklyn Rider, led by Colin Jacobsen. He also performed three sold out shows with the Swedish Gävle Symphony Orchestra, led by conductor Karl-Johan Ankarblom. Because of the success and warm reception of those performances 2025 will see more of a The Tallest Man on Earth collaboration with Gävle Symphony Orchestra in Sweden and with a chamber ensemble across North-America. But first he’s lining up for this spring’s solo tour in America and a festival run during the summer.
The Still Tide
Anna Morsett has never been in one place for too long. Whether traveling in her mind or in actual transit, she has always been searching for the steadiness that her band name implies: The Still Tide.
While Morsett’s project has gone through several iterations, hometowns and releases, the one constant has always been her honest, intentional and luminous brand of indie rock. Influenced as much by growing up in the Pacific Northwest as by her experiences traveling the globe as a guitar tech for artists such as Feist, Gregory Alan Isakov and Alvvays. The Still Tide is Morsett’s true and heartfelt landing place for her confessional lyrics and intricate guitar work.
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