Matthew Pearce - Icarus

Described as ‘acoustic emo’, Matthew Pearce is a new artist from the United Kingdom, who has recently released his debut EP Icarus. Initially intended to be released late 2022, Matthew was pleased to be able to release his EP, along with a big party taking place at The Parish, Huddersfield.  

Icarus contains new tracks, such as the title track and Expectations. It also holds older, beloved singles of Matthew’s growing fanbase – such as The Man and Slow Down. As a DIY project, Matt writes and records in the comfort of a small home studio. He also uploads it all himself, which at this moment in time – he is facing issues with! Meaning the EP isn’t on Spotify yet, but the Icarus single is!  

This means I was very lucky to have heard it live to review it.  

The release party took place 18th January, with the plan that the EP would be up and running straight after. Although the upload wasn’t successful, the show was!  

The first support was Connor Walsh, a singer-songwriter with a soft voice. Just him, a guitar and drum pedal – he sang a few of the songs his most proud of. This includes his single Hallow Ground, which can be found on Spotify and YouTube.  

A brand-new band followed, known as Unfinished Stories. A DIY pop punk band who seemed straight out of Scott Pilgrim Vs the World. They brought the energy to the night, especially with a cover of Green Day.  

The final opener was Harrison Rimmer, another singer-songwriter who was the life of the party as soon as he entered the room. The crowd were dancing, everyone was laughing – we even did the macarena. He can be found on Spotify and YouTube!  

Matthew Pearce was joined onstage by a band of session musicians, and his backing vocals were sung by Chloe Jade, one of my favourite upcoming singer-songwriters, who has just released her new single Seven. Matthew laughed and joked between songs, beginning with Icarus and his final, original, song was The Watcher.  

He then created a beautiful night for friends and family. He covered three songs – the first being Wheatus’ Teenage Dirtbag, where he invited his little brother, Sam, out to play guitar. The pride in Matt’s eyes while he watched Sam play was beyond heartwarming. He then covered Summer of 69 by Bryan Adams, with a dedication to his best friend, and he finished the night with a sing along to Rick Astley’s beloved classic, Never Gonna Give You Up.  

Matthew Pearce is an incredibly lovable and talented young musician. From the live performances, and the singles already on Spotify, Icarus is a raw-sounding, soft rock EP. My favourite of his tracks and The Watcher, an emotional song that shows off the range of Matthew’s vocals.  

I’ll be keeping a lookout for when Icarus is fully released, and you should too!