About The Duo

Bio:

As featured on NPR’s Mountain Stage Radio Show, The Bluegrass Situation and Bluegrass Today, the Matchsellers are Warsaw, Indiana native Andrew Morris and Julie Bates of Kansas City, Missouri. Their exciting, gritty, and often hilarious stage show has been developed over 6 years of touring across the US and Europe. The two met while working as American Cultural Ambassadors in Germany via the Fulbright Program and began exploring traditional American music from abroad. Since then, they have collected influences from various regional styles of American folk music including Bluegrass, Old-Time Fiddle, Hambone, Fiddlesticks, Cajun, Gospel and others. Their work has delved into subjects as academic as “German-American Musical Exchange” and as wild as “Science Fiction Bluegrass”. While a focus on humor and absurdity permeates their show, they are dedicated interpreters of tradition whose excellent musicianship, songwriting and taste are never overshadowed.

Four-Piece Bluegrastronauts Band:

The Matchsellers’ sometimes perform their Outer-Space Bluegrass Odyssey “Bluegrastonauts” with a 3 or 4-piece stringband normally featuring Chad Graves of The Hillbenders on Dobro and Betsey Mae on Bass. For more information on the 4-piece Bluegrastronauts Band click here.

For Booking

and general information contact: thematchsellers [at] gmail.com

Notable Performances in 2019 Include

Ten Pound Fiddle (MI), Farm and Fun Time (VA), Birdfest (SC), Central Ohio Folk Festival (OH), John Hartford Memorial Fest (IN), Flatrock Jamboree (WI), Indiana Fiddler’s Gathering (IN), Byrd’s Creek Music Festival (TN), Fiske Planetarium for the 50th Anniversary of the Moon Landing (CO), Tri-State Bluegrass Festival (IN), and the Walnut Valley Bluegrass Festival (KS)

Future Shows

***w/  Bluegrastronauts band***

***Oct 19-20 Pioneer Heritage Days, Warsaw, MO***
***Oct 25 Pop’s Blue Moon, St. Louis, MO***
***Oct 26 Champaign-Urbana Folk and Roots Festival, Urbana, IL***
***Oct 27 Danenberger Family Vineyards, New Berlin, IL 1pm***
Nov 1-2 Old Mill Festival, Kennard, TX
Nov 3 Larry Bruce Gardens, Kennard, TX, 12pm
More Dates…

Panel 1

Videos

FOUR-PIECE

DUO

Panel 3

Photos

(Click images for high-resolution file)

Logos (Click images for high-resolution file)

Panel 4

Press

“The first song I listened to was the one about the Pigeon and the Dove and I said ‘you’re hired’” – Larry Groce, NPR’s Mountain Stage

“…hard-driving bluegrass with all the grit intact… The Matchsellers had our initially reluctant audience rolling with laughter” – Birthplace of Country Music, Virginia

“As far as bluegrass goes this is one of the freshest records you will hear all year. It’s an intergalactic hoedown you won’t regret listening to.” – VocalsOnTop

“…a bluegrass sound and an idiosyncratic sense of humor…echoes of the Wilders’ bluegrass and Western Swing– and lyrics like nobody else in town… their brand new point of view is a refreshing surprise.”  – KCUR, Kansas City

“The audience was simply enamored with The Matchsellers, demanding an encore to which they happily obliged…if you enjoy down-home bluegrass and wild, gritty country-folk, then you must see The Matchsellers” – KCMetropolis, Missouri

“They played in barns. They played in strangers’ homes. But one thing these two rolling stones certainly didn’t do was gather moss.” – InkFree, Indiana

“What a wild and wonderful sound!” – WBOI’s Meet the Music, Indiana

“Like if there was a revival of Hee Haw on Adult Swim” – Stolen Wallpaper

“The Matchsellers may look like yet another charming, predictable bluegrass duo, but only if you aren’t actually paying attention.”  – 90.9 The Bridge, Missouri

“…a twisted sense of lyrical humor paired with energetic Americana music” – Norman Transcript, Oklahoma

“Unbelievably talented, wry witted, sardonic, and occasionally slapsticky--this couple is bound for glory!“ – Wild Rose Moon, Indiana

“… these two incredible musicians are absolute masters of their craft. They have perfected a beautiful blend of old, new, and original and perform it with such accessible and endearing sincerity, you can’t help but fall in love with their music.” –Local Talent Stew, Indianapolis

“American emigrants folk music played on East German rooftops…”  – Dying for Bad Music, Germany

“A New Class of Bluegrass” – Carbondale Nightlife, Illinois

“Solid perfection!” 5/5 stars – Tuning into the Obscure, New York

Panel 5

Contact

For all booking, radio and other inquiries email us at:

thematchsellers {at} gmail.com

or use the contact form below