This website is an archive of my work and process.
I’m looking for the threads that bind ordinary life to its larger mysteries. I want to know about local traditions, the spirit of human-made art, and the structure of divine inspiration.
For a more immediate connection to my work, be sure to get on the email list here.
I spend my time
- making music and performing under the name Matthew Joel,
- writing and publishing poetry and essays on the internet and in print,
- lecturing and researching in the history of philosophy (mostly the Platonic tradition),
- and teaching in Foundation Year Program at University of King’s College.
For concert bookings, speaking engagements, collaborations, or other inquiries, send me an email.
CONNECT
Subscribe // Bandcamp // Spotify // Instagram // YouTube // Email
BIOGRAPHY
For Matthew Joel Vanderkwaak, songwriting is an act that tugs at the boundaries between what is seen and unseen. Matthew is best known for his resonant voice and songs that reveal the cosmic in the ordinary. He considers himself just a vessel, “but really, that is true for all of us.”
Merging East Coast folk influences with West Coast indie-rock sensibilities, Matthew was born in the Fraser Valley of British Columbia, and now calls Halifax home. He has been writing, recording, and performing for over 15 years.
Matthew also has a PhD in Philosophy. His research focuses on the most ancient and enduring traditions of mysticism and metaphysics. The same interests appear in his songwriting which is ever seeking the universal in the particular. His songs are personal and honest, but always rooted in the mysteries at the heart of things.
PHOTOS
Photos by Samuel Landry