who tf is matt cory?
Ehhh, my name is Matt Cory and music has always been my life. I know, that’s about as cliché as it gets, but it’s the absolute truth. Growing up, music was always around me thanks to my dad, who introduced me to bands like Aerosmith, U2, Journey, Van Halen, Metallica, Nirvana, INXS, and countless others. I fell in love with it immediately. My grandmother, who was a piano teacher, gave me my very first guitar when I was about 11. At the time, I didn’t have the patience to play it, but a few years later, I finally worked up the courage to tackle the instrument seriously.
I’ll never forget going to a neighbor’s house, learning my first riffs, and staring at “Come As You Are” by Nirvana, thinking it was crazy that I’d actually be able to play two strings at the same time. From there, I took guitar lessons and quickly became obsessed with the instrument.
As a teenager, I started jamming with friends in their parents’ basements. None of us had ever been in a band before and we didn’t know what to expect, but I’ll never forget that first jam session. It was like the heavens split open, and in that moment, I knew this is what I wanted to do with my life: play music in a rock band.
Over the years, I played in all kinds of bands, starting with cover bands like Misty Street in my teens and early 20s. We played everything from ‘70s pop and ‘80s metal to 2010s radio hits. I even joined a folk band called Former KGB for a while. Everyone in that group was a music school student, incredibly talented and kind. They loved to explore and experiment with music, and it was such a blast to play with them. I joined partly because their style of music was something I didn’t fully understand, and I wanted to challenge myself by stepping outside my comfort zone.
Eventually, I joined an alternative rock band called 18 Rabbit. We wrote music together, played tons of shows, and always had a good time on and off stage. Some of my favorite memories come from that time, including playing opposite Buckcherry and Three Days Grace at Rockin’ the Fields and all the cool people I met around that time.
During this period, I started experimenting with instrumental music and released five EPs under the name Engines of Creation, inspired by Joe Satriani. These projects, which you can still find on streaming platforms, were raw and experimental. It was just me pushing the boundaries of what I could do on guitar, exploring new ideas, and doing everything myself—from writing to recording to releasing. That music was created during my university years and was a turning point for me as a musician.
After several instrumental EPs, I decided it was time to take a leap and start performing under my own name. It was a scary step, but it opened up a whole new chapter for me.
In 2019, I released my first two EPs, Scars on the Ceiling and Day of Reckoning. These were deeply personal projects, entirely written, recorded, and released by me. At the time, I was still figuring out my voice, experimenting a lot vocally, which gives these EPs a raw and unpolished sound. But despite their imperfections, the songs remain true and authentic to who I was during that period. I still remember walking around my neighborhood for hours, listening to the mixes of Day of Reckoning on my headphones, trying to perfect every detail.
By 2020, I had set some pretty ambitious goals: I planned to release at least four EPs that year, each differing in style and approach. I ended up releasing The Acoustic EP, Spearhead, Path of a Vagabond and Concrete Jungle. These projects spanned a range of genres, from acoustic music to heavy metal to instrumental tracks, showcasing my desire to push myself creatively in every direction.
When the pandemic hit, I took a break from releasing music and shifted my focus to creating daily “guitar riff of the day” videos on TikTok to stay connected to music and keep myself busy. That break turned out to be refreshing because, when I returned to releasing music, I felt more inspired than ever.
Ghost Rising felt like a return—a comeback EP after the pandemic hiatus. With this release, I decided to lean into a more aggressive sound, pushing my music into heavier and edgier territory. It was a statement, a way to reestablish myself after the break and show a new level of intensity in my songwriting and performance. This EP marked a shift in energy and focus, and I’m really proud of how it turned out.
In 2023, I was honored to receive the Guitarist of the Year, Vocalist of the Year and Rock Band of the Year awards at the Manitoba Loud Music Awards. It was an absolutely unforgettable night, a moment where all the hard work I had paid off. Since then, my band and I have performed countless shows across Manitoba, both electric and acoustic, connecting with audiences in new and exciting ways.
After releasing Ghost Rising, I wanted to follow it up reasonably quickly with a second EP that took a completely different direction. Let’s Go Downtown was all about capturing a fun, party, beer-drinking vibe, inspired by the raw energy of early 1970s hard rock and punk scenes from Detroit. It was meant to contrast the heaviness of Ghost Rising, offering something looser, more carefree, and packed with the kind of energy that feels right at home in a bar or festival setting.
We shot a music video for Let’s Go Downtown that tells a fun and quirky story. It features a teenage couple going out on a date, only to be followed around by a strange alien. The couple starts their evening at an arcade before heading out to see a show. If you watch closely, you’ll catch cameos from each band member at the time, which was a fun way to sneak us into the narrative. The video was shot and edited by Trav Anema, another incredibly talented Manitoba Loud Music Award winner. It was an absolute blast to create and really captured the energy of the song!
Looking ahead, the future feels brighter than ever. I’m currently working on multiple EP projects, each pushing into different musical territories—from progressive instrumental rock to thrash metal, goth rock, and even a David Bowie-inspired EP. There’s so much more on the horizon, and I can’t wait to share what’s next.
