Award-winning Canadian singer, songwriter, guitarist Matt Andersen has announced his forthcoming studio album, The Hammer & The Rose, out April 25th, 2025 via Sonic Records, and a US Spring tour. The title track, out now, provides a metaphor for “the push-and-pull relationship that often arises between the head and the heart.” It’s accompanied by an in-studio video of “The Hammer & The Rose.”
The Hammer & The Rose is the follow up to the 2023 Juno-nominated album The Big Bottle of Joy. The project featured a full band complete with horns and backup singers.
For The Hammer & The Rose, Andersen chose a different approach to the recording. Inspired by Producer and percussionist Joshua Van Tassel, who emphasized the timbre and texture of Andersen’s voice during the quieter moments of his live performance, Andersen began to write new songs with a stripped-down feel in mind.
Recorded live off the floor in Nova Scotia, Canada, Andersen enlisted an a group of musicians and friends to capture his vision for The Hammer & The Rose, all of whom are featured in the video of the recording. The album features Afie Jurvanen (acoustic guitar) and Christine Bougie (lap steel) from Bahamas, Aaron Comeau (keys), and Kyle Cunjak (acoustic bass), with Van Tassel behind the boards and drum kit.
Matt Andersen US Spring Tour
w/Julian Taylor supporting
April 3 – Seattle, WA – The Triple Door
April 4 – Portland, OR – The Showdown
April 5 – Baker City, OR – Churchill School
April 7 – Novato, CA – HopMonk Tavern
April 8 – Venice, CA – The Venice West
April 9 – Tucson, AZ – 191 Toole
April 10 – Phoenix, AZ – Musical Instrument Museum
April 11 – Santa Fe, NM – Tumbleroot Brewery and Distillery
April 12 – Albuquerque, NM – South Broadway Cultural Center
April 13 – Denver, CO – Swallow Hill Music
May 1 – Portland, ME – Portland House of Music
May 2 – Rockland, ME – The Strand
May 3 – Natick, MA – The Center for Arts in Natick
May 5 – Exeter, NH – The Word Barn
May 6 – Rockport, MA – Shalin Liu
May 7 – Fall River, MA @ Narrows Center for the Arts
May 8 – Northampton, MA – Iron Horse
May 9 – New York, NY – Iridium
May 10 – Sellersville, PA – Sellersville Theater
May 11 – Vienna, VA – Jammin Java
May 13 – Pittsburgh, PA – City Winery
May 14 – Cleveland, OH – Music Box
May 15 – Findlay, OH – Armes Hall – Marathon Center for the Performing Arts*
May 16 – Ann Arbor, MI – The Ark
May 17 – Grand Rapids, MI – Midtown
May 18 – Chicago, IL – Old Town School of Folk Music
May 19 – Madison, WI – The Bur Oak
May 20 – Minneapolis, MN – The Dakota
*Julian Taylor not supporting
