MATS

ARTIST PROFILE

Born in Gifu Prefecture. MATS started playing guitar at 16 and discovered Oldies, Rockabilly and Rock'n'Roll at 18. Soon after, MATS moved to Tokyo and learned the fundamentals at a music school. MATS then relocated to Naha, Okinawa, where MATS formed a first Rockabilly band. There, MATS took part in self-organized events and other shows around the prefecture, appeared at Rockabilly events in Tokyo, and also played guitar in a local Oldies house band.

When the band went on hiatus due to circumstances, MATS moved to Tokyo and formed another band, which broke up after about a year. Since then, MATS has focused on social media and YouTube and started a solo career. Activities are wide-ranging: posting performance videos, singing Oldies with an acoustic guitar, producing DTM tracks and providing songs, and joining house bands as a vocalist or electric guitarist.

Since around 2012, MATS has performed solo shows across Japan and has released six solo albums in total. Past bands include The CATS&RATS, The NEVERLAND, Laugh Rough and 宇宙暴威 (a BOOWY tribute band put together for events), and MATS also helps out other bands on guitar.