About
Matt McFarlane

Outlaw soul.
Community heart.

About
Matt McFarlane

Outlaw soul. Community heart.

The Early Years

Matt McFarlane picked up his first guitar at age six. A Casio keyboard soon followed, along with a growing habit of writing poems that would later become lyrics. By his teens, those early ideas had evolved into songs — a way of documenting what he felt, what he noticed, and what he didn’t want to forget.

Growing up, he gravitated towards alternative rock, listening to artists like Radiohead and Jeff Buckley, alongside the pop music spinning on local radio. His songwriting was introspective, raw and reflective, already rooted in a deep awareness of the world around him.

In his late teens, Matt moved to New South Wales to join an army band, Fuse, based at Holsworthy. For three years he played regularly at pubs and on-base events, eventually pushing himself into Sydney’s Circular Quay and The Rocks to perform his original music. It wasn’t easy — playing his own words in front of strangers took courage — but those nights were key in shaping both his performance and his voice.

From Disaster To Healing

As venues began to book him regularly, Matt started building momentum. Then, during a gig in Sydney, he was assaulted. The recovery was long and difficult, physically, emotionally, creatively. He returned to Melbourne, unsure whether he’d perform again.

That’s when songwriting took on a new role. What had once been a tool for self-expression became a tool for recovery. He began writing songs not for the stage, but for survival. Songs that helped him reconnect with his voice, his identity, and his capacity to move forward. Over time, that process extended to others. As Matt shared his music in rehab centres, hospitals and disability services, people began to see themselves in his words. He wasn’t just entertaining anymore, he was offering something they could feel.

“The songs before the injury were for performance. The songs after were for healing, mine first, then shared with others so they could do the same.”

From Healing To Connection

Since then, Matt has spent the last two decades performing, supporting, and creating music with purpose. He’s worked extensively in the disability and mental health sectors, offering therapeutic music sessions that help people connect to themselves and to others. He also continues to perform across Victoria — hosting community open mic nights, playing original sets, and fronting Petty Cash, his popular Johnny Cash & Tom Petty tribute duo.

Over the years, his influences have deepened: David Bowie, Johnny Cash, Tom Petty, Waylon Jennings — artists known for their storytelling, their grit, and their ability to speak to life’s harder edges. Matt shares that same instinct. His songs are real — sometimes simple, often moving, always honest. His voice is unmistakable: resonant, direct, and capable of cutting through noise with clarity and care.

Matt McFarlane is a songwriter, performer, and a therapeutic music practitioner. But more than that, he’s someone who understands the power of being heard, and helps others feel the same.

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