Basic Folk 209 – The Tallest Man on Earth

Kristian Matson grew up in the Swedish countryside and came to be The Tallest Man on Earth in the country’s diverse and low-key music scene. He often speaks of his weird little brain and a wild imagination, which actually stems from a heap of anxiety that he lives with everyday. Growing up, he struggled to tamp down his high-energy, especially in a culture that encouraged everyone to not stand out or draw attention to themselves. When he discovered the guitar, it felt like he found a vessel to harness all his energy, creativity and imagination. As a teenager, he found solace in the music of Bob Dylan, which led him to discovering other American folk artists like Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger. His world opened up when he found guitarists that used open tunings like Skip James and Nick Drake.

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His new album Henry St., was written and created in the aftermath of the pandemic. Kristian struggled with writing in forced solitude and found himself focusing too much on darkness. His inspiration returned when he finally got back on tour, where he began writing non-stop due to being back in motion and around other people. Human connection fueled the new album, which was produced by Nick Sanborn of Sylvan Esso in North Carolina. The two musicians’ similarities create a beautiful chemistry on the new record, which is the first complete band album recorded by Tallest Man on Earth.