Matt Russell recently released his debut album, Climbing, on Apology Records. Growing up in New Jersey, Russell taught himself to play various instruments, including guitar, piano, bass, saxophone and harmonica. He recorded Climbing at the end of his doctoral studies at the University of Chicago. Converting his apartment into a makeshift studio, he tracked the songs over a whirlwind two weeks, packed his car and drove off to NYC where he now lives and performs regurarly as part of the lower east side’s fertile music scene.