One-Liner Bio (50 words)

Vox is used to turning heads. He went from being a class Matthew Sidney Parsons is a songwriter, poet, and educator from Olive Hill, Kentucky who wrote the title track on Bronwyn Keith-Hynes' 2025 Grammy-nominated album I Built a World. He performs solo and with his band Whistle & Fish, bringing authentic Appalachian storytelling to stages internationally.

Short Bio (150 words)

Matthew Sidney Parsons is a songwriter, poet, and educator from Olive Hill, Kentucky. He wrote the title track on Bronwyn Keith-Hynes' 2025 Grammy-nominated album I Built a World. Raised in a bluegrass family, Parsons performs solo and with his band Whistle & Fish and has taught songwriting and traditional music across Appalachia through Morehead State University, Berea College, and Hindman Settlement School.
He has performed at events including The Bluegrass Jamboree in Germany, Kentucky Arts & Letters Day, WDVX Blue Plate Special, and Bernie Sanders' Fighting Oligarchy Tour, touring with acts like Sarah Kate Morgan, The Local Honeys, and The Berea College Bluegrass Band. He has shared stages with Peter Rowan, Tim Stafford, Dale Ann Bradley, and Bronwyn Keith-Hynes.
Parsons is the author of Mountain Roosters and Holy Land, and creates character-driven performances that celebrate mountain culture while addressing universal human experiences.

Full Bio (300 words)

Matthew Sidney Parsons is a songwriter, poet, and educator from Olive Hill, Kentucky who brings authentic Appalachian storytelling to contemporary stages. He composed the title track on Bronwyn Keith-Hynes' 2025 Grammy-nominated album I Built a World.
Parsons grew up in a bluegrass family in West Virginia—his father a bluegrass musician and songwriter, his mother a librarian and storyteller. This upbringing shaped his distinctive approach to songwriting, which blends traditional mountain music with contemporary lyrical consciousness. For more than a decade, he has performed widely both as a solo artist and with his band Whistle & Fish.
His performances have taken him to stages across the United States and internationally. You may have seen Parsons perform at Kentucky Arts & Letters Day, Appalachian Songwriters Weekend, The Bluegrass Jamboree in Germany, Bernie Sanders' Fighting Oligarchy Tour, WDVX Blue Plate Special, Country Music Highway 23, The Down Home, The Appalachian Food Summit, or the Ford Foundation Annual Dinner.
He has toured with acts including Sarah Kate Morgan, The Local Honeys, The Price Sisters, The Woodsheep, and The Berea College Bluegrass Band, and has performed alongside industry legends like Peter Rowan, Tim Stafford, Al White, Raymond McClain, Dale Ann Bradley, and Bronwyn Keith-Hynes.
Beyond performing, Parsons has dedicated himself to teaching the next generation of mountain musicians and writers. For more than a decade, he has taught songwriting and traditional music through Morehead State University, Berea College, Hindman Settlement School's Appalachian Writers Workshop, and community programs across Appalachia, helping writers and musicians discover their voices and hone their craft.
He is the author of the poetry books Mountain Roosters and Holy Land, and his work addresses complex social issues through character-driven narratives that celebrate mountain culture while honestly confronting its challenges.
Based in Olive Hill, Kentucky—birthplace of Tom T. Hall—Parsons continues the tradition of Appalachian storytelling through song.

Biographies