Home • Matty James Cassidy

The Latest…

New singles All That Romance and Tell It to the Ghosts out now — more music coming through 2026.

Regular live dates and residencies in London and beyond, both solo and with The Real Villains.

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Rhyme, rhythm & song

Matty James Cassidy makes guitar-driven rock & roll for people who still expect songs to stand up on their own. His writing is direct, restless, and unsheltered, driven by melody and tension rather than irony or nostalgia.

Originally from Ireland and now based in Camden, London, Cassidy writes from the perspective of someone who understands the cost of chaos without mistaking it for freedom. The songs live between disillusion and romance, discipline and release. They hit fast and hold up under repeat listens.

In 2023, Cassidy released Trouble with The Balladmongrels alongside Tyla (The Dogs D’Amour), reaching the UK Official Chart Top 20. Now releasing music under his own name, he is focused on a body of work that is sharper and harder-hitting, made to travel from pubs to stages to festival fields without losing its edge.

Live, Cassidy performs both solo and with his full band, The Real Villains, featuring members of The Professionals, Towers of London and The Glitterati. Stripped back, the songs are intimate and story-led, delivered with grit, humour and emotional pull. With the band, they open up into something more physical, urgent and unpolished. In any setting, the aim is the same: songs that feel necessary, and performances that stay with you.

“Rock’n’roll is one of those phrases that means everything and nothing all at once. However you choose to define it though, Matty James Cassidy exudes it from every pore.” – Maximum Volume Music

“… unmistakably takes his cue from the old school rockers like Cash, Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis et al, but with lyrics and swagger that brings it bang up to date, showing that classic rock’n’roll is still relevant. Cassidy has the attitude and presence that reminds me of the late great Joe Strummer in his Mescaleros days.” – Musipedia of Metal

“Any fellow outsiders out there – pirates, cowboys, highwaymen, holy fools, loners, drinkers, writers, fuck-ups – give this a listen, your radar will twitch. He’s one of us and this is as good as outlaw music gets.” – The Midlands Rocks

“… will have you hitting the repeat button and swinging the bottle until the sun comes up!” – RPM Online