matthew brienich

A musician at heart, Matthew Breinich is also a traveler; his career pursuits leading him far from his small-town origins in Sidney, Ohio to long-term stints in cities like Los Angeles, Berlin, Honolulu, and Bogotá. Today, he calls Washington Heights home—Manhattan being the ideal springboard for a musician with wide-ranging talents and interests. As a drummer and guitarist, Matt’s style is as diverse as the places he’s lived, drawing inspiration from the rock idols of his youth: Neil Peart of Rush, Danny Care of Tool, and a host of bands including Anthrax, Metallica, and Megadeath. Growing up on a steady diet of 90s grunge and post-rock (think: Alice in Chains, Soundgarden, and NIN), Matt refined his technique at The Ohio State University, where he earned a degree in Jazz Performance with concentrations in Music Education and Classical Performance.

Matt pivoted to a career in marketing and brand development after school, knowing that the endeavor would allow him the freedom to explore music as a true passion rather than turning it into a “job.” He spent several years performing with local rock group, Meet The Patients, and took an artistic sabbatical to work on an acoustic album with Berlin-based band, Index. Matt joined Night Coast in 2018, and has since re-recorded and composed tracks from the archive as well as new material. Whether he’s experimenting with beats in the studio or getting into performance-mode onstage, Matt’s technical and experiential contributions to Night Coast make for a smooth drive.

Why music? “Rock music is a cathartic expression for me; letting me get out emotions I can’t express otherwise. Making music is most often meditative; one of my favorite things about practicing is the repetition of trying to get it right and listening to the nuances. Getting in that zone is very Zen-like. I’m also fascinated by the way that listeners can take something viable from your music that wasn’t originally intended. With Night Coast especially, the audience takes what they want from our music – they take what’s important to them – and I kind of dig that.”

Loves: Motorcycles, surfing, exploring and photographing new places, and getting completely lost in a good video game.

Favorite Night Coast Song: Fire in My Shoes