Storytelling through song is a fundamental duty of traditional music, and Matthew Byrne does this brilliantly. With parents who were singers and song collectors, he was raised with a strong family focus on sharing songs, and he has cultivated a distinctive repertoire and deep appreciation for rediscovering and reinventing traditional material. Since releasing his debut album, Ballads, in 2010, Byrne has established himself as one of Canada’s foremost traditional singers with his rich and powerful vocals, refined guitar style, and compelling interpretations of unique traditional songs. After a hiatus from the studio and the road, Byrne released his fourth studio album, Stealing Time, this past April. The project brought Byrne to Yellow Arch Studios in Sheffield, UK, where he teamed up with folk legend Martin Simpson as producer. The album features instrumentation from some of the finest musicians on the English folk scene including Nancy Kerr, Andy Cutting, and Liz Hanks.