Matt Sassano fronts a modern Rock band built for people who've been counted out. Heavy guitars. Big hooks. Melodies you can shout back. They're built from scars and conviction. Raised in Canisteo, New York, a small rural upstate town, Sassano grew up with Cerebral Palsy and Dyscalculia - written off early and defined by what he struggled with. Music became the first place he pushed back.
In 2014, he relocated to Knoxville to pursue music seriously, stepping into a new chapter that would shape his sound and direction. In 2021, his EP "In Defiance", produced alongside Grammy-nominated Josiah Prince of Disciple delivered multiple #1 singles on the CMW Rock chart Including: "Not My Name" and "Dear God".
Songs about disability, abuse, and identity loss didn't stay niche - they became some of the most requested tracks on Rock Radio and sparked conversations that weren't happening before.After touring nationally with Seventh Day Slumber, Sassano brought that sound to festivals, clubs, churches, recovery programs, and maximum-security prisons- connecting with people from every walk of life who felt overlooked. In 2026, guitarist Richard Tallent and drummer Aaron Hancock joined as permanent members, solidifying the lineup as a three-piece rooted in the Knoxville Rock scene. Live the band comes in loud and leaves a mark.
By the end of the set, something significantly shifts. The crowd doesn't just hear it - they carry it out with them.
Two premiums cotton/polyester Black tee shirts. 1)- Live performance Tee 2) Signature Tee BUNDLED WITH - "In Defiance" CD.
"In Defiance" CD features 2 #1 CMW songs- Not My Name, Dear God, and In Defiance, Guilty Pleasure and Sorry Is a Dirty Word.
Shirts come in sizes M, L, XL, XXL
All black cotton/polyester blend with live portrait of Matt Sassano performing. All sizes M, L, XL, XXL, 3X All cotton M3 tees come in black, red, white. Sizes S, M, L ,XL, XXL, 3X and limited 5X All black cotton/polyester blend Matt Sassano signature Tee. Size M, L, XL, XXL, XXXL
All shirts "if requested" can be signed by the artist.
5 song CD with 2 #! CMW hits Not My Name Dear God In Defiance Sorry is a Dirty Word Guilty Pleasure
