Matt Sassano is a modern rock artist from Knoxville, Tennessee, creating guitar-driven anthems with unforgettable hooks, raw conviction, and a refusal to be defined by circumstance. His breakout EP, In Defiance, produced by Grammy-nominated producer and Disciple guitarist Josiah Prince, established Sassano as a rising voice in modern rock. Since then, he’s earned multiple number-one singles on the Christian Music Weekly Rock Charts, including ‘Not My Name’ and ‘Dear God,’ and toured alongside artists including Seventh Day Slumber and Petra. His music has taken him from festivals and venues to churches, recovery events, and maximum-security prisons. Sassano’s Christian faith is at the heart of who he is and the hope behind his music, while the stories he tells reach far beyond any one audience. Born with cerebral palsy and dyscalculia, he knows what it means to have others make assumptions about who you are and what you’re capable of. His songs confront fear, failure, addiction, self-doubt, and the labels people carry with one conviction: none of them get the final word. 

In 2025, Knoxville musicians Richie Tallent on guitar and Aaron Hancock on drums joined Sassano, bringing new energy, chemistry, and heart to the band.

Together, they’re building more than a rock band. They’re building The Defiant—a community for anyone who refuses to let their past, circumstances, or someone else’s expectations decide who they become. Stand in defiance of whatever makes you feel alone, worthless, or powerless.