Matt Boroff is an industry veteran, creating connections and collaborations for over 30 years. He has never been the type to settle into his comfort zone and produce the same record over and over. Over a decades-spanning career during which he’s shared the stage with such respected acts as Nirvana, QOTSA, BRMC, Calexico and Kyuss, just to name a few, this multi-talented singer, songwriter, and guitarist has consistently pushed the boundaries of his music, exploring everything from blistering post-punk and windswept desert-tinged soundscapes to immersive waves of ambient noise and raw, intimate performances. But wherever his muse takes him, this restless veteran artist retains a flair for vivid lyricism, unique guitar work, hauntingly powerful vocals, and an uncompromising vision of music as a way of life.
In early 2000, Boroff relocated to Keckeis’ home country of Austria, where they performed as a duo before Boroff formed Matt Boroff & the Mirrors with drummer Little Konzett in 2002. Their self-titled debut album, was released in 2004 to critical acclaim drawing comparisons to Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and The Gun Club. It was followed by 2006’s West-Coast punk inspired Ticket to Nowhere. Over the next four years, Matt Boroff & the Mirrors criss-crossed Europe in a van playing clubs and solidifying a devoted following. Their third and final album Elevator Ride, released in 2008, conjured vivid images of Spaghetti Westerns and sweeping desert landscapes and was considered their best received album to date.
Renowned for the cinematic nature of his songs, Boroff contributed original instrumental tracks to the Zach Galifianakis film Little Fish, Strange Pond in 2009. A year later in 2010, he released his first solo album, Reaching for Sparks. The dark orchestral arrangements beneath the album's acoustic tracks drew comparisons to Nick Drake, establishing Boroff’s reputation for creating impactful music across diverse styles. The four-song EP Filling in the Cracks that followed in 2012, was a throbbing nightmare of hallucinogenic blues reminiscent of a David Lynch soundtrack, that left listeners eager for his next move.
Boroff’s second solo album, Sweet Hand of Fate, released in 2014, expanded upon the atmosphere of Filling in the Cracks. It combined standout tracks from the EP, including the anguished “Garbage Man” (featuring a haunting guest vocal from Mark Lanegan), with highlights like “Lost” (again evoking the raw power of The Gun Club), the ethereal “My Black Heart,” and the searching urgency of the title track.
An impressive lineup of collaborators contributed to Boroff's third solo release, Grand Delusion, in 2016, including producer/multi-instrumentalist Alain Johannes (QOTSA, PJ Harvey, Them Crooked Vultures, Desert Sessions), drummer Jack Irons (Pearl Jam, RHCP, Neil Young, Joe Strummer), and, once again, with Mark Lanegan (Screaming Trees, QOTSA). Boroff delivered his most acclaimed album to date with Grand Delusion, drawing listeners into richly crafted, cinematic musical worlds brimming with brooding intensity.
Without compromising his songwriting and incisive lyrics, Boroff’s fourth solo release, Beautiful Machine, shifted from a guitar-based approach to layered synth-beds, pulsing bass lines, and drum machines reminiscent of the emotional rawness of Downward Spiral-era Nine Inch Nails. Written in 2018 and released at the beginning of 2020, a month before Covid exploded around the world, Beautiful Machine explored questions of what it means to remain human in an increasingly digitized existence. The album also saw Keckeis' return to the piano, adding another layer of depth to the sonic landscape, and foreshadowing what was to come.
In 2024, Boroff announced his latest project, Slow Burn Drifters. According to Boroff, it’s a band he formed with Keckeis that combines their love of music, film, and aesthetics. Stay tuned as Slow Burn Drifters prepare for an extensive European tour to support the release of their debut album Golden.