Matt Maeson chronicles life changes on 'A Quiet and Harmless Living'

Matt Maeson has spent many a long night writing songs while the rest of the world sleeps. Between fatherhood, marriage, and moving cities, he captured a life in transition on his third studio album, A Quiet and Harmless Living.

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Photo Credit: Jess DeFlorio

An early taste of the new record came in the form of the single “Halfway to Whole.” Maeson describes it as a reflection on depressive episodes and the ways they ebb and flow. “It’s about all the things I think about in that state of mind,” he said in a press release. “The hopelessness, the insecurities, the failures. This song did a lot for me, and I hope it can do as much for the listener.” Musically, the track blends introspective lyrics with a layered arrangement that moves from piano-led intimacy to broader, anthemic moments.

Much of the album was written at night, between 11 p.m. and 2 a.m., as Maeson navigated the demands of being a father, husband, and artist. He cites influences ranging from Big Thief and Adrianne Lenker to the scores of Final Fantasy VII, demonstrating a mix of indie sensibilities and cinematic textures.

Songs like “Everlasting” confront the idea of leaving everything behind and finding resilience in the aftermath, while “Downstairs” pairs palm-muted electric guitar with distortion-driven refrains to evoke a restless, searching energy. On “Cursive,” Maeson duets with Andy Hull of Manchester Orchestra, exploring faith, religion, and personal growth through introspective exchanges.

To support the album, Maeson is launching an expansive 42-date tour across North America and Europe, complete with a stop at Lincoln Theatre on November 4, 2025. Maeson was last in D.C. on his That's My Cue tour, where he performed intimate renditions of his discography as an acoustic, solo act.

In reflecting on the new material, Maeson describes a process of “deconstruction” that forced him to confront the pressures of career, parenthood, and marriage simultaneously. “I was failing at all of it because I was doing too much,” he said. “It broke me down to a point where it came out in the lyrics. Fatherhood gave me the punch in the face I needed. It gave me the ability to be brutally truthful.”

A Quiet and Harmless Living is not a record of despair but a record of reckoning. It is Maeson navigating new territory, both personally and musically. “At the end of the day, I’m just a good father and husband who makes and plays music sometimes,” he says. “I made something that spoke to me, and I’m content.”

See below for a full list of U.S. tour dates:

September 26, 2025 @ House of Blues in Dallas, TX *

September 27, 2025 @ Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater in Austin, TX *

September 29, 2025 @ The Van Buren in Phoenix, AZ *

October 1, 2025 @ The Observatory North Park in San Diego, CA *

October 2, 2025 @ The Wiltern in Los Angeles, CA *

October 4, 2025 @ Regency Ballroom in San Francisco, CA *

October 5, 2025 @ The McDonald Theatre in Eugene, OR *

October 7, 2025 @ Crystal Ballroom in Portland, OR *

October 8, 2025 @ Showbox SoDo in Seattle, WA *

October 10, 2025 @ Knitting Factory in Spokane, WA *

October 11, 2025 @ Vogue Theatre in Vancouver, BC *

October 16, 2025 @ Mission Ballroom in Denver, CO º

October 18, 2025 @ First Ave. in Minneapolis, MN º

October 19, 2025 @ The Vic Theatre in Chicago, IL º

October 21, 2025 @ Royal Oak Music Theatre in Detroit, MI +

October 22, 2025 @ History in Toronto, ON +

October 24, 2025 @ Theatre Beanfield in Montreal, QC

October 25, 2025 @ Toad’s Place in New Haven, CT +

October 27, 2025 @ Orange Peel in Asheville, NC +

October 28, 2025 @ The Fillmore in Charlotte, NC +

October 30, 2025 @ Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, TN +

November 1, 2025 @ The Tabernacle in Atlanta, GA +

November 3, 2025 @ The Jefferson Theater in Charlottesville, VA +

November 4, 2025 @ Lincoln Theatre in Washington, D.C. +

November 5, 2025 @ Union Transfer in Philadelphia, PA +

November 7, 2025 @ House of Blues in Boston, MA +

November 8, 2025 @ Brooklyn Steel in Brooklyn, NY +

* = with special guest slimdan

° = with special guest Wells Ferrari

+ = with special guest Joe P.