The Suitcase Junket is widely known for using dumpster junk to create the sound of a full folk-blues band as a one-man band.
Matt Lorenz, the man behind The Suitcase Junket, plays a guitar that he found in a dumpster in his hometown of Amherst, Massachusetts. His guitar is his only conventional instrument. The rest are what most would consider to be junk: the old suitcase he sits on doubles as his kick drum, while a baby shoe and gas can imitate a snare drum.
This ensemble is accompanied by Lorenz’s singing and a unique vocal technique: he sings through his throat to produce overtones, allowing him to harmonize with himself, a technique he accidentally discovered while taking a South Indian cooking class. While experimenting with the pronunciation of the dishes, he began to make whistle noises while speaking—a sound he has since utilized in his music.
Lorenz has explained that he enjoys the freedom of being the only person in what sounds like a full band: “There’s a freedom of momentary expression that would be unfair to do in a group… so with this solo thing I can just, you know, do a break wherever I want. And kind of change tempo and drag the song.”Â
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