“I used to write solos, but there’s a lot of beauty in a more spontaneous take – even an old, known pattern that falls in a different place than usual”: Matheus Canteri is shamelessly blending country with shred – and it’s working

Matheus Canteri.

The term ‘country’ isn’t often paired with ‘shred’ – but don’t tell Matheus Canteri, a São Paulo, Brazil native occupying space in Nashville, Tennessee. Without a care in the world he blends high-octane rock with twangy chicken-pickin’ licks.

“The sound of country was always pleasing to me, but I think it was because one of my first influences was Steve Morse,” Canteri says. “Studying his phrasing and style helped me discover and fall in love with other great players like Albert Lee, Brent Mason and Johnny Hiland.”