Nashville-based, award-winning singer-songwriter Crys Matthews returns with a soulful, bold new reimagining of “Feeling Good,” released via Shamus Records. The track is the latest offering from Holidays & Evergreens, a Shamus Records release that breathes new life into songs from TRO Essex Music Group’s iconic catalog.
A troubadour of truth, Matthews has become one of the most vital voices in a new generation of social justice music-makers. A prolific lyricist and composer, she weaves Country, Americana, Folk, Blues, and Bluegrass into performances rooted in traditional melody, sharpened by fearless, original storytelling. She sounds like the moment we’re living in—unflinching, tender, and necessary.
Matthews has signed an exclusive publishing and recording agreement with TRO Essex Music Group—home to legendary writers and catalogs including Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Pete Townshend, Pink Floyd, and Black Sabbath—alongside its label arm, Shamus Records, known for releases such as Woody at Home, Vol. 1 & 2, Flamy Grant’s CHURCH, and Sam Robbins’ So Much I Still Don’t See.
Her impact is already deeply stamped across the industry. Matthews won Song of the Year at the International Folk Music Awards in both 2025 and 2022, becoming the first artist to receive the honor twice since the category began, and she was also named 2024 Artist of the Year. As Matthews puts it, her mission is to amplify unheard voices, illuminate what’s too often overlooked, and stand as a reminder that hope and love remain the truest pathways to equity and justice.
On her connection to “Feeling Good,” Matthews shares:
“I have always felt so drawn to Nina Simone. We are both North Carolinians, we both grew up loving classical music, and we were both raised in the church. This intimate version of her iconic song ‘Feeling Good’ (featuring Seth Glier on the keys) feels like the embodiment of all of those things.”
Originally written by English composers Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse for the 1964 musical The Roar of the Greasepaint – The Smell of the Crowd, “Feeling Good” was first performed by a character identified only as “The Negro,” who sings after winning a ruleless game against two white characters. Matthews frames the song’s history—and its enduring power—through the lens of racial and economic inequality, calling it a freedom song that still speaks to the systems people are forced to navigate today.
Holidays & Evergreens features a fresh collection of new recordings drawn from TRO Essex Music Group’s celebrated back catalog. Alongside Matthews’ “Feeling Good,” the compilation includes Jumaane Smith’s “Only You (And You Alone),” St. Vaughn’s “Goodnight Irene,” Casii Stephan’s “This Is Christmas,” St. Catherine’s Child’s “Streets of London,” Sam Robbins’ “Caroling, Caroling,” Andy Korn’s “Dream a Little Dream of Me,” Jacklyn’s “Jingle Bell Rock,” and more.
For further information on the artist, please visit
- https://www.crysmatthews.com/tour
- https://www.instagram.com/crysmatthews
- https://www.tiktok.com/@crysmatthewsmusic
- https://shamusrecs.com/
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