Crys Matthews Reveals New Single ‘Last Night I Had The Strongest Dream’

Crys Matthews has a way of making tradition feel urgently present. On her new releases—a cover of Ed McCurdy’s “Last Night I Had the Strangest Dream” and a reimagined take on Woody Guthrie’s “Deportee,” now titled “Citizen”—she steps into the long shadow of American folk history and gently repositions it for today’s listening ear. It’s not about reinvention for spectacle, but about continuity with purpose.

Her rendition of “Last Night I Had the Strangest Dream” unfolds with a kind of quiet intimacy that feels almost conversational. Matthews treats the song like a shared memory rather than a performance piece, allowing its message of peace and collective imagining to linger in the space between notes. There’s something deeply human in how she delivers it—unforced, unhurried, and open-hearted.

With “Citizen,” Matthews shifts into sharper narrative focus. Drawing from Guthrie’s enduring “Deportee,” she builds a companion piece that feels both respectful and boldly present-tense. The track doesn’t overwrite the original so much as extend its questions forward, reframing ideas of migration, identity, and belonging in a way that feels painfully relevant. It’s storytelling that listens as much as it speaks.

Musically, both tracks sit comfortably within Matthews’ wider sonic world—one that blends Americana, folk, country, blues, and bluegrass into something fluid and unboxed. The arrangements are deliberately understated, allowing the lyrics to carry the emotional weight. You get the sense that every choice here is in service of clarity, not decoration.

Across these two songs, Matthews reaffirms her place as one of contemporary folk’s most necessary voices. There’s a sense of mission running through her work, but it never feels didactic. Instead, it feels like invitation—an ask to imagine, to remember, and to reckon. In her hands, these songs don’t just survive history; they actively participate in shaping what comes next.