Born and raised in Philadelphia, Avé grew up in a Christian family and began singing in church at age six. At 11, they joined the Philadelphia Boys Choir & Chorale, where the singer’s uncommon vocal talent blossomed and where they learned eight-part vocal harmonies ... As a teenager, Avé toured the world with the choir, visiting four continents and finding a safe haven while their parents were undergoing a painful divorce. They launched a solo career in 2011 and released two albums—2012’s The Real ME and 2015’s SPelChek—as Matt Edwards. More recently, the singer rebranded and changed their stage name to Avé. 

 

The new name signifies the singer’s comfort embracing their true identity. “I’m just freer and more comfortable performing the music because I’m performing it as me,” says Avé. “And saying ‘Be who you are,’ while I’m being who I am. I feel like I can say it with a different fervor because I know the pains and the struggles of what that means and what that could cost. It doesn’t mean the road will be easy. But it’s a road worth taking.”

 

In fall 2020, Avé will publish their first novel, Heir Apparently, which chronicles strife and turmoil within a royal family whose queen is diagnosed with a terminal illness. The singer views the book and the new songs as one interconnected project—the music serves as a soundtrack to the novel and reflects the emotions of the individual characters.

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