CMAT in Washington DC

About CMAT

CMAT is an Irish singer-songwriter who makes clever, emotionally direct indie pop that sounds like it was written in a diary and then set to synth-pop arrangements. Her songs deal with the specific textures of modern heartbreak, self-doubt, and the weird ways we sabotage ourselves in relationships. She's got a knack for memorable melodies paired with lyrics that sting because they're too true, whether she's dissecting a toxic relationship or the exhausting performance of being a woman trying to seem fine. Her music gained traction through independent releases and steady touring across Ireland and the UK, building a quiet cult following of people who appreciate that she's not trying to be anything except honest. There's a sharpness to her work that sets her apart from the general indie pop landscape—she doesn't soften the edges for palatability.

CMAT's shows are intimate even in larger rooms. She commands attention without needing to try hard. Crowds lean in to catch every lyric, and the energy shifts based on song to song—some moments feel confessional, others build into moments where the room is singing along to something that hurt them personally.

Known for I Want You to Love Me, Wishing, Sam, Hurt Me If You Must, The Difference

CMAT + Washington DC

CMAT's DC visits have a particular edge to them—the kind of shows where the room feels smaller than it actually is. When she played DC9 in April 2024, she moved through a setlist that hit the sweet spots between her arch observational humor and genuine emotional wreckage. "California" opened things up, then she settled into the tighter, meaner cuts: "Whatever's Inconvenient" and "2 Wrecked 2 Care" landed with the precision of someone who's spent years perfecting the art of the callout disguised as a love song. By the time she got to "Stay for Something"—the closer—the whole room felt complicit in some private joke. CMAT's relationship with DC is built on this kind of intimacy, where her specific brand of millennial self-sabotage feels less like performance and more like oversharing with someone you trust.

CMAT in Washington DC News

• CMAT announces spring US tour, shows with Florence + The Machine included BrooklynVegan · Nov 4, 2025
• How to Get Tickets to Florence + the Machine’s 2026 Tour Consequence of Sound · Nov 1, 2025
• Florence + The Machine announce 2026 North American tour with CMAT, Rachel Chinouriri and more NME · Oct 24, 2025
• Florence + the Machine Announce 2026 ‘Everybody Scream’ North American Tour Rolling Stone · Oct 24, 2025
• Florence and the Machine Announce 2026 Tour Pitchfork · Oct 24, 2025

Live Music in Washington DC

DC's indie and alternative scene has always had a soft spot for artists who traffic in specificity and emotional honesty without the sentimentality. CMAT fits right into that lineage—the city's venues from DC9 down through the smaller clubs have long hosted the kind of songwriters who make character studies out of their own bad decisions. There's an audience here that values lyrical precision and doesn't need everything wrapped in glossy production. It's a town that gets the appeal of a song called "I Don't Really Care for You."

Washington DC road trip to see CMAT?

Stay in Georgetown or Capitol Hill, both walkable neighborhoods with excellent restaurants and bars. Book a table at Kinfolk in Capitol Hill for refined New American cooking, or head to Pineapple and Pearls for something more elaborate if you want to splurge. During the day, the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden offers world-class contemporary art without the crowds of the main Smithsonians. Walk the C&O Canal towpath if the weather cooperates. Hit up one of the city's serious record shops like Smash! Records before the show.