From the confinements of four bedroom walls in the West Midlands, Scott Matthews produced the music that made him the first artist to be signed to record label San Remo Records in 2004. As a Wolverhampton-born singer/songwriter Scott has captivated audiences across the Midlands and beyond. On the 2nd of October 2006 he released his debut album Passing Stranger.
At seven years old Matthews aquired his first guitar, a junior-sized ‘Kapok’ acoustic (which he still has), although things didn’t quite go to plan. It became neglected very early on as the box it came in was shaped like a coffin and therefore scared the hell out of him every time he went near it! For a brief period he moved on to drums, but soon hit his last snare due to the noise factor in the house becoming increasingly unbearable. It all changed when on his eleventh birthday he asked for an electric guitar. His dad duly obliged and brought him a £25 ‘Kay’ guitar complete with a bunch of old records acquired from a relative. Amongst those records was Smash Hits by Jimi Hendrix. This rekindled Matthew’s interest in music and he has been playing ever since.
Matthews’ inspiration has been drawn from iconic musicians such as The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Led Zeppelin, Joni Mitchell, Marc Bolan, and Joe Satriani. His first real venture into writing music was with his brother Darren, who plays piano and keyboards, delving into the world of instrumental rock. His colourful musical past led him into prior experimentations with funk, indie/rock and soul. His later band Positive Firefly was his first foray into the role of singer/guitarist. With the determination to no longer be pigeonholed as such he left his role of a band member behind and emerged as a solo artist. However, these past experiences laid the foundations for his own unique fusion of folk, and blues rock to materialise.
Passing Stranger, Matthews’ first album as a solo artist, reveals the sound he was striving for from the beginning. Intermingled with the bluesy and gentle tones are the traditional sounds of world music, with a guest appearance from world renowned tabla player Sukhvinder Singh Namdhari. Namdhari has performed alongside one of Scott’s own figures of inspiration, Ry Cooder, and also the legendary Ravi Shankar. The merging of these different musical cultures was a personal highlight for Matthews during the production of the album. The scope of the album is extensive - for instance, the track City Headache incorporates the warmth and vivacity of the accordion with a taste of French tradition. |
