Ian Matthews - Biography
By J Poet
Iain Matthews has one of the most distinctive voices of Britain’s folk rock revival. Since his break through with Fairport Convention in 1969, he’s had a rich and varied career as a singer, songwriter and guitarist, but his mercurial temperament and many changes of creative direction have kept him from achieving the recognition he reserves.
Iain Matthews was born Ian MacDonald in 1946 in Lincolnshire. (He changed his name in 1968, to avoid confusion with King Crimson’s Ian MacDonald.) He grew up in an abusive family and took refuge in pop music, learning to sing harmonies at Sunday services. He was a big fan of American soul music, and dropped out of high school to work as a sign painted. Local bands loved his voice and he fronted three – The Rebels, The Classics and The Imps, before moving to London to make it.
He worked at Ravel’s shoe shop in Carnaby Street, ground zero for the 60s fashion and music explosion. In 1967 he was recruited for Pyramid, a surf band that had one minor hit “The Summer of Last Year,” before breaking up. In 1967 Ashley Hutchings hired him as co-lead vocalist for his new band Fairport Convention. His duet vocals with Sandy Denny made Fairport’s first two albums Fairport Convention (1968 Island UK, 1969 A&M US) and What We Did On Our Holidays (1969 Island, 2008 Water) groundbreaking efforts. He left the band during Unhalfbricking to make a solo album.
Matthews’ Southern Comfort (1969 Elektra) was an American country flavored album. Matthews put together a band of the same name and made two more albums with them Second Spring (1970 Elektra ) and Later That Same Year (1970 MCA UK) which included a cover of Joni Mitchell’s “Woodstock” that went to #1. The pressure of success proved to be too much and Matthews left the band.
In 1971 he signed with Vertigo for If You Could See Thro’ My Eyes (1971 Vertigo UK, 2007 Water US) recorded with friends like Richard Thompson, Sandy Denny, King Crimson’s Keith Tippet and featuring some of his best compositions and two songs by his friend Richard Farñia. Tigers Will Survive (1972 Vertigo, 2007 Water US) was a strong follow up. An American tour did well, but again Matthews quit to start a new band.
But he still owed vertigo an album, and dashed off Journeys from Gospel Oak (1995 Mooncrest) a folk rock masterpiece that contains some of his finest singing. He moved to LA with Plainsong, his new country band, and cut In Search of Amelia Earhart (1972 Elektra), another stunning collection, but Matthews, again dissatisfied, hired studio musicians for Valley Hi (1973 Elektra) produced by Mike Nesmith and Some Days You Eat the Bear and Some Days the Bear Eats You (1974 Elektra) which had an LA country rock feel.
Matthews moved on with a new guitarist named Jay Lacy and made Go For Broke (1976 Columbia) and Hit and Run (1977 Columbia). Stealin’ Home (1978 Rockburgh UK, Mushroom US) was a bit more rock than folk and earned Matthews biggest US hit, a cover of Terence Boylan’s “Shake It.” He quickly followed up with Siamese Friends (1979 Rockburgh UK, Mushroom US) but Mushroom went out of business when its CEO died. Matthews moved to Seattle. Matthews teamed up with vocalist David Surkamp (Pavlov’s Dog) and started the new wave outfit Hi-Fi for Moods for Mallards (1983 Shanghi). The follow up Shook (1995 Line) was never released in the US or UK. Matthews sold his guitars and moved back to LA to work as an A&R man for Island Records.
When Matthews appeared at Fairport Convention’s annual Cropredy Festival in 1986, the reaction was so positive, he started work on a new album, Walking a Changing Line (1988 Windham Hill) songs by Jules Shear given synth heavy arrangements by Van Dyke Parks, Fred Simon, and Patrick O’Hearn. Mark Hallman produced the album and Matthews liked working with him so much he relocated again, this time to Hallman’s hometown, Austin, Texas.
Matthews finally hit his stride as a songwriter in Austin, returning to a more folk rock meets singer/songwriter style for Pure and Crooked (1990 Goldcastle, 1994 Watermelon), the largely acoustic Skeleton Keys (1992 Line Germany 1994 Rhino), Dark Ride (1994 Watermelon) another introspective acoustic album and God Looked Down (1996 Watermelon).
Matthews went back to a harder folk rock sound on Excerpts From Swine Lake (1998 Tangible), hailed by many as his latter day masterpiece, and marked by strong songwriting and his soulful vocals. A Tiniest Wham (2000 Tangible) was another mostly acoustic album, a blend of swing, folk and country music, that gave wings to another strong collection of Matthews' originals. Matthews was having difficulty supporting himself in the US and in late 2000 moved to Amsterdam.
Matthews collaborated with Elliott Murphy on La Terre Commune (2001 Eminent) a folk rock album of originals and covers and created a Sandy Denny tribute band No Grey Faith to cut Secrets All Told (2002 Perfect Pitch UK), al album of songs written by, or associated with Denny. He revived Plainsong again for Pangolins (2003 Blue Rose UK) a mellow classic, and made another solo album, the keyboard heavy Zumbach’s Coat (2006 Hunger UK). In 2003 Matthews met jazz pianist Egbert Derix, leader of the Searing Quartet. They toured together playing a live version of the album If You Could See Thro’ My Eyes and things went so well they began writing songs together. In 2008 he released Joy Mining, followed by 4 releases in 2010- Afterwards, Time Will Show The Wiser, Ride The Times, and Kind Of New.
