Gravedigging At The Finish Line

We’re almost there…

All ten songs have been mixed for ‘Gravedigging For Two’, and I’m booked back in Soundhouse Studio on November 11 and 12 to close out the project.  One day for a handful of tweaks – lower the bass guitar in Your Loving Song, push the rhythm guitar in My Clown, etc…, and then one day to master the tracks.

After that, it’s just a matter of getting the album artwork from Jonathan Barrie (I’m desperate to use one of his pictures, it actually inspired the album name), and send the songs out for distribution.

So hopefully it’ll be spreading the world in time for Christmas!

Six years in the making, and the finish line is an arm’s reach away.

Recalling the Recall

Wow, what a show!  Total Recall 2017

We played around 35 of my favourite songs from the 80s, and raised a good chunk of change for Ovarian Cancer Canada.

Lots of great musicians, and there were a lot of great moments.  “Copperhead Road” with Brad Searl, “Let’s Dance” with Tommy Blacknine, and getting to pound out that amazing “Under Pressure” bass riff while Tommy Blacknine and Darren James Smith covered the Bowie/Mercury vocals…  Of course I couldn’t help but do that ‘Billy Idol snarl’ as we burned through “Rebel Yell.”

Lots of rehearsals, I lost most of August learning all those tracks, but I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.  I hope I held down the groove well enough to be invited back next time. 

The house band, Karl Anderson (drums), John Jamieson (keys), Aimee O’Connor (guitar), Stephen Varga (guitar), Shaylynn Anderson (sax), and Eric Meloche (stage tech), did a fantastic job.  A dream band for sure!

Total Recall - update

Total Recall is coming up, this Friday night at DSTRCT in Guelph.

So far, we’ve rehearsed with Brad Searl, Darren James Smith, Joe Vilardo, Cyndi Richards, Keegan Chambers, Kevin Reid, Gene Scarpelli, and Tommy Blacknine.  Tonight we’re rehearsing with Anna Cyzon, the final singer and the final rehearsal.

This has been a LOT of fun! 

Last week, before the singers arrived, we ran through a couple of songs.  I was in heaven, especially during Under Pressure.  Along with playing that iconic bass riff, it was a thrill to hear everyone singing (shouting) along with all the words!  And once we had the singers... WOW.  We all love this music, and it shows.

There are so many great songs in the set, and it’s going to be amazing to be on a stage playing these iconic hits with such a great band.

Total Recall 2017

Great news!

On Sept 8, I'll be in the house band for the Total Recall 2017 benefit for Ovarian Cancer Canada.

Playing bass with some of my favourite musicians, some old friends and some new, and a bunch of great singers belting out our favourite hits of the 1980s.

At DSTRCT in Guelph ON, Sept 8 at 8pm.  Tickets are $10 at the door, includes a DJ and dancefloor upstairs, and more donation opportunities inside.

Come out and support a great cause.  Come out and enjoy some great music.​

Dig Your Grave, or Join The Fight.

On Saturday, John Jamieson and I were in Soundhouse Studios mixing 'Gravedigging', not aware of what was happening in Charlottesville.

I just realized how poignant it was for us to be working on that particular song about complacency and not standing up for what is right.

"Dig a grave and climb right in, Just give up and turn away.

Or tackle the spite, and start the fight, Drop your gloves and join the fray.

Gravedigging your heart away, you could be so much bolder.

Gravedigging your life away, it makes you so much older than you are."

I'm grateful that there were so many people at that rally, fighting against the Nazi hate that's brewing. Hopefully more of us can push this problem back down into the toilet, where it can be flushed like the shit that it is.

The Exorcism of Matthew

An acquaintance called me ‘Matthew’ the other day. It made me realize that it’s been exactly 30 years since I started calling myself ‘Matt’. 

 And 1987 hit me hard. In that year I recognized the fallacy of religion, first felt the bullying of authority figures (CDCI West administration), stopped giving a damn about impressing others, and felt the confidence of believing in my own opinions. It’s also the year I stopped writing ‘hew’ at the end of my name because it was 3 letters too many.

As importantly, 1987 was the year that I discovered The Rolling Stones (Paint It Black) and David Bowie (Rebel Rebel).  Keith Richards inspired me to play the guitar, Bowie inspired me to actually PRESENT myself in a somewhat (misguided at times) stylish manner.  This musical wake-up shouldn’t be dismissed.  These musicians inspired me to write my own music, to give a voice to my inner demon, and to perform.  It also connected me to other local musicians, which has given me 30 years of incredible friendship, comfort, entertainment, support, and drama.  In other words, A LIFE!

“Sweet little Matthew” was abducted by reality, and replaced with “Matt.” And damn, it happened quickly!  And I couldn’t be more thankful that it did.

Saxophones!

This weekend we were overdubbing the saxophone on 3 of the upcoming songs.  Kristen Prince did an AMAZING job!

I found her through my engineer, John Jamieson.  John and I had been listening to the demos I recorded for the album, and I had programmed a sampler to play the saxophone lines on Gravedigging, You’re A Star, and My Clown.  There was something ‘strange’ about those tracks, something we couldn’t put our finger on.  John works with Kristen pretty frequently, and recommended her.

She got the lead sheets and a rough-mix MP3 a week beforehand, and then on ‘recording’ day we just went over what worked best for the songs, and hit the RECORD button!  It wasn't quite a "1-take wonder," but she knew what we wanted and laid down some beautiful work.

Our next mixing session is booked for over a month from now, but I’m anxious to get these last songs finished.  I couldn’t be prouder of how this album is coming.  Having another musician play on it is a huge leap for me – even more so because she was a stranger!