Matthew Barber

Part 1

0:00Thanks man. We used to be a close DJ, right? I did yeah. What where'd you go to school? I went to Queens and then McMaster for a grad school I got a master's degree in philosophy But I had a radio show like the whole time at in Kingston and at in Hamilton. Were you there same time? Bad when was there? They were like they were yeah, I know them sort of but I they we didn't really cross over I was I'm a bit older than them. I guess I think they were like They're more like my sisters here you shoot the Queens to I think They were just like they were just starting to play when I was kind of in my last year there So I I kind of just missed them. I think yeah. Yeah, it's kind of cool

0:45Little music community. I love this thing we have now here. I was I was looking at who's playing your record I mean Elka's is on there. He's coming in on Tuesday Oh, yeah, and call Matthews and your other band. I mean he's in the hidden cameras was a great fall time Yeah, it's a cool community we have in this country with you know musicians and they were sure each other's records Yeah, there's a lot of great musicians in Toronto. I mean, I'm sure all over the country I know there is all over the country, but Toronto is what I know I guess the best because that's where I've been living for the last Four years, but yeah, there's a lot of cross pollination in the bands in Toronto. It's pretty much That's the way everybody knows that it is and that's the way most most of the people like it too You know, so there's like yeah, I mean, I I only really play in two bands, but I'm but yeah Paul Matthew for example

1:31You know like maybe just mentioned like that guy probably plays in about Seven different bands or you know at different times So I went out when he can you know and the guys that I've got with me right now like I've had the same rhythm section In the union dues in my band for about two years, but I'm Matt McQuaid on on bass here in Adams on drums and then the most recent additions just since last fall are Dean Druelyard on guitar who plays with all kinds of people and and Stu Crooks on pedal steel pedal steel. Yeah out of the show tonight. Just you were full band Tonight, it's the whole band. We're all yeah, we're all out here just for just for a short little trip We're like playing a private party tomorrow. So that was kind of the yeah in Calgary

2:19so that was kind of the reason that we came out and We could kind of afford to you know do the luxurious thing of flying out for a few gigs No, not not not for a couple shows out that would be ridiculous So I know we actually treated ourselves and and we flew out we played in Lethbridge last night and It was good it was fun at the tongue and groove which we played there like three times before and it's a really fun place to play and I don't know it's always a it's always a party down there in Lethbridge and Yeah, so we're doing a club show tonight in Calgary. Well, I guess not this will be airing later, but yeah Friday night in Calgary and then tomorrow night this private party and then and then the band's going back and I'm sticking around for a few solo shows

3:08I'm doing a couple opening shows for Chris Isaac The Jubilee here in Yes Sunday in Calgary and Tuesday in Edmonton Yeah, no, I haven't no I'm really excited about it though Your music or it's No, it's it's kind of it's kind of through this party that we're playing. I don't know. I don't even know it's yeah it's he's playing this party and and Kind of the the same production company that's putting on the party is also doing this his shows And so that was kind of my end to get the opening slots for those shows with yeah, so what should be fun a couple days I'm gonna go back. I'm only gonna be back in Toronto for about

3:57Two weeks. I'm gonna try and do as much recording as I can to sort of have The bulk of this new album done before I take off and then I'm going to Europe for like 10 weeks basically this hour for what to tour to play some shows and Just travel around with my girlfriend a bit like a bit of both like pulling some shows in in the UK and Ireland and then In Germany and Holland and Belgium and then I'm I don't know just going down to France for a little bit too and up to Sweden too So some places that I've been to France before but I've never been up to Sweden before so that's gonna be pretty cool Is the record really? Yeah, my last record sweet nothing is on rounder records in Europe and just came out and well

4:46It came out in January so and I haven't I haven't been over there yet to do any shows so it's gonna be great. Yeah I don't know like I think it's I It's hard to say like I don't think it's It's it's like kind of an indie label, you know like it's so it's not and nobody really knows who I am over there Like I think it's I heard it was doing all right in Germany. That's the last thing I heard Yeah, I don't know it's me and David Hasselhoff or something I don't know but anyway, so we'll we'll find out cuz I'm gonna be there for about three weeks in July, so we'll see Even the record doesn't sound weird You know kids have the music however they want yeah, that's true I'm just excited to place in places that I've never been before you know like play the beat

5:35Yeah, I don't know if I'll be doing that one on this trip but no I mean it's gonna be really small time like I'm just going in by myself with my acoustic guitar and Taking what I can get basically But it's kind of nice to be anonymous in a in some new markets where nobody really knows who you are You know cuz I've been across Canada a good number of times now over the last three four years Which and I still love that but it's it's I'm excited for some fresh some fresh blood Turn some people on to the barber charm. Yeah Only in very limited just a couple's trips down in New York City and stuff like I've only a couple like One show here and there but no I haven't done haven't got it together to do a real tour down there. Oh, yeah

6:21I'd love to but I Don't know it's It's tough. I mean I don't have an album a label down there or anything yet. So at this point I'm probably just gonna work on getting my next record together and then from there trying to you know Get some stuff happening down in the States, but with sweet nothing. I don't know. I mean it's already a year and a half Old or so at this point so and it's I mean I wish you could just go down and drive down and play shows You know, but it's not really that easy like you have to go You have to pay quite a bit of money to get all your paperwork in order and I just haven't really gotten around doing that yet Yeah, maybe with this can tell me what the record It's even working on it before I've been working on it for a while. I don't know I've just been trying out of Just I'm really not rushing this one at all and taking my time with it and

7:12I don't know. I mean I've I've been trying out different things like I've done some sessions with the band in the studio I've done a lot of stuff just by myself at home and I'm really just kind of Sifting through I've got a lot of material built up now and I'm trying to figure out exactly what kind of record I want to make you know Like I've got a lot I've got a lot of tunes and I've got a lot of different versions of tunes You know like full band versions and then really stripped down versions and Right now I'm leaning towards actually just putting it putting out a pretty bare bones kind of Just acoustic record, you know with just acoustic guitar and piano and like really minimal accompaniments to and harm like minimal harmonies and stuff and Just Shake it up, you know cuz I don't know that's I do a lot of touring just solo like that and I haven't really released an album

8:03That's really reflected that yet, so That's that's what I'm leaning toward right now But I've got two months in Europe to think about it I guess so I don't think I'll be putting anything out until before like October or November I'll be really yes, okay cool. Maybe even reports of time get some new stuff to write about me Well, yeah, I might I might have a whole new album written by the time I get back That's all I don't know I mean some time right I'm sort of at the point where I've done three I did sort of an album a year between like 2003 2004 2005 and now I'm just kind of at the point where I don't want to just go out and release another one right away I kind of want to take my time and I don't know just make sure I'm putting out exactly what I want to put out so I don't know it was gonna be one or is it gonna be one thing? I'm not exactly sure yet. I don't know you just have the one album deal

8:51Yeah, it was just one album and plus the EP is and and then it's options after that So I don't know if things are a little bit up in the air with Warner, but I don't know we'll see what happens Yeah, we need labels anymore. No in Canada, you know, I honestly think it's better not to be on a major label What is that? Just because the major labels are kind of I don't know. I mean there a lot of people like the two main people that I had worked with at Warner both left and went to Andy labels And like a lot of people are getting laid off from major labels and they're just like the way the music industry is developing The indies are gaining a lot of power and the major labels are kind of I Don't know they're they're struggling to kind of maintain

9:37the I guess their market shares I think and They're still working on kind of an old old-fashioned business model I think of you know pushing singles to commercial radio and stuff like that and making videos and That's not necessarily the future of the music industry. I think with the with the internet and everything so yeah I don't know and and if you put it out independently then you just have complete control over it You're free to shop it to labels internationally and you know with with a Warner deal like any sort of international label That is interested in releasing your album you kind of have to go through Warner and it's just sort of an extra hurdle You have to go through but I don't know I mean not not to say anything about it. But Warner. I'm really happy with With what they've they've done for me over the last few years. It's just it might be time to try something different

10:28So those songs you play how can you chose perfect time just to? I really I really like that one. I've always really liked that one and I just I Was pretty sure I would be able to remember the words to that's the main reason I played it before like not Not in a while But I mean I've played it live a few a few times before but not probably not for at least a year and a half or two years Or something I Have my own shows a couple times I think I've I think I've done that one with her as well before I've just at least maybe sung backup song with her before you bust that covers live to you. Yeah I'm a big we have a lot of vinyl right? Yeah, we usually like every tour

11:15We usually like to have kind of a couple covers that we can we can pull out I mean I don't I don't like to play a lot of covers in my shows, but it's nice to have one or two What's going right now? Well right in the cover that we're doing right now But we won't be playing tomorrow night at the party with the show we're doing with Chris Isaac because we've been doing wicked game Oh, I just you know cuz I don't know just cuz I guess I've had Chris Isaac on the brain and I've always loved that tune and And we just played it in rehearsal and it like it sounded really good like everybody just knew exactly what to play and It's a really fun tune to sing and so yeah, we did that one last night. We'll probably do that one tonight But in the past, I don't know. I've definitely done done a good handful of Neil Young covers some some Tom Petty covers I

12:05don't know Something like country songs and older country songs and stuff like that. I don't know what else have I done It's cool to do that some bit the band have done we used to do it makes no difference by the band who did that one for a long time Yeah, nice Somebody sometimes a new song Tell me yeah, I Don't know I wrote it a while ago Probably over a year ago. Well definitely over a year ago um I Don't know what it's about I don't know what it's about exactly. It's a little it's a little bit dark It's sort of about some Personal not not things I was going through but just I don't know sort of

12:51Feeling like it's actually it's a little bit about God actually It's a little bit a little bit about feeling like or about sensing Sensing a higher power kind of judging your actions, but it's a little bit about that actually Maybe I shouldn't go into it anymore than that. I like that though I don't know people can get whatever they can get out of it when they listen to the lyrics, but I don't know It's off on give me intro to soft one so I can play on the radio night soft one is You know it's it's a song about It's kind of a breakup song, you know to be simple about it and it's but it's and about you know the kind of second-guessing

13:39that sometimes goes on when you're maybe getting out of a relationship or Realize you can't go on with with one person, but you don't also don't know how you're gonna go on without them And it's about the sort of feelings that go along with that and Yeah, I don't know. It's probably the most kind of straight ahead kind of pop song that I've ever written and Hence it's been my most Successful radio single so that's pretty much the way it goes But it's been really good to me that song actually I it's I think people like you and other radio programmers across the country you've been playing now and Way more than I thought anybody ever would for Pretty solidly for like a year and a half now or so even longer than that so it's been good to me

14:25Yeah, it's been a college station like two years ago. Yeah, yeah, probably the advanced copies would come out about the summer of 2005 so Yeah, it's been I've been Yeah, how did you notice that kind of thing does that even help anymore? Um, I get people at the show you think I don't know, you know, that's the that's the thing I mean, I'm a little disillusioned with how much kind of getting a single on on commercial radio in Canada really Develops your career for someone like myself who's still just kind of at the club level of playing shows I think it's probably helped to sell a few albums and definitely when we play that song And there are people in the audience who've never seen us before There's definitely a noticeable kind of like people here people know that song, you know people will kind of

15:15Start really kind of getting into it a little bit more and I can tell that people have heard that song so that's that's pretty cool But but yeah, I don't know how many people it gets out to shows because it seems like Um, maybe the the majority of the people that listen to the stations that have been playing it are people that maybe go to kind of bigger concerts But that don't necessarily go to places like Broken City or whatever for shows. I don't know it's hard to say but Still, I'm not complaining. I'm happy that people have been playing it I know you got to go swing ask you five quick questions one more answers. All right. I potter CDs Oh Yeah, I know I'd like a third option, but I guess Lately I'd have to say iPod Such a tough one today, I will say Lenin

16:15Also partial to both but like Lenin and McCartney I don't know nothing like a good cold beer though I I'm not answering in one word answers and break in the rules. It ends up being about a minute segment on the radio So all right, so um, what's the next one song you written your most proud of I don't know I'll say Morning light you should have a bit you for that right? Yeah, we did actually yeah, that a single official single I guess so yeah, yeah, you could say that it was sort of the third single from sweet Nothing that I mean I didn't really get played on radio at all

17:00But the video got got some decent air play on much more music. So that was cool. Yeah, and one word Matthew Barbara About your music Elliot, that's my mail me no All right, thanks a lot Matt. Thank you for having me

Part 2

0:00Matthew barber welcome back. Thanks Matt. Thanks for having me back last time you could you play with Rod Stewart last time Wasn't something crazy like that? Right it definitely wasn't Rod Stewart. I did play a couple shows with Chris Isaac in Yeah, yeah, was that the last time that I was by your show? Yeah, maybe a while ago. Yeah, you've been busy Yeah, I have been working on a new record. Yeah and last time you debut the song for us I see that end up on the record. Yeah, you're gonna play some stuff for us today as well. Mm-hmm You brought the spades with you. That's right. Yeah, so they're backing you up and playing their own set every night You've got them like work horses pretty much exactly. Yeah, they're they're doing working overtime every night nice How'd you hook up with them? How'd you was it just they're open? I might as well get them back me up Mmm. No, um, just uh, we just decided to go on tour together

0:47We've known each other for a few years they've had me up to Peter brod where which is whether from Peterborough, Ontario and I've gone up and played with with them and we actually did a little tour together a couple years ago where we weren't actually playing with each other but I had my own band and and worked out well and just musically we uh, we got along and you know, well personally and musically we got along and so Yeah, it's it's nice. I haven't really had a regular band for the last little while I've had I I mean I've had uh certain people like I mean, I've basically had the same rhythm section for the last little while Keira and Adams and Paul Matthew But different guitar players and just you know, I've been doing a lot of solo stuff So I haven't really had a regular band. So just having a band that's already to go and it's already a band

1:37Namely the spades and they're you know interested in playing on my tunes. It's just uh, it seemed to make a lot of sense It's funny you mentioned not having a regular band because I've noticed the Canadian highway of music everyone stops at map armor through here Not everybody but a good dozen or so have played with you at one point or another maybe A dozen might be pushing it. I mean, I feel like I've basically had kind of like two sort of turnovers of bands like since I've been playing over the last five years, but definitely Definitely played with a lot of with a lot of people who've uh, you know Um had success, you know, it's cool. So it's cool. Yeah, I mean julienne brown Played with me for a long time and he played in feist's band and uh, it plays an apostle of hustle matt mccoid

2:24Played with me for a good number of years did lots of tours with him and that he's been busy with uh, holy f for the last little while and uh Who else the list? Yeah, I appreciate that The list goes on jul stopher played drums on my first three albums and uh Didn't a lot of touring with him and he's been playing with dragonette for the last couple years. So You're gonna play us a song. Yes. What do you feel like playing? Um, what are we doing first? I don't know. I think a new song called insanity or death So it's not on ghost notes No, where's it gonna is it ever gonna see the light of day you think? Um, is there something's I haven't even recorded it yet? So I don't know uh, probably be on the next album. I guess nice written where at home or or as you've been on the road No, it's not that new it's yeah, I wrote it at home. Uh, I guess it's maybe a couple months old cool

3:48I've been living in my own world on my own world I don't know Spare it out of order like you hear of other people's don't I've been thinking about a little I've been wondering where I went Shot down like a picture in a pair of spark. I can't vibe and low and be hoping Hold on to tight sleep through the mornings and dream with the nights Will appear? Yeah, I blast the sacrificial light and I'm a television set

4:43Every part starts saying there's a million And the kings and queens are somewhere I'm screaming for heads Don't let us treasonous insanity or death You remember in minutes where I lived even if I'm not in touch Just series of illusions and realities again Yeah, we come to our conclusions and give a thing a name for And we first secured the people for a reason to say

5:35How do you ever get all these all about? I don't know if we know if you're all in all That's why we're fighting for the sound of slamming on a television set That report starts saying there's a billion people dead And the kings and queens are dead

6:32There's a season or a piece of all the deities in state If you're displeased and paid fees and can't pretend to hold your breath To pretend and hold your breath No death Hold your breath But often are you more of a you can't write on the road kind of guy?

7:45I know some people can really do it some people can't I Tend to not to write too much on the road actually I I find I find being on the road is actually really good inspiration for Writing when I get home from the road but when I'm actually in the van or you know the little I mean all the downtime you have on the road really is in the van because like You don't really have any other downtime you eat You show up for sound check and scramble to do that Scrambled to get some food play the gig Hang out party crash get up the next day and drive so Basically, I think to write on the road you have to be good at kind of being disciplined on working on stuff when you're in the van And I don't know I just I don't uh, I haven't been I haven't been doing much writing on this tour

8:32But I but I found after the last tour With Jill in the spring That when I came home from that after just you know being across the country and being away for a month and experiencing so much Then a lot of songs came out of me after that so hopefully that's gonna happen again when I get home from this tour But what do you what do you think insonically? I mean this record compared to sweet nothing big difference Yeah, pretty big different electric at all. Yeah, is that just you don't want to play the lecturers much anymore? um It was it was a conscious decision to um to just to go for a slightly different sound but uh, you know, yeah, I guess I just wanted to I wanted to make a mellower album basically. I wanted to make an album that You know that that people will want to throw on you know in the afternoon when they're around their house and like something that they can really

9:20Absorb like over repeated listens and it's not not not a party album by any reason Whereas yeah sweet nothing Like I was I was I wanted it to have that energy like right off the top. I wanted it to and uh Yeah, I guess maybe just a few years of of touring with uh with a rock band You know, I just wanted to try going in a little mellower direction And oddly enough now here I am once we're with a rock band again And they're bringing the sound the song sound a little rocky, which is cool Yeah, bring them a different vibe and you're gonna do another one for us One that I really like on the record. It's really quiet on the record, but it's gonna be a little more rocked out today Yeah, sleep please come to me. It's a very old like folk kind of song Yeah, it's got kind of a it's got kind of a blue grassy sort of country chord progression and uh feel to it. Yeah

10:24Oh, sleep please come to me Let's a quarter after the three I've been here since one I'm not having any fun. Won't you ease this misery? There are things I've got a good Well tomorrow before you don't make hay So Let's

11:22It's time these sheep was surely I can't count that anymore I'm asking will you Cause it's getting closer to fine Well, I thought I might have since you round me nine, but I guess my sense is like So still I lie here it's all dint tired With my lover's breath and the thoughts I feel my hair instead sweet sweet dreams too

12:20Night steps sweet sweet dreams tonight Steps sweet sweet dreams tonight You're gonna stick around and play with the spades in a little bit. That's right joining on some hand drums maybe some acoustic guitar You never know you've got a bunch of toys kicking around here. So we do we like we like to play we have fun. Matthew barber. Thank you so much Always a thanks lot, Matt