Matthew James

Artist Information

Biography

If you asked him, Matthew James would probably say he’s a singer/songwriter. But that hardly does justice to the fact that, as well as writing exceptional and original songs which he sings with passion and finesse, he is an accomplished guitarist, producer and arranger.

Matthew has shown himself to be a first class musician and songwriter, as well as an excellent performer. From working as a writer and producer for Larry Norman (Solid Rock Records), to rocking out for a crowd of 30,000 at Creation Fest West, Matthew has what it takes to thrive in the studio and on the stage alike.

Along with Matthew, the Matthew James Band is made up of 4 great members: Mitch Guindon, Jon Tanis Lee Macrae and Anna Moorman.

"Dirty" Mitch Guindon came to the band with a spectacular resume. He attended the same music school as Diana Krall, toured the "A" grade circuit with several different bands, and drummed with Nickleback for 2 years. Mitch's drum are smooth and full of groove but lack no punch. While recording at TNC studios in Seattle, his hard hitting on "Complete Me" brought the neighbours over to complain. He brought down the house!

Jon Tanis has stood on his own for years heading up the Tanis Band, touring festivals and shows in the northwest. Matthew engineered and produced their debut cd "Tanis", and since had dreamed of having Jon in the band to bring that sweet flavour and unique guitar playing to the stage.

Lee Macrae is the 2nd generation pro bassist in his family. Taking after his father, Lee brings a solid and cool feel to build a great sound on. From a heavy push to a slow funk, Lee seems to bring it all together. Solid, but liquid at the same time.

Anna Moorman is a welcome addition to the band. Originally with classical education, Anna brings freshness to the sound with her complimentary keyboard harmonies and soothing vocals. Anna has a degree in performance piano from the University of Toronto.

Instrumentation

Matthew James - vocals, acoutsic guitar
Jon "jonny ok" Tanis - electric guitar
"dirty" Mitch Guidon - drums
Lee MacRae - bass
Anna Moorman - keys

Discography

Terrible Terrible News - November 2004

Official Website

http://www.matthewjamesband.com

Audio

Lyrics

• Terrible, Terrible News
• You Don’t Know About Me
• I Like The Pane

Video

Photo Gallery

Press

• 100.3 The Q - The Island’s Rock [+ Show ]
  

  Hi Matthew, I got the CD, and I think “You Don’t Know About Me” is a KILLER song. I’m going to ...
  Hi Matthew,
  
  I got the CD, and I think “You Don’t Know About Me” is a KILLER song. I’m going to feature it on the New Music Lab and pass it on to Kevin Wilson, who does our Canadian Content feature. He’ll probably be in touch with you sometime for a quick interview for the show. I’m going to take it into next week’s meeting.
  
  Actually, all three songs are great. Thanks for sending them.
  
  Cheers,
  Scott James,
  100.3 The Q
  Victoria, BC
  

• The Zone 91.3 FM Modern Rock [+ Show ]
  

  Matthew, Hey man, nice work on the song (“You Don’t Know About Me”). Send me a full length ...
  Matthew,
  
  Hey man, nice work on the song (“You Don’t Know About Me”).
  
  Send me a full length CD since I happen to be the manager of the Armchair Cynics along with being the announcer on The Zone, and maybe we can set up some shows in the future which gives you mentions and a few spins in The Modern Rock Inbox.
  
  I’m always here to help,
  
  Scott Kirkwood,
  91.3 The Zone
  Victoria, BC
  

• Gods of Music [+ Show ]
  

  All right, according to the back the band, Linkin Park loves Matthew James. From what I can gather...
  All right, according to the back the band, Linkin Park loves Matthew James. From what I can gather, there is more than adequate reason for you to as well. Matthew James is really got a nice subtle vibe going on throughout this song.
  
  Great vocals are the true highlight to this song. Matthew James' voice just invites himself in and sits down and starts to tell you a story. Something about the voice keeps you in your chair. It's like the old man who you bump into at an old five and dime who just starts telling stories that you can't walk away from. You may even start taking notes about the story he's telling you.
  
  The piano is another highlight. Soft and subtle it accompanies his voice with a certain invisibility that just sets the tone of the ride you're about to take. I can also tell that the player is quite adept and the emotions of the song come through with each note.
  
  Bottom line; this is a trip you just need to take.
  

• “You Don’t Know About Me” [+ Show ]
  

  “This is an impressive effort. No, scratch that. Effort implies that the song isn’t quite right. Thi...“This is an impressive effort. No, scratch that. Effort implies that the song isn’t quite right. This song reeled me in and kept me. When you listen to as much music as I do, it is very easy to become jaded with new acts. It is inevitable. You will eventually just wonder what the point is to some of the indie bands you hear. When talent crosses your desk it can be all too easy to skip by it accidentally because you already have a stack of music to listen to. In fact, often, you can miss quality work because you just stop listening to the new stuff that crosses your path. Luckily, I didn’t pass this song by. The progression of the song is enjoyable. The band has their act together. The song just flows.”

• “Righteous Woman" [+ Show ]
  

  “People, this is music. It touches you with crisp clear composition, great guitar playing, wonderful...“People, this is music. It touches you with crisp clear composition, great guitar playing, wonderful lyrics with a great vocal as backup, and believe it or not even a violin in the middle. Yes, this song has it all, and the message of the song is something even I can recognize myself in. So I guess the word "talented" is the phrase I'd use for Matthew James.”

Setlist

01. Terrible Terrible News
02. I Like The Pane
03. Ain't Life Like That
04. You Don't Know About Me
05. Fall From Grace
06. Oblivious
07. Dreamer
08. Theres A Time
09. Lifes A Game
10. Complete Me
11. Walls In Which I Hide
12. Vagabond Girl
13. Sing

Set lasts approx 1.5 hours

Basic Requirements

Calendar