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Thursday, January 28, 2010
Matthew Hoover, a Bucyrus native, found his musical footing in central Ohio with two longtime friends -- brothers Steven and Pat McGann.
(Steven, who oversees the fledgling Peloton Records in the Columbus area, is promoting the first Hoover album.)
As the trio grew, so did its ambitions: It ultimately became a six-piece -- though often-rotating -- outfit dubbed the Supersaints.
Hoover, 35, will join the band Saturday to offer a collection of songs played both solo and with his peers.
He spoke recently about his work:
Q How long have you played music?
A My mom has pictures of me singing as a toddler, and I'm pretty sure there's a recording of me singing Country Roads by John Denver when I was 4 or 5.
But I really started getting into playing music in middle school. When I was in seventh grade, I played drums in a band. We played Kiss and AC/DC covers at dances and talent shows. We were awful, but I was hooked.
Q What does your latest music sound like?
A This is a tough one for me, but, if we have to put a label on it, I suppose it's a mix of folk-rock and rock 'n' roll, with hints of traditional country and blues. I think they call it Americana.
It's easier to say what it doesn't sound like.
Q Would you talk about your new album, Talking to Ghosts?
A The songs were inspired by the typical songwriting muse -- love, loss, hope and regret -- but mostly by the death of three very close friends of mine. One was killed in a car accident, and the other two died five months apart of cancer.
All three died way before their time, so the writing of this record is sort of a snapshot of that time in my life and dealing with all that.
It's not as dark as it sounds. I did mention "hope."
Q Why should someone see you in concert?
A You never know what you're going to get. It might be just me with my guitar or me with my band, the Supersaints.
I have an outstanding and ever-changing lineup of players. Sometimes we play real laid-back and feature the violin or keys; other nights, we dime the knobs and let loose a bit.
-- Kevin Joy, kjoy@dispatch.com - Columbus Dispatch
By Alexandra Kelley
Matthew Hoover has a photographic musical memory. He can recite album titles, lyrics, and concert dates for practically any 90’s-era Columbus rock band and attributes this encyclopedic prowess to being raised near Bucyrus.
“There’s nothing to do in that town other than form a band and hope to move to Columbus,” he joked.
In high school Matthew attended as many Greenhorn and Lilybandits shows as possible. “Tim Easton was my hero,” he said. Now after a decade of singing and playing guitar in bands including the Peachbones and Bush League All-Stars, he has embarked on a solo career and shares the stage with his former idols. Members of Greenhorn and Big Back Forty play in his band the Supersaints and he’s opening for Tim Easton in a couple of weeks. “I can’t believe I get to play with these guys,” he said. “I used to grab their set lists off stage.”
After years of saving money and selling a beloved motorcycle Matthew released his first solo album Talking To Ghosts in May. Steeped in folk and country-rock, it was dedicated to three of his friends who recently passed away. “The songs on that record just came out of me,” he said. Joe Viers with Sonic Lounge Studios in Grove City recorded and mixed the album. Its undeniable gem is “The Whiskey,” inspired by a man Matthew met at The Treehouse who routinely drives all over town searching for his alcoholic girlfriend.
Looking ahead Matthew plans to record more albums and keep honing his harmonica skills. He joined forces with local indie label Peloton Records a few months ago and hopes to someday collaborate with renowned Columbus instrumentalist Derek DiCenzo. “I surround myself with musicians who are better than me,” he said. “My friends told me that the day I’m the best guy in the band is the day I should quit.”
Matthew Hoover will perform on August 28 at Rumba Café with Megan Palmer and The Hopefuls, on September 11 at Rumba Café with Unit One, on September 16 at Rumba Café with Tim Easton, and on October 23 at Skully’s with The Lovebones. - Columbus Underground
With help from a long list of talented friends, Hoover, a skilled singer-songwriter in the Tim Easton/Ryan Adams/A.A. Bondy vein, offers a splendid set of folk-rock tunes. Talking to Ghosts doesn't blaze new trails in Americana, but it navigates the well-worn paths with the savvy of an experienced traveler.
Things start quietly with the harmonica-tinted balladry of "Nothing's Fair," but by the time "Glow of Nicotine" blows through like a torrential storm, Hoover has amassed an entertaining journey through enduring themes like heartbreak, redemption and the substances we use to cope with both.
Most members of Hoover's ever-shifting band the Super Saints will be on hand for the release show on Friday, May 15, at Rumba Cafe, including pedal steel master Barry Hensley, who'll be packing his bags for Portland shortly after. Hayseed and Erika Carey will play sets too. - Columbus Alive
Discography
Talking To Ghosts
Photos
Bio
With the welcoming reviews of his newest cd “Talking to Ghosts” and the continued requests of popular Ohio venues for his return, one can’t accuse Matthew Hoover of being an apparition of anyone’s imagination.
Hoover has been traveling Ohio’s back roads for many years picking up gigs, inspiration and fellow musicians at various crossroads along the way - all in search of himself and his sound.
And what does Hoover have to show for his wanderlust? A distinguished, but hauntingly familiar sound which if you listen to long enough takes you on a journey through the heart of Americana musical story telling. And to help deliver are his SuperSaints, a group of remarkable musicians from around Ohio, who gladly gather on stage with Hoover to rev up the crowd on any given night.
A reviewer from www.altcountryforum.nl wrote that Hoover’s music keeps listeners on the edge of their seats waiting for something interesting to happen and (with his raspy voice, ability to shred on the harmonica and the balance he strikes between burly rock and alternative country) it always does.
“Hoover stands a cut above many of his peers. If there are any doubts, his latest album, Talking to Ghosts, should settle them, as the well-crafted record has too many twists and turns to allow it to be simply filed under “alt-country” and forgotten about. – from Rick Allen, writer for The Other Paper.
From the small Midwestern clubs and listening rooms to large stages of premier venues such as The House of Blues and The Newport Music Hall, Hoover with, and without, his band has captivated audiences of all sizes and genre of music listeners.
So how do they do it? And where does the magic lay in Hoover’s music?
It probably depends on the listener. For some it could be the sweet flowing harmonica refrains mixed with pedal steel, keyboard and fiddle. Many may dig the kicking rhythms and accomplished guitar work. Hoover’s well worn voice and honest song writing about the familiar muses of love, loss, lament and atonement may be the clincher for the rest.
But for every listener that finds himself hooked by Hoover, it seems to always come back to the passion he and his band have for simply making great music. It’s kind of like addicting ear candy. It may not get you the first time you hear it, but by mid-way through a second listen, you’ll want to hit the replay button over and over.
Hoover’s back story goes something like this - a young musician raised in a rural industrial town rebels from his upbringing, hooking up with numerous bands, trying to find his niche and playing everything from hard rock to obscure independent noise. Not long after moving away from Bucyrus and plunging into the Columbus music scene in 1994 with his band, The Peachbones, Hoover found himself gradually returning to his roots.
He went back to the influence of his grandfather, rediscovering his record collection of old classic country and traditional folk. By then he was well versed in the surge of alternative country bands such as The Jayhawks, Uncle Tupelo and Son Volt.
With this new perspective, Hoover returned to the drawing board in late 2008 to design his current sound which is found on “Talking to Ghosts”. Often classified as folk rock or Americana, the music Hoover and his SuperSaints bring to the stage is definitely something to be enjoyed and admired.
“Talking To Ghosts” is far and away my favorite of 2009”, wrote Eric Broz, author of Just Another Crappy Opinionated Music Blog, in his Top 25 Albums of 2009 blog, which includes albums from the big boys like Green Day and Elvis Costello.
“It’s great songwriting, but the arrangements and choice of instruments and how they’re played show Hoover’s ability to create good music, not just play it. Matt’s vocal delivery is top notch,” stated Broz.
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