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Scott Matthews was born in Wolverhampton and until a recent 鈥榯emporary鈥 flit over the border to Shropshire, has in his own words 鈥渘ever known anywhere else really鈥. Nor does he need to, arguably. His introspective song writing, folk/blues voice and humorous connection with the audience are perfectly pitched to take the world by storm, from any city. He鈥檚 signed to the San Remo record label and has just released his debut album, called Passing Stranger. I caught up with him just as he hopped off stage at the Moseley Folk Festival on 2 September 2006, three pints of lager into the day.
FC 鈥 "That went really well and Janice Long was really bigging you up, predicting you鈥檇 be signed to a major record label soon." SM 鈥 "Yeah, who knows鈥 things are going great, I鈥檝e got some great people behind the record and that鈥檚 on of the key things鈥 I鈥檝e been doing lots of gigs, people are buying the record and people are lapping up the music, which is the key thing for me. I couldn鈥檛 wish for anything better to be honest at this stage in my career." FC 鈥 "Do you think being from Wolverhampton has made any difference?"
SM 鈥 "It just happens I鈥檓 a singer song-writer from Wolverhampton, I could have easily have been from anywhere. It just so happens that I鈥檓 from Wolverhampton and I think that鈥檚 a good thing, man. "I鈥檝e been in Wolverhampton all my life and it鈥檚 the only thing I鈥檝e ever known, really, er 鈥 Wolverhampton is pretty cool in itself you know, it does the job it says on the tin, you know: 鈥榗ome to Wolverhampton, there鈥檚 things to do!鈥 [laugh]. It鈥檚 wicket, man. We鈥檝e got a fairly decent football team as well, they kind of do their job in a fashion." FC 鈥 "If people want to see you, buy your records etc, what should they do?"
SM - "I think one of the things would be to try and see the gigs really 鈥 it鈥檚 important to see an artist live 鈥 if they want to buy the record, you know, that鈥檚 great for a start but, you know, I want people to judge for themselves." FC 鈥 "You have a good connection with the audience live, because you鈥檙e quite funny and honest." SM 鈥 "It鈥檚 just to kind of break the ice with people, there鈥檚 too many people that just get a bit absorbed in theirself: 鈥榯hese are my songs and that鈥檚 it鈥, you know, I think it鈥檚 definitely important to show for a start that you鈥檙e a genuine person and you鈥檙e an honest chap whose just wrote a few songs and erm, hopefully people are digging what I鈥檓 doing."
FC 鈥 "What are your immediate ambitions now then?" SM 鈥 "My ambition was to make a record and that鈥檚 been achieve, I think just being happy in my life and in what I鈥檓 doing听 really, that鈥檚 the ambition. Music aside, you know, being a blacksmith or whatever, whatever you want to do man. Whatever makes you happy." FC 鈥 "Art as well as music have made you happy, right?"
SM 鈥 "I could have gone the illustrator route but music took over when I started writing my own songs 鈥 there鈥檚 a bit [of my art work] on the actual CD itself in the booklet inside, just a couple of doodles and things but, er, I haven鈥檛 done any painting for a few years, that鈥檚 quite worrying and I will be doing some and maybe the second album cover or something, you know." To look out for the second album and other news from Scott Matthews, see his website at http://www.scottmatthewsmusic.co.uk. | 
