Eric Matthews (born 12 January 1969 in Compton, California) is an American composer, musician, recording artist, and record producer.

[edit] Career

Eric Matthews began his serious recording career as one half of the band Cardinal. Cardinal was formed with Australian singer-songwriter Richard Davies in 1992 while the two both lived in Boston, Massachusetts. Cardinal introduced Matthews as a multi-instrumentalist and arranger while Davies contributed most of the songwriting. Cardinal, while not a huge commercial success, made a big splash among sophisticated music fans in most of the West's big cities and with its 1994 self titled debut cemented itself as one of the pivotal bands of the 1990s.^{[citation needed]} In 1993, Matthews collaborated with Sebadoh's Lou Barlow and Bob Fay as Belt Buckle, releasing an EP on Sonic Bubblegum Records.^[1]

In 1995, Matthews released his debut solo record on Sub Pop Records in 1995. It's Heavy In Here, described as "a darkly luxuriant sequence of exquisitely arranged and executed orchestral pop",^[1] featured the radio hit "Fanfare" and went on to be a top seller for Sub Pop and one of the most talked about albums of 1995.^{[citation needed]} In 1997, the follow-up album The Lateness of the Hour was released on Sub Pop. It did not sell as well as It's Heavy In Here, but included orchestral instruments within its rock stylings.

Sub Pop and Matthews terminated their relationship in 1999, and he began working as a sideman for such groups as Tahiti 80, The Dandy Warhols, Ivy, Man of the Year, Elliott Smith, Paula Kelley, Pugwash, Volovan, and Bug 2000.

In 2004, Matthews began a relationship with Empyrean Records to re-issue the Cardinal record. He has since continued to release music under the Empyrean label.

In 2005, Matthews released his third solo record, entitled Six Kinds of Passion Looking For An Exit, and in 2006 another album entitled Foundation Sounds. In the summer of 2006, Matthews announced that he and a guitarist from Cleveland named Christopher Seink had formed a new instrumental band called Seinking Ships. In 2008 Eric Matthews and Empyrean Records released The Imagination Stage to a flurry or glowing reviews heralding Eric's return to the fully orchestrated sound of his Sub Pop releases. In March of 2009 Eric ended his professional relationship with Empyrean Records.

Collaborations/guest musicians include: Richard Davies, Jason Falkner, Spookey Ruben, Elliott Smith, Gregg Williams, Tony Lash, Robert Harris, Christopher Seink, Mark Eitzel, Lou Barlow, Bob Fay, and Steven Hanford.

[edit] Discography

[edit] With Cardinal

• Toy Bell (EP) (1993) Flydaddy Records
• Cardinal (1994) Flydaddy
• Cardinal (album re-issue w/11 bonus tracks and expanded liner notes) (2005) Empyrean Records

[edit] With Belt Buckle

• Belt Buckle EP (1993) Sonic Bubblegum

[edit] Solo

[edit] Albums

• It's Heavy in Here (1995) Sub Pop
• The Lateness of the Hour (1997) Sub Pop
• Six Kinds of Passion Looking For An Exit (2005) Empyrean
• Foundation Sounds (2006) Empyrean
• The Imagination Stage (2008) Empyrean
• Too Much World ...release pending

[edit] Singles

• "Dream Figure" (1994) Flydaddy Records
• "Fanfare" (1995) Sub Pop (USA)
• "Fanfare" (1996) Sub Pop/WEA (UK, Europe, and Asia)
• "Hop And Tickle" (1996) Sub Pop
• "My Morning Parade" (1997) Sub Pop (USA)

[edit] References

[edit] Further reading

• Review of The Imagination Stage at Crawdaddy!

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