Artists / Matthew Barber

Matthew Barber was born in Toronto during the frightful storm of ‘77. His musical education consisted of oldies at a young age, top-forty pop during the awkward middle-school years, a classic-rock epiphany in high-school and total immersion in the indie-rock renaissance of the mid-90’.

At eighteen Barber fled the insulated suburban surroundings of his childhood for the confederation-era charm of Kingston, Ontario. His four years there left him book-smarter and musically fortified thanks to countless hours in the record library of the university radio station. Battling millennium blues and unsure of what to do next, Barber steeled himself for a stab at graduate school in Donut Rawk City – Hamilton, Ontario. It was there that he honed his songwriting and live show, performing regular solo gigs at the sorely missed Raven club.

Early in 2002, ten songs from Barber’s vast songbook (chronicled over six years of dedicated four-tracking) were chosen to make up his studio debut. Enlisting the help of Julian Brown on bass and Dean Stone on drums (Andrew Whiteman, Feist, Howie Beck), Barber made the album with James Paul at Toronto’s Rogue studio in spring 2002. Means and Ends was released independently in Hamilton in June of 2002, and has since sold out. Fortunately, upstart label Paper Bag Records entered the picture after Barber re-located to Toronto in the fall of 2002, and a deal was worked out to re-release Means and Ends with new artwork and a revised track sequence.

Matthew Barber has shared bills with the likes of the Joel Plaskett Emergency, Oh Susanna, Sarah Slean, Luke Doucet, Royal City and Stars. The current live line-up features Julian Brown on bass, Stephen McGrath on drums and Erin Aurich on violin.

The album gives us ten glimpses into the restless thoughts of a romantic loner. Disarmingly honest lyrics float on meandering melodies fuelled by one part swagger, one part sway. While ultimately a contribution to the “solo-artist rock and roll record” tradition that includes Neil Young, Elvis Costello, Tom Petty and more recently people like Jeff Buckley, Liz Phair, Brendan Benson, and Hawksley Workman. Means and Ends also owes debts to the Beatles, The Band, Tom Waits and Hayden, to name but a few. Simply put, Barber is a passionate music fan making music, and what emerges is a distinctive voice. A good song is a good song, and listeners will hear the influences that they want to hear. Means and Ends goes well with headphones, coffee, and a sunny room on a Sunday afternoon. Enjoy.

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