Matthew Barber
Encyclopedia
Matthew Barber is a Canadian
singer-songwriter
. His music has been classified as indie pop
and pop rock
with folk
and alternative country
influences.
Barber was born and grew up in Port Credit
, which is part of Mississauga, Ontario
, just west of Toronto
, attending Lorne Park Secondary School before moving to Kingston, Ontario
to attend Queen's University
, where he volunteered at campus radio
station CFRC-FM
and performed at campus pubs. While at Queen's, he released his debut album A Thousand Smiles An Hour... independently
in 1999.
After graduating from Queen's, he went to McMaster University
in Hamilton, Ontario
for his master's degree in philosophy
, and here he began to take his performing more seriously. Gaining support from the small but committed Hamilton music community, he released his breakthrough album
Means and Ends independently
in 2002.
The album soon caught the attention of Paper Bag Records
, who re-released it to a wider audience in 2003. After two years in Hamilton, Barber moved to Toronto.
Barber has been a featured guest on >play, Go
and Open Mike with Mike Bullard
. He has toured extensively with artists including Buck 65
, BOY, Joel Plaskett
, Emm Gryner
and Matt Mays and El Torpedo.
Barber's sister, Jill Barber
, is also a noted Canadian musician.
, he released the E.P.
title The Story Of Your Life in 2004 and the full-length album Sweet Nothing
on September 27, 2005.
Sweet Nothings debut single and music video
, "Soft One," became a major hit in Canada, reaching number 1 among most-added tracks and the top 20 tracks overall at hot adult contemporary radio in Canada, and receiving regular play on music video channels including MuchMusic
, MuchMoreMusic
and MusiMax
.
On March 4, 2008, Barber released his fourth album on Outside Music
, Ghost Notes. Numerous guest musicians are featured on the 10-track album, including Sarah Harmer
and Barber's sister Jill
. His fifth album, True Believer was released on February 23, 2010. The self-titled album Matthew Barber
was released June 7, 2011 on Outside Music.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
. His music has been classified as indie pop
Indie pop
Indie pop is a genre of alternative rock music that originated in the United Kingdom in the mid 1980s, with its roots in the Scottish post-punk bands on the Postcard Records label in the early '80s, such as Orange Juice, Josef K and Aztec Camera, and the dominant UK independent band of the mid...
and pop rock
Pop rock
Pop rock is a music genre which mixes a catchy pop style and light lyrics in its guitar-based rock songs. There are varying definitions of the term, ranging from a slower and mellower form of rock music to a subgenre of pop music...
with folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
and alternative country
Alternative country
Alternative country is a loosely defined sub-genre of country music, which includes acts that differ significantly in style from mainstream or pop country music...
influences.
Barber was born and grew up in Port Credit
Port Credit, Ontario
Port Credit is found at the mouth of the Credit River on the north shore of Lake Ontario, within the southcentral area of the city of Mississauga...
, which is part of Mississauga, Ontario
Mississauga, Ontario
Mississauga is a city in Southern Ontario located in the Regional Municipality of Peel, and in the western part of the Greater Toronto Area. With an estimated population of 734,000, it is Canada's sixth-most populous municipality, and has almost doubled in population in each of the last two decades...
, just west of Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, attending Lorne Park Secondary School before moving to Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario is a Canadian city located in Eastern Ontario where the St. Lawrence River flows out of Lake Ontario. Originally a First Nations settlement called "Katarowki," , growing European exploration in the 17th Century made it an important trading post...
to attend Queen's University
Queen's University
Queen's University, , is a public research university located in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Founded on 16 October 1841, the university pre-dates the founding of Canada by 26 years. Queen's holds more more than of land throughout Ontario as well as Herstmonceux Castle in East Sussex, England...
, where he volunteered at campus radio
Campus radio
Campus radio is a type of radio station that is run by the students of a college, university or other educational institution. Programming may be exclusively by students, or may include programmers from the wider community in which the radio station is based...
station CFRC-FM
CFRC-FM
CFRC-FM is the campus radio station of Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario Canada.The station has one of the longest radio histories in the world, surpassed only by the Marconi companies. CFRC remains in operation at the present time and serves the Queen's University campus and greater Kingston...
and performed at campus pubs. While at Queen's, he released his debut album A Thousand Smiles An Hour... independently
Independent record label
An independent record label is a record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the major record labels. A great number of bands and musical acts begin on independent labels.-Overview:...
in 1999.
After graduating from Queen's, he went to McMaster University
McMaster University
McMaster University is a public research university whose main campus is located in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on of land in the residential neighbourhood of Westdale, adjacent to Hamilton's Royal Botanical Gardens...
in Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
for his master's degree in philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
, and here he began to take his performing more seriously. Gaining support from the small but committed Hamilton music community, he released his breakthrough album
Breakthrough album
A breakthrough album is an LP or CD by a band or musician previously only known in the underground or indie scene of its given genre, which propels the group to mainstream attention and widespread fame and popularity...
Means and Ends independently
Independent record label
An independent record label is a record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the major record labels. A great number of bands and musical acts begin on independent labels.-Overview:...
in 2002.
The album soon caught the attention of Paper Bag Records
Paper Bag Records
Paper Bag Records is a Canadian independent record label and artist-management company, founded in 2002 and based in Toronto, Ontario.-History:...
, who re-released it to a wider audience in 2003. After two years in Hamilton, Barber moved to Toronto.
Barber has been a featured guest on >play, Go
Go (radio)
Go! was a Saturday morning entertainment show on the Radio One network of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation that ran from 2002 to 2010, hosted by Brent Bambury. The show included interviews, music, live performances, and comedy bits....
and Open Mike with Mike Bullard
Open Mike with Mike Bullard
Open Mike with Mike Bullard was a Canadian late-night talk show which was broadcast live from 1997 to 2003 on CTV and on The Comedy Network in primetime. It was hosted by comedian Mike Bullard and initially taped at a studio at the back of Wayne Gretzky's restaurant in Toronto, Ontario before CTV...
. He has toured extensively with artists including Buck 65
Buck 65
Richard Terfry , who uses the stage name Buck 65, is a Canadian experimental artist, MC and turntablist. Underpinned by an extensive background in abstract hip hop, his more recent music has extensively incorporated blues, country, rock, folk and avant garde influences.Terfry is also a radio host,...
, BOY, Joel Plaskett
Joel Plaskett
Joel Plaskett is a Canadian rock musician originally from Lunenburg, Nova Scotia. He grew up in Halifax, Nova Scotia and now resides across the harbour in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia...
, Emm Gryner
Emm Gryner
Emm Gryner is a Canadian singer-songwriter and occasional actress.-Biography:Gryner's childhood was spent in Forest, Lambton County, Ontario. Her father was of half Irish heritage and her mother was Filipina....
and Matt Mays and El Torpedo.
Barber's sister, Jill Barber
Jill Barber
Jill Barber is a Canadian singer-songwriter formerly based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, now based in Vancouver, British Columbia.-Biography:Born and raised in Toronto, she is sister to singer-songwriter Matthew Barber...
, is also a noted Canadian musician.
Discography
Signed to Warner Music CanadaWarner Music Canada
Warner Music Canada is the Canadian division of Warner Music Group. The label previously operated as WEA Canada, the Canadian subsidiary of WEA International, which later changed its name to Warner Music International in 1990. It was founded in 1967 as Warner Reprise Canada Ltd...
, he released the E.P.
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
title The Story Of Your Life in 2004 and the full-length album Sweet Nothing
Sweet Nothing
Sweet Nothing is a 1995 film directed by Gary Winick starring Michael Imperioli.-Plot:Angel celebrates the birth of his daughter by taking his first hit of crack cocaine. With the hesitant support of his wife, Monika, he joins a friend of his to deal drugs for a short time--enough time to get out...
on September 27, 2005.
Sweet Nothings debut single and music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
, "Soft One," became a major hit in Canada, reaching number 1 among most-added tracks and the top 20 tracks overall at hot adult contemporary radio in Canada, and receiving regular play on music video channels including MuchMusic
MuchMusic
MuchMusic is a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel owned by Bell Media. MuchMusic is dedicated to music-related programs, pop and youth culture.-History:...
, MuchMoreMusic
MuchMoreMusic
MuchMore is a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel owned by Bell Media, based at 299 Queen Street West in Toronto, Ontario....
and MusiMax
MusiMax
MusiMax is a Canadian French language Category A specialty channel owned by Astral Media operating out of Montreal, Quebec.MusiMax is devoted to music and music related programming focusing more on adult contemporary, soft-rock, classic rock and lighter music than its sister station, MusiquePlus...
.
On March 4, 2008, Barber released his fourth album on Outside Music
Outside Music
Outside Music is a Canadian record label and distributor, founded by Lloyd Nishimura in 1995. In 2007, it expanded to include an artist management division which counts Jill Barber, Matthew Barber, One Hundred Dollars and Sunparlour Players as management clients.Outside has released countless...
, Ghost Notes. Numerous guest musicians are featured on the 10-track album, including Sarah Harmer
Sarah Harmer
Sarah Harmer is a Canadian singer-songwriter and activist.-Biography:Born and raised in Burlington, Ontario, Harmer gained her first exposure to the musician's lifestyle as a teenager, when her older sister Mary started taking her to concerts by the well-known Tragically Hip. At the age of 17, she...
and Barber's sister Jill
Jill Barber
Jill Barber is a Canadian singer-songwriter formerly based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, now based in Vancouver, British Columbia.-Biography:Born and raised in Toronto, she is sister to singer-songwriter Matthew Barber...
. His fifth album, True Believer was released on February 23, 2010. The self-titled album Matthew Barber
Matthew Barber
Matthew Barber is a Canadian singer-songwriter. His music has been classified as indie pop and pop rock with folk and alternative country influences....
was released June 7, 2011 on Outside Music.
- Means & Ends (2003)
- The Story of Your Life (2004) (EP) (Released as "Matthew Barber & The Union Dues")
- Sweet Nothing (2005)
- Ghost Notes (2008)
- True Believer (2010)
- Matthew BarberMatthew BarberMatthew Barber is a Canadian singer-songwriter. His music has been classified as indie pop and pop rock with folk and alternative country influences....
(2011)
External links
- matthewbarber.com, official site