#matthew barton

King David, "Redlines" (2020), 

Oil on Plexiglas, 4 x 2 feet,

MATTHEW BARTON- PULL UP TO MY BUMPER (GRACE JONES COVER)

A stunning sumptuous rework of a staple tune from pop goddess Grace Jones by London based singer songwriter Matthew Barton. Pull Up To My Bumper is gives us major feels with a organ rich melody soaked in emotion paired with the artist’s solid vocals. We were able to get in touch with Matthew and ask him a couple of questions about his sound and his sleeping habits! Check it below and oh yes do yourselves a favor and grab his EP Queen of England via his Bandcamp!

01. Hello How are you and what are you up to?

I am well thank you. I have been busy writing a new album and I am adding little overdubs to my recordings at the moment, I feel like a scientist in the laboratory doing experiments. Next up is housework!

02. What made you want to do a Grace Jones cover?  Is this your favourite track by her?

This started as part of a project for the Counterzine blog last summer. The original is so sleek and sexy, funky guitars and that amazing Sly & Robbie rhythm section. I wanted to do something completely different and interpret the lyric in a different way. That led to stripping it back to just organ and a bit of guitar and a tiny bit of percussion. I do love the song but it's difficult to pick a favourite - I think 'Warm Leatherette' and 'Nightclubbing' are masterpiece albums.

  03. What were some of your favourite artists growing up?

I grew up on a mixture of 60s pop, girl groups, prog, and quality songwriters. Dusty Springfield, Sandie Shaw, Fleetwood Mac, Pink Floyd, ABBA, Peter Gabriel. That was the music of my childhood and I still love it now. Later I branched out and studied the great songwriters and some more avant-garde music. The new music I'm making seems to me to be like a mixture of all of those influences.

04. What was the name of the first track you ever wrote? Did you get a chance to ever perform it live?

The first words and music one together was called "Seems To Be A Dream," and I never played it live, but I don't feel like it has had its day yet. It may yet resurface!

06. Any plans for shows in the next few months?

I'm playing at the Sunflower Lounge in Birmingham on 22nd August which is both exciting and terrifying. I might bring my dulcimer along and play some of the new songs. Maybe I should also do a Tori Amos cover for her birthday?

07. Any artists/bands from your area that you are loving and would love to plug?

Paul Snyder designed the artwork for "Pull Up To The Bumper" and he is an amazing artist in his own right. I recommend 'The Arcadia Tapes' - stylish, beautiful, elemental. A mix of the organic and the electronic. I also recommend William C. Jones' 'Young Buck', beautiful songwriter. He also has a project Medium Soft which has gorgeous lo-fi arrangements and nostalgic melodies. 08. Any sleeping tips?

Never sleep with your socks on, turn off screens well beforehand if you can, and have clean sheets for the best night's sleep! Oh, and thick curtains to block out the light at this time of year.

09. Any books or films or tv programmes you have been reading or watching recently that you loved and would like to share?

This week we're filled with ideas of escapism, arising from darker times and sublime folk music, courtesy of @luckyirisband, @lecouleurmusic, @titus_haug, @bartonmb and @temsuclover

Ideas about escaping, reliving the normality of the past, cloaked in a veil of pop music that reveals a charming folk visage. What’s good this week is aspiring to be in better times. (more…)

The mood this week is hope found in fear and uncertain circumstances. Lighting the way forward this week are @gleemerband, @grizzlycoastmusic, @soundofkeir, @leaporcelain and @bartonmb

Well *lets out a huge sigh of exacerbation*, let’s fixate on something else rather than the C-word. There’s some gorgeous music on What’s Good This Week, some to get lost in and some that capture the current global mood,with a message to keep up those fighting spirits and hope. (more…)

A New Look at Rilke's 'Duino Elegies'

Duino Elegies, Rainer Maria Rilke, tr. Matthew Barton (Shoestring Press, 2019).

Matthew Barton himself raises the question as to whether anything could “possibly justify yet another English version” of Rilke’s Duino Elegies (1922). As someone who has contributed his own translation of the work (published by Enitharmon Press in 2006), I know the feeling of throwing a pebble into a landslide. But…

"The Shipping Forecast" by La Corvette // Dir. Matthew Barton