Page 30 - 366091 LP246228 NE Volume Magazine (170mm x 245mm 52pp) September 2022

SCOTT MATTHEWS
NEXT NE GIG
Tuesday 20th September
VENUE
Middlesbrough Town Hall
Fresh off the back of last year’s twist into electronic music with ‘New Skin’, Scott Matthews has recently announced plans for its sister album, ‘New Skin: The Acoustic sessions’, an exploration of pieces from ‘New Skin’ re-imagined and stripped-back. Damian Robinson caught up with Scott to find out more about the albums and future North East dates.
‘New Skin’ was such an interesting album, and ‘New Skin Acoustic...’ sounds really experimental. How are you finding these journeys?
process?
Potentially. I think the electronic work and now the work with the acoustic sessions is giving me a new set of tools and skills. And people like Thom Yorke, who can work in different spaces and with different sounds, are real inspirations for me.
You’ve just come off a tour with Robert Plant and Suzi Dian. Did that give you a chance to road test some of the new material?
Yeah, that was a great tour. The crowd were really appreciative and it gave me a chance
to work through some of the new acoustic pieces. I also got a chance, when we played Middlesbrough, to have a cheekybeerintheroomI’ll be playing soon, so that
was really enjoyable.
And during the UK tour, with dates in Newcastle and Middlesbrough, will you be doing some
electronic moments from ‘New Skin’ as well as acoustic pieces from ‘New
Skin Acoustic...’?
Absolutely. I really enjoy playing in the North East and the show will be electronic pieces as well as some exclusives of the songs that will end up on acoustic. It’s a great chance to test out the
songs and hear feedback on them.
‘New Skin’ is out now. ‘New Skin: The Acoustic Sessions’ is out early 2023. Scott plays Middlesbrough Town Hall on Tuesday 20th September and The Cluny in Newcastle on Wednesday 21st September.
For further information, head to scottmatthews.uk.
Thank you. ‘New Skin’ was a diversion for me in a way: working with electronics
was something I’d never
done before and as an artist, I think that’s always important. I can certainly see growth
“I really enjoy playing in the North East"
and
my
and
I
but
completely new.
development in
earlier moments
albums where myself,
stretched
‘New Skin’ was
And ‘New Skin Acoustic...’ is a
chance to explore further?
I think so, yeah. What I’m doing with the acoustic album is embracing the challenge of stripping songs right back to their essence. I’m about halfway through the process and it’s been really interesting for me, in ways I’ve never taken songs to such bareness before. I’ve found that really interesting and also, it’s interesting to hear the contrast between the sounds of ‘New Skin’ and the sounds in the sister record.
Do you see this reaction to previous records becoming a deeper part of your creative
30 \\ NE VOLUME MAGAZINE \\ IFNETAETRUVRIEW