I first heard the “pathos-dripping” melodies of Scott Matthew in John Cameron Mitchell’s film, Shortbus (2006) – possibly during an orgy scene when his reassuringly warm voice cut through the starkness of the in-your-face ’slap-and-tickle’.
Last night, at the beautiful surroundings of Bush Hall, I was able to catch Scott Matthew’s debut London performance. Matthew performed well to an intimate crowd. Despite seeming nervous at times he cracked jokes in between songs and connected with the audience. As he sang his vulnerable voice acted as a beacon, guiding us through different emotions.
After releasing an album in 2005, as part of the alt-pop band, Elva Snow, which he co-founded with ex-Morrissey member, Spencer Cobrin, Matthew went on to produce a sound that was far less Morrissey-tinged and more his own – an amalgam of ballad and lo-fi folk-pop, featuring piano, strings and sometimes horns or a ukulele (see photo above).
Slightly off-topic, but for anyone interested in the filmmaking process I recommend watching the very interesting bonus material on the Shortbus DVD. The making-of documentary outlines precisely how John Cameron Mitchell set out to achieve an improvised-based process whereby the actors were able to develop the script and, penultimately, the story itself, during a series of pre-production workshops.
