Matthew "Ted" Edwards is a UK-born singer and songwriter
and previously led the San Francisco-based pop group called
The Music Lovers.
Early life
Originally from
Small Heath,
Birmingham, England,
Edwards managed to go to university to study English Literature.
In 1991, Edwards left his hometown and relocated to San Francisco,
California, where he worked as a compere in the city's premier 'variety' evening at The Mad Dog.
Music career
The Hairdressers
Edwards' rock band The Hairdressers released the album 'Our Lives in Showbusiness' in 1999.
The Music Lovers
While working as an MC, Edwards met bassist Jon Brooder and added Paul Comaskey on drums, completing the first lineup of the band.
In 2003, Edwards formed The Music Lovers for whom he was the singer, guitarist, and songwriter. Between 2003 and 2009, Edwards released three albums
and an EP on
Le Grand Magistery Records out of Detroit, Michigan.
The albums were also released in Japan (Enogh-Ho) and Italy (Sleeping Star). The band toured the East and West Coast of the US and Italy. The records each had distinctive sleeves designed by Matthew Jacobson and featuring images by
Albert and David Maysles,
Elliott Erwitt, and Alan Crawford. The records received much critical acclaim. Edwards dissolved the band in 2010.
Matthew Edwards and the Unfortunates
After previously led The Music Lovers, Edwards formed the Matthew Edwards and the Unfortunates, a six-piece group from San Francisco, California, which featured current and previous members of
Ladybug Transistor,
Assemble Head in Sunburst Sound, and The Music Lovers.
It is said that Edwards' accompanying band, The Unfortunates, borrowed its name from the cult book by English writer
B.S. Johnson.
In 2013, Edwards formed Matthew Edwards and the Unfortunates. The first Unfortunates album 'The Fates' (2013) was released by Last Tape Recordings (CA)
and was produced by
Eric Drew Feldman (
PJ Harvey
Polly Jean Harvey (born 9 October 1969) is an English singer, songwriter, and musician. Primarily known as a vocalist and guitarist, she is also proficient with a wide range of instruments.
Harvey began her career in 1988 when she joined loca ...
,
Captain Beefheart
Don Van Vliet (; born Don Glen Vliet; January 15, 1941 – December 17, 2010) was an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and visual artist best known by the stage name Captain Beefheart. Conducting a rotating ensemble known as Th ...
) who also contributed keyboards. It was recorded at
Ex'pression in
Emeryville Emeryville may refer to:
* Emeryville, California
Emeryville is a city located in northwest Alameda County, California, in the United States. It lies in a corridor between the cities of Berkeley and Oakland, with a border on the shore of San ...
, California. The album featured
Fred Frith
Jeremy Webster "Fred" Frith (born 17 February 1949) is an English multi-instrumentalist, composer, and improviser.
Probably best known for his guitar work, Frith first came to attention as one of the founding members of the English avant-rock ...
on Guitar. Also featuring on keyboards and vocals was
Sasha Bell
Sacha, Sasha, Sascha, or ''variant'' may refer to:
People
* Sasha (name), includes list of people with the name and the variants Sascha or Sacha
Musicians
* Sasha (DJ) (born 1969), born Alexander Coe
* Sasha (German singer) (born 1972), born Sas ...
from the group
The Essex Green. The sleeve was designed by American artist
Rex Ray.
In 2014, Edwards relocated to his hometown of Birmingham, England and convened the UK version of the band. This group recorded the Unfortunates second album 'Folklore' which was released by
Gare Du Nord
The Gare du Nord (; English: ''station of the North'' or ''Northern Station''), officially Paris-Nord, is one of the six large mainline railway station termini in Paris, France. The station accommodates the trains that run between the capital ...
(
Ian Button
Ian Button (born 16 April 1962) is an English guitarist best known for his work in the bands Thrashing Doves (1985-1991) and Death In Vegas (1994-2011). Button was one of a core of additional musicians originally brought in by Death In Vegas fo ...
) in June 2017.
Like its predecessor it included the contribution of Fred Frith (
Robert Wyatt
Robert Wyatt (born Robert Wyatt-Ellidge, 28 January 1945) is a retired English musician. A founding member of the influential Canterbury scene bands Soft Machine and Matching Mole, he was initially a kit drummer and singer before becoming para ...
, Eno), and
Dagmar Krause (
Slapp Happy,
Henry Cow). The album was recorded and mixed by John A. Rivers
at
Woodbine Street Recording Studio.
In 2019, the group signed to Parisian label December Square who released their third album 'The Birmingham Poets.' Edwards promoted the record with tours of France and the UK (with
Nouvelle Vague). The album featured the contribution of Dagmar Krause.
The group also appeared with
Robyn Hitchcock and
The Unthanks.
Edwards led the Unfortunates from 2013 to 2020 in San Francisco and England.
Matthew Edwards and the Futurists
Edwards reinvented the group after the death of close collaborator Derick Simmonds and his relocation back to California after five years in his native Birmingham. In June 2020, the Futurists released a 'The First Song of the Revolution' EP on British record label
Static Caravan Records
Static Caravan Recordings is an independent record label based in the North West of England, whose artist releases include singles and albums by Darren Hayman, the Hornblower Brothers, Hannah Peel, Erland & the Carnival, Shady Bard, the Ye ...
.
Discography
The Hairdressers
* 1999 – 'Our Lives in Showbusiness' – Musette Records. MUS4
The Music Lovers
* 2003 – 'Cheap Songs Tell the Truth' (EP) – Le Grand Magistery/Marriage Records iDo-3
* 2004 – 'The Words We Say Before We Sleep' – Le Grand Magistery/Marriage Records iDo-4
* 2006 – 'The Music Lovers Guide for Young People' – Le Grand Magistery Records (US) HRH-038, Enougho (JA)
* 2009 - 'Masculine Feminine' – Le Grand Magistery Records HRH-046 (US) Sleeping Star (IT)
Matthew Edwards and the Unfortunates
* 2013 – 'The Fates' (Last Tape Recordings) LTR02 CD (Metal
* 2015 – 'Minotaur/Bad Blood' 7-inch single (Metal Postcard Records) MP92
* 2017 – 'Folklore' (Gare Du Nord Records) GDNLPo14
* 2019 – 'The Birmingham Poets' (December Square Records FR) DESQ002
Matthew Edwards and the Futurists
* 2020 – 'The First Song of the Revolution' EP (Static Caravan Records) VAN 348
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Edwards, Matthew
Living people
English male singer-songwriters
English male musicians
English male guitarists
Year of birth missing (living people)