The Matinee

What a wonderful moment it is when you catch a band that captivates you from the very moment they walk on stage. Let me tell you my story with The Matinee before we begin. It starts with my partner – he and a friend of his were sitting at a bar at the 2013 NXNE festival in Toronto. They were about to leave as there were some other local bands they wanted to catch. That was the moment that Matt Layzell (lead vocalist of The Matinee) grabbed the microphone. They immediately sat down again. When this group of Vancouver boys came back through Toronto in November of that year, I was told this was a band I HAD to see. They were playing a small month-long residency at Toronto’s The Dakota Tavern in November 2013. We went every night they played that month. Over the course of that month, we became friends. And now, every time they come back through Toronto, they always send us a message to let us know they’ll be around. Seriously world, this band is going places.

It’s been a pretty crazy year for Matt Layzell, Matt Rose, Geoff Petrie and Pete Lemon; Vancouver-based band The Matinee. They’ve embarked on four major Canadian tours, a few residencies, and a number of shows in the States to promote their 2013 release, We Swore We’d See the Sunrise (not to mention a slew of major festival slots, like the band’s now-traditional Live @ Squamish blow-out).

Last winter, upon returning to Vancouver, the guys approached a past collaborator Steve Bays (Hot Hot Heat) with a batch of half-written songs and thoughts in hopes of beginning the next album. Bays disagreed, “No dice—we’re starting from scratch.”

Bays called in his partner, Ryan Dahle (Age of Electric, Limblifter) to sit on bass for the recordings – even though these guys were fresh from their own studio escapades in the Canadian supergroup Mounties. The band was booked the band into Vancouver’s Greenhouse Studios.

The outcome from the studio is nothing short of incredible. The band has reinvented their sound while still keeping their roots-rock sound we’ve all grown accustomed to. They’re slated to start production on a new music video for their first single “Call of the Wild” on January 6, 2015 (which I’ve been told is going to be “awesome”!). In the meantime, check out their teaser video:

And as if these guys weren’t busy enough this year, they’ve had time to partner with well-known charity MusicHeals to raise over $3000 in donations to raise awareness for music therapy. MusicHeals have donated almost $250,000 to music therapy programs across Canada in their first two years in business.

The Matinee agreed to cover a song of a fan’s choice once they donated a minimum of $100 to the charity. Over the last few months, we’ve seen some pretty amazing videos go up including The Spice Girls’ Stop, Rick Astley’s Never Gonna Give You Up, and Tom Jones’ Sex Bomb. Check out all their covers on their YouTube channel.

And while you’re at it, check out their website, and follow them Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Their album, We Swore We’d See The Sunrise, is available on iTunes now.

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