The Northern will host Canadian rock ‘n roller, Matt Mays, Friday, October 26.
Best known for the breakout hit, ‘Cocaine Cowgirl’, with his band El Torpedo back in 2005, Mays has gotten back to his roots as a solo artist, and is celebrating the release of his fifth album. ‘Coyote’ was released at the beginning of September, and Mays is now in the midst of a cross-Canada tour to show it off.
Featuring his classic hazy rock and roll sound, Coyote is the culmination of Mays’ recent journey into open space. “I’ve always loved animals that are beautiful but dangerous,” Mays explained. “It’s a good analogy for life. Coyotes are native to Canada, Mexico, and the United States, and that’s where I lived while writing this album.”
The musician used surfing, yoga, and a ukulele as tools to bring him closer to the melodies and words that were inspired by different places and experiences. Mays remarked, “I wanted to make songs that followed my outlook on life as honestly as possible and record them as honestly as possible.”
It was pure chance that the first single, ‘Take it on Faith’, only made it on the album as the result of pure chance. After arriving for a mixing session in New York, the mix files didn’t make it to the studio, and Mays decided to record a song he had written the night before to fill time.
“I had no musicians handy so I was forced to play everything myself except for the drums which were played by local monster, Greg Wieczorek, who happened to be one street over in Soho with his drums in his car. He nailed it, first take,” said Mays. “The whole song was recorded in a few hours. It was one of those rare sessions where everything works out.”
On the road since the beginning of October, Mays will make a stop in Fernie to rock The Northern on Friday night. P.E.I band The Meds will serve as the opening act. Tickets are on sale at The Northern for $20.
