Matthew Caws

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = Matthew Caws

| image = Matthew Caws of Nada Surf The Saint Asbury Park NJ Oct 2017 v2 500 LHCollins.jpg

| caption = Matthew Caws performing at The Saint in Asbury Park, NJ, October 2017.

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1967|8|5}}

| birth_place = New York City, U.S.

| genre = Indie rock, alternative rock

| instruments = Vocals, guitar

| occupations = Musician, songwriter

| years_active = 1985 - present

| label = Barsuk, Elektra, Heavenly (UK), City Slang (UK)

| website = [http://www.nadasurf.com/ Official website]

}}

Matthew Rorison Caws (born August 5, 1967) is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. He is best known as the lead vocalist and guitarist of the alternative rock band Nada Surf. Caws is also a member of the indie rock duo Minor Alps, alongside Juliana Hatfield.

Early life

Caws was born in New York City, the son of Peter James Caws and Mary Ann Caws. Caws' mother was born and raised in Wilmington, North Carolina. His father was born in Southall, Middlesex. Matthew Caws' parents, both university professors, took sabbaticals in France—in Paris, and in the Vaucluse in Provence—which helped Matthew develop early skills in French.{{cite web|last=Levith|first=Will|title=Minor Alps, Major Chops: Juliana Hatfield and Matthew Caws of Nada Surf Discuss Their New 'Soft Goth' Band|url=http://diffuser.fm/minor-alps-interview-2013/|work=Diffuser.fm|date=29 October 2013 |accessdate=2 November 2013}} Caws' mother, a Distinguished Professor of Comparative Literature, English, and French at the Graduate Center at CUNY,is h{{cite web|url = http://maryanncaws.com/|work = MaryAnnCaws.com|title = Mary Ann Caws|accessdate = 31 October 2013}} lives in New York City. Caws' father, University Professor of Philosophy at George Washington University,{{cite web|title=Peter Caws (faculty page)|url=http://www.gwu.edu/~uhpwww/caws.cfm|work=Peter Caws, George Washington University|accessdate=31 October 2013}} lived in Washington, D.C. Caws' parents divorced in 1987. In 2007, his mother married Dr. Boyce Bennett. His father married Nancy Breslin, M.D., M.F.A., a psychiatrist turned fine art photographer. Caws' great-grandmother was painter Margaret Walthour Lippitt.account. {{cite web|url = http://maryanncaws.com/bio.php|work = MaryAnnCaws.com|title = Mary Ann Caws Biographical Information|accessdate = 31 October 2013}}

Caws has a half sister from his father's second marriage named Elisabeth Breslin Caws.{{cite web|title=Peter Caws (bio)|url=http://www.petercaws.com/|work=PeterCaws.com|accessdate=31 October 2013}} Caws has an older sister, Hilary Caws-Elwitt. She is married to humorist and playwright Jonathan Caws-Elwitt, who also writes erotica under the pen name Jeremy Edwards. They formed the band The Silly Pillows together and live in Northampton, Massachusetts.{{cite web|title=Bio|url=http://www.jonathancaws-elwitt.com/bio.html|work=JonathanCaws-Elwitt.com|accessdate=31 October 2013}}

Musical projects

Image:Mattcaws.jpg

When the family returned to New York City, his parents sent him to the Lycée Français de New York. There he joined The Cost of Living in 1982 or 1983, a band formed by a teacher, Patrick Thouron, and a few students, including Daniel Lorca, Stéphane Dehais, and Fabrice Griffoulière-Frère.

The Cost of Living split up in 1990, after having released two records, played in venues such as CBGB, and having a video played on MTV, but Matthew and Daniel joined another band, Because Because Because, with two other musicians. This enterprise was short-lived and they soon split up, despite the recording of a demo, unreleased to this day, for the label Stickboy, which would later release Nada Surf's first single (7"), "The Plan/Telescope", in 1994.

Hilary, Matthew's elder sister, was a college radio DJ. She helped develop and influence her younger brother's musical tastes, lending him records from her impressive collection and cassette tapes of her show. Matthew joined the project initiated by Hilary and her partner, Jonathan, The Silly Pillows, for a few collaborations.

He also wrote and edited for Guitar World, interviewing, among others, Oasis and Mick Jones.{{cite news|last=Farber |first=Jim |title=Nada Surf Is In 'Popular' Demand New York Pop-punk Band's Novelty Ditty Moves Up On Mtv |url=http://articles.nydailynews.com/1996-07-22/entertainment/18025749_1_band-mtv-clip |accessdate=31 October 2013 |newspaper=New York Daily News |date=July 22, 1996 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120627021619/http://articles.nydailynews.com/1996-07-22/entertainment/18025749_1_band-mtv-clip |archivedate=June 27, 2012 |url-status=unfit }}

=Minor Alps=

In 2013, Caws and singer-songwriter Juliana Hatfield formed the new band Minor Alps.{{cite news|last=Chakrabarti|first=Meghna|title=Juliana Hatfield And Matthew Caws Unite As 'Minor Alps'|url=http://hereandnow.wbur.org/2013/08/26/minor-alps-band|accessdate=31 October 2013|newspaper=WBUR / NPR|date=August 26, 2013|location=Here and Now|format=Audio interview}} The duo's debut album, Get There, was released on October 29, 2013 on Barsuk Records.

Personal life

In 2016 he married Emily Bidwell. The couple has stated they will split their time between Caws' residence in Cambridge, England, and New York.[https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/04/fashion/weddings/for-the-rock-star-love-has-finally-landed.html Rock star marries. NYTimes, September 4, 2016]

In 2022, Caws and his son made a PSA called "Living with a Mild Essential Tremor".{{cite web|url=https://www.matthewcaws.com/essential-tremor |title=Essential Tremor |access-date=April 9, 2022 |publisher=Matthewcaws.com}}