Matthew E. White
{{short description|American singer-songwriter and music producer}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Matthew E. White
| image = Matthew E. White.jpg
| alt =
| caption = Matthew E. White in Denmark, 2013.
| image_size =
| landscape =
| birth_name =
| alias =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1982|08|14}}
| birth_place = Virginia Beach, Virginia
| origin = Richmond, Virginia
| death_date =
| death_place =
| genre = Indie rock, alternative rock
| occupation =
| instrument = Guitar, keyboards, vocals
| years_active =
| associated_acts = Fight the Big Bull
| website = {{URL|matthewewhite.com}}
}}
Matthew E. White (born August 14, 1982) is an American singer, songwriter, producer and arranger. He has worked as a collaborator, producer, and arranger for acts including Bedouine, Natalie Prass, Cocoon, Foxygen, Justin Vernon, Hiss Golden Messenger, Sharon Van Etten, Ken Vandermark, Steven Bernstein, The Mountain Goats, Dan Croll and Slow Club.{{cite news|title=Justin Vernon, Sufjan Stevens, Matthew E White Collaborate On New Track 'Trials, Troubles, Tribulations'|url=https://diymag.com/2015/02/12/justin-vernon-sufjan-stevens-matthew-e-white-collaborate-on-new-track-trials-troubles-tribulations|newspaper=DIY Mag|date=12 February 2015}} As a solo artist he has released two studio albums, Big Inner and Fresh Blood, and two collaboration albums, Gentlewoman, Ruby Man with Flo Morrissey and Broken Mirror: A Selfie Reflection with Lonnie Holley. White is also the founder and a co-owner of Spacebomb, originally conceived as a record label with a house band, and now a multi-disciplinary music company with a studio and offices in Richmond, Virginia.{{cite news|title=A Look Inside Spacebomb Studios, The Creative Hub In Richmond, Va|url=https://www.npr.org/2020/04/01/825262466/a-look-inside-spacebomb-studios-the-creative-hub-in-richmond-va|newspaper=NPR|date=1 April 2020}}
Early life
White was born in Virginia Beach, Virginia, US{{cite news|title=KNow Who's Next|url=https://www.baeblemusic.com/artist/matthew-e--white|accessdate=20 January 2013|newspaper=Baeble Music}} and from the age of three to eight lived in the Philippines with a final year living in Japan before returning to the US.{{cite news|last=Hann|first=Michael|title=Matthew E White:'You hear the community I love in the music'|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/feb/09/matthew-e-white-big-inner-interview|accessdate=20 May 2020|newspaper=The Guardian |date=3 February 2013}} During senior year high school in Virginia Beach White joined a band with Natalie Prass,{{cite news|last=Syme|first=Rachel |title= Natalie Prass escapes Nashville|url=https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/natalie-prass-escapes-nashville|accessdate=25 May 2020|newspaper=New Yorker|date=31 January 2015}} before moving to Richmond, Virginia to study jazz at Virginia Commonwealth University.{{cite news|last=Gormus|first=Mark|title=Inside Spacebomb's new studio near the Fan District, working on Matthew E. White's new album|url=https://richmond.com/entertainment/music/inside-spacebomb-s-new-studio-near-the-fan-district-working-on-matthew-e-whites-new/article_e369e5a3-fbe4-5995-be32-9bb2d06bfc05.html|accessdate=25 May 2020|newspaper=Richmond Magazine|date=20 March 2019}}
Following graduation White remained in Richmond and in 2005 founded the Patchwork Collective with a goal to bring creative music together regardless of genre.{{cite news|last=Reynolds |first=Brandon|title=The Cross-Pollinators The fledgling Patchwork Collective faces self-promotion, music scenes and the dreaded "avant-garde" label.|url=https://www.styleweekly.com/richmond/the-cross-pollinators/Content?oid=1373411|accessdate=25 May 2020|newspaper=Style Weekly|date=3 July 2005}} The group primarily focused on hosting a wide range of live performances including Jandek, who in 2007 approached the Patchwork Collective to promote a rare US show at the Firehouse in Richmond.{{cite news|last=McElhinney |first=Peter|title=The Great and Powerful Jandek |url=https://www.styleweekly.com/richmond/the-great-and-powerful-jandek/Content?oid=1383567 |accessdate=25 May 2020|newspaper=Style Weekly|date=7 March 2007}}
Career
=Fight the Big Bull=
In 2006 White founded Fight the Big Bull, a Richmond, Virginia based improvisatory jazz ensemble with two of their 2010 recordings selected for NPR's best of the year lists.{{cite web|last=Jarenwattananon |first=Patrick |url=https://www.npr.org/blogs/ablogsupreme/2010/12/29/131712050/top-10-jazz-albums-of-2010 |title=Top 10 Jazz Albums Of 2010 : A Blog Supreme |publisher=NPR |date=December 1, 2010 |accessdate=November 11, 2011}}{{cite web|last=Schaefer |first=John |url=https://www.npr.org/2010/12/09/131703238/the-5-best-genre-defying-albums-of-2010 |title=The 5 Best Genre-Defying Albums Of 2010 |publisher=NPR |date=December 8, 2010 |accessdate=November 11, 2011}}
The band's original configuration, called simply Fight the Bull, was a trio with drummer Pinson Chanselle and trombonist Bryan Hooten. The group was subsequently expanded to eight players and collaborated with Chicago saxophonist Ken Vandermark{{cite news|last=Margasak |first=Peter |url=https://www.chicagoreader.com/Bleader/archives/2008/04/14/fight-the-big-bull-spars-with-vandermark |title=Fight the Big Bull spars with Ken Vandermark |work=Chicago Reader |date=14 April 2008 |accessdate=25 May 2021}} and in 2010 released the album All is Gladness in the Kingdom with NYC-based slide trumpeter and composer Steven Bernstein following a 10-day residency that Bernstein undertook in Richmond.{{cite news|last=Brady |first=Shawn|url=https://jazztimes.com/reviews/albums/fight-the-big-bull-all-is-gladness-in-the-kingdom/ |title=Fight the Big Bull: All Is Gladness in the Kingdom |work=Jazz Times |date=25 April 2019 |accessdate= 25 May 2021}} They also collaborated with alternative folk singer David Karsten Daniels, with White providing arrangement to his critically well-received 2010 Thoreau project I Mean to Live Here Still. A performance with Daniels at the NYC club La Poisson Rouge was reviewed by the New York Times.{{cite news|last=Ratliff |first=Ben |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/14/arts/music/14fight.html |title=David Karsten Daniels at Le Poisson Rouge |work=The New York Times |date=July 13, 2010 |accessdate=November 11, 2011}}
White and Fight the Big Bull also provided the music for Duke University's 2011 tribute to Alan Lomax's "Sound of the South" field recordings in a concert featuring the band backing Bon Iver's Justin Vernon, Sharon Van Etten and members of Megafaun.{{Cite web |url=http://dukeperformances.duke.edu/archive-2010-2011/the-sanctified/megafaun |title=The sanctified | Duke Performances |access-date=March 13, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130309023914/http://dukeperformances.duke.edu/archive-2010-2011/the-sanctified/megafaun |archive-date=March 9, 2013 |url-status=dead }}
=Solo (as Matthew E. White)=
White released his debut album Big Inner in August 2012, which the New York Times called "a dramatic pop-gospel record that hits extremes of the mood spectrum."{{cite news|last=Ratliff|first=Ben|title=Merging Textures Across the Decades|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/19/arts/music/new-cds-josh-berman-guardian-alien-rodrigo-campos.html?_r=0|accessdate=15 January 2013|newspaper=The New York Times|date=17 August 2012}} Big Inner debuted at #19 on Billboard{{'}}s Heatseekers Albums chart,{{cite magazine|title=Big Inner - Matthew E. White|url={{BillboardURLbyName|artist=matthew e. white|chart=all}}|magazine=Billboard|accessdate=15 January 2013}} and by the end of 2012, White had been named eMusic's Breakthrough Artist of 2012,{{cite web|last=Keyes|first=J. Edward|title=2012 Breakthrough: Matthew E. White|url=http://www.emusic.com/listen/#/music-news/interview/who-is/2012-breakthrough-matthew-e-white/|publisher=eMusic|accessdate=15 January 2013}} Paste magazine's Best New Act of 2012,{{cite web|title=The Best Music of 2012 Issue|url=http://mplayer.pastemagazine.com/issues/week-72/articles|work=Paste mPlayer|accessdate=15 January 2013|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130216150931/http://mplayer.pastemagazine.com/issues/week-72/articles|archive-date=16 February 2013|url-status=dead}} and a Consequence of Sound Rookie of the Year,{{cite web|title=Readers' Poll 2012: The Results|date=21 December 2012 |url=http://consequenceofsound.net/2012/12/readers-poll-the-results/|publisher=Consequence of Sound|accessdate=15 January 2013}} and Big Inner had appeared on multiple best of 2012 lists.{{cite web|title=Top 50 Albums of 2012|date=14 December 2012 |url=http://consequenceofsound.net/2012/12/albums-of-the-year-2012/|publisher=Consequence of Sound|accessdate=15 January 2013}}{{cite web|title=Albums of the Year: Honorable Mention|date=19 December 2012 |url=http://pitchfork.com/features/staff-lists/9018-albums-of-the-year-honorable-mention/2/|publisher=Pitchfork|accessdate=15 January 2013}} Following the album's initial release via Spacebomb White then signed with Domino who released the album worldwide in January 2013,{{cite web|last=Minsker|first=Evan|title=Watch Matthew E. White's "Will You Love Me" Video|date=29 November 2012 |url=http://pitchfork.com/news/48754-watch-matthew-e-whites-will-you-love-me-video/|publisher=Pitchfork|accessdate=15 January 2013}} and it received five stars from The Guardian{{cite news|last=Empire|first=Kitty|title=Matthew E White: Big Inner – review|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/jan/20/big-inner-matthew-e-white-review|newspaper=The Guardian|accessdate=26 January 2013|location=London|date=20 January 2013}} and was called "One of the great albums of modern Americana" by Uncut magazine.{{cite web|last=Mulholland|first=Garry|title=Matthew E. White - Big Inner|url=http://www.uncut.co.uk/matthew-e-white-big-inner-review|publisher=Uncut|accessdate=26 January 2013}}
Following two years of extensive headline touring including festival performances at Glastonbury, Latitude, Roskilde, Primavera Sound, shows at The Hollywood Bowl, Sydney Opera House and Shepherd's Bush Empire{{cite web|title=Matthew E. White touring history |url= https://www.bandsintown.com/a/2723489-matthew-e.-white}} White released his sophomore album Fresh Blood in March 2015{{cite web|last=McAndrew |first=Michael |title=Matthew E. White - Fresh Blood|url=https://www.thelineofbestfit.com/reviews/albums/matthew-e.-white-fresh-blood
|publisher=Line f Best Fit}} on Domino. In support of the album White made his national network television debut performing his track Rock and Roll is Cold on the Late Show with David Letterman in late March 2015.{{cite web|title= Matthew E. White makes his TV debut on Letterman |date=17 March 2015
|url=https://consequence.net/2015/03/matthew-e-white-makes-his-tv-debut-on-letterman-watch/
|publisher=Consequence}} The album hit a peak of 41 in the UK Album Charts{{cite web|title= Chart Data |url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/27289/matthew-e-white/
|publisher=Official Charts}} and the received generally positive reviews with a Metascore of 80 on Metacritic{{cite web|title= Touring History |url=https://www.metacritic.com/music/fresh-blood/matthew-e-white
|publisher=Metacritic}}
K Bay, White's third record, was announced on Lauren Laverne's BBC Radio 6 Music breakfast show along with a debut of the album's first single "Genuine Hesitation". The following year, the album was included on the shortlist for the inaugural Newlin Music Prize in Richmond, VA.{{cite web | url=https://www.newlinmusicprize.com/nominees/2022-nominees/ | title=2022 Nominees - Newlin Music Prize | date=11 February 2023 }}
=Collaborations and production=
In January 2017, White, along with English singer and songwriter Flo Morrissey, released Gentlewoman, Ruby Man, an album consisting of versions of tracks by artists such as Frank Ocean, the Velvet Underground, Leonard Cohen, James Blake, and the Bee Gees. The album was produced by White in Richmond, Virginia and released by Glassnote Records.{{cite news|last= Deusner|first= Stephen|title=Flo Morrissey and Matthew E. White Gentlewoman, Ruby Man|url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/22771-gentlewoman-ruby-man/|newspaper=Pitchfork|date=12 February 2017 }} The duo performed their cover of Grease on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert{{cite news|last= Rettig|first=James|title= Watch Flo Morrissey & Matthew E. White Cover "Grease" On Colbert|url=https://www.stereogum.com/1923952/watch-flo-morrissey-matthew-e-white-cover-grease-on-colbert/news/|newspaper=Stereogum|date=9 February 2017 }} before playing the album live four times at concerts in New York, London, Paris and Richmond, VA.{{cite web|title=Matthew E. White & Flo Morrissey live history|url=https://www.songkick.com/artists/8945194-flo-morrissey-and-matthew-e-white/gigography|newspaper=Songkick|date=12 February 2017}}
Between producing Natalie Prass' 2015 self titled debut album for Spacebomb, which Pitchfork awarded 8.4 and Best New Music,{{cite news|last= Deusner|first= Stephen|title=Flo Morrissey and Matthew E. White Gentlewoman, Ruby Man|url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/20088-natalie-prass/|newspaper=Pitchfork|date=26 January 2015 }} and her follow up The Future and the Past for ATO Records, the pair collaborated on the single Cool Out which was released for Record Store Day 2016,{{cite web|title=Record Store Day Website|url=https://recordstoreday.com/PromotionalItem/8496|date=1 May 2016}} and later saw success when it featured in the closing scene of Netflix movie To All the Boys I've Loved Before in 2018.{{cite web|title=Tune Find|url=https://www.tunefind.com/artist/matthew-e-white|date=1 May 2016}}
After meeting back stage of London's Queen Elizabeth Hall at David Byrne's Meltdown Festival in August 2015,{{cite web|title=Transcribing Fate: making Broken Mirror: a Selfie Reflection|url=https://matthewewhite.substack.com/p/transcribing-fate-making-broken-mirror-2f6|newspaper=Substack|date=27 May 2021}} White teamed up with American visual artists and musician Lonnie Holley, to make Broken Mirror: A Selfie Reflection.{{Cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/broken-mirror-a-selfie-reflection-mw0003473237 |title=Broken Mirror: A Selfie Reflection Album Review |last=Simpson |first=Paul |website=AllMusic }} The album was released by Spacebomb and Jagjaguwar in 2021.
Discography
=Albums=
;as Matthew E. White
| class="wikitable"
!width="20" rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;" width=20| Year !rowspan="2" width=140| Album !colspan="5" width=40| Peak !rowspan="2"| Certification |
| align="center"| BEL [http://www.ultratop.be/nl/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Matthew+E%2E+White Ultratop.be/nl/ Matthew E. White discography] !align="center"| DK !align="center"| FR !align="center"| SWE !align="center"| UK |
|---|
| align="center"| 2012
|align="center"| 85 |align="center"| 12 |align="center"| 143 |align="center"| 25 |align="center"| 85 |align="center"| |
| align="center"| 2015
| Fresh Blood |align="center"| 95 |align="center"| |align="center"| |align="center"| |align="center"| 41 |align="center"| |
| 2021
|K Bay |align="center"| |align="center"| |align="center"| |align="center"| |align="center"| |align="center"| |
;with The Great White Jenkins
- 2007: Where Is Thy Sting?
- 2008: Mussel Souls
;with Fight the Big Bull
- 2008: Dying Will Be Easy
- 2010: All Is Gladness in the Kingdom
- 2010: I Mean to Live Here Still (with David Karsten Daniels)
with Flo Morrissey
with Lonnie Holley
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:White, Matthew E.}}
Category:American male singer-songwriters
Category:Record producers from Virginia
Category:Singer-songwriters from Virginia
Category:Virginia Commonwealth University alumni
Category:Guitarists from Virginia
Category:American male guitarists
Category:21st-century American singer-songwriters
Category:21st-century American guitarists