Matthews Southern Comfort

Matthews Southern Comfort is a British folk rock group led by Iain Matthews, an English musician and songwriter who is known in the 1960s as Ian McDonald and from the late 1960s until 1989 as Ian Matthews. The group has a history tied to the wider Fairport Convention scene, and Matthews is an early member of Fairport Convention.

Formation and early recordings

In 1969, after Fairport Convention moves further towards British traditional folk and Matthews finds he is not invited to a recording session, he leaves the group after discussion with Fairport leader Ashley Hutchings. He then records his first solo album, also titled Matthews' Southern Comfort, with Richard Thompson, Simon Nicol and Ashley Hutchings, along with drummer Gerry Conway and pedal steel player Gordon Huntley. The music on that album draws on American country music and rockabilly. It also marks Matthews’ first significant experience as a songwriter, although the recordings include covers of Neil Young and Ian and Sylvia.

Matthews then forms a working band under the same name and records the albums Second Spring and Later That Same Year. The band changes line-up several times and tours extensively over the next two years, receiving general critical acclaim. Other members across the group’s later history include Eric Devries, Ray Duffy, Mark Griffiths, Gordon Huntley, Andy Leigh, Iain Matthews and Bart de Win.

Commercial success

The group’s main commercial success comes in 1971 with its version of Joni Mitchell’s Woodstock, which reaches number one in the UK, receives heavy airplay in Canada, and reaches number 23 in the United States.

Later activity

After Matthews splits with Southern Comfort, the group continues and releases three albums on Harvest Records. In September 2010, Matthews Southern Comfort releases Kind of New, their first album in 40 years and Matthews’ return to a major label. A live EP titled Kind of Live is also recorded to accompany a European tour. The current line-up is a quartet with an all-Dutch membership.

Style

The group is associated with British folk rock, country rock and folk rock.