The first thing that strikes you about Mathew V is his voice: commanding, controlled and so compelling. Not surprisingly, his classically-trained background plays a significant role.
Trained in opera, musical theatre and jazz from the age of seven through his teen years, he spent a year of vocal training in London, England at the Institute of Contemporary Music, along with local private training.
“It was a really amazing jumpstart that I don’t take for granted,” he says. “I think those styles influenced how I sing to this day and that training really built my voice and my instincts from the ground up.”
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The art of the crooner
Vancouver-born and raised in Delta, the Juno-nominated singer’s penchant for the crooner singing style was intrinsically honed and honestly come by.
“I’d say that my artistry was built at home on my boom box, listening to some of the best singers of all time, like Frank Sinatra, Celine Dion and Andrea Bocelli. Singers like that really inspired me to emote in that way.
” The family’s home playlist was vast and varied. “I was really heavily influenced by what my parents listened to,” he recalls. “Although they aren’t musicians themselves, they were big appreciators of music. My mom loved Celine Dion and Shania Twain (very Cana – dian) and my dad loved Motown and Meat Loaf.
“I also loved watching “American Idol” and vividly remember the “American Songbook Week.
” I fell in love with the classics and dove in deeper.”
A fateful opportunity
A chance encounter with a record company executive would suddenly change Mathew V’s career trajectory. “I met Mathew in 2016 at the Biltmore,” recalls Joseph Martin, 604 Records senior project manager, A&R.
“I’m not sure he was even old enough to be in there if he wasn’t performing, but I heard him singing during his sound check and my ears perked up immediately. His intonation was spot on and his voice just filled the room. I knew I had stumbled on a really legitimate singer.”
Fate definitely intervened that evening, as Martin wasn’t there to scout emerging artists. In fact, he was working the gig for the show’s headliner.
“It was my early days with 604 and I was finish – ing up some freelance commitments,” he adds.
“Mathew just blew the other acts away, so I made it a mission to sign him to the label.”
While talent is definitely a major component when a record label signs an artist, other variables factor in, often in equal amounts. “Beyond his talent as a singer, I have to testify to his work ethic,” says Martin.
“He puts in the hours with all the other not-as fun jobs that come in this highly competitive space. From his commitment to building his social media, learning how to lead a band and how to stay healthy on the road,
Mathew is constantly improving. “I’m grateful to have had what is now a seven year long relationship with an artist whose talent and drive I find incredibly inspiring.”
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“My artistry was built at home on my boom box, listening to some of the best singers of all time”
Part of the 604 Records family
For Mathew V, being signed to a label is an opportunity he values. “After coming home from the UK, I signed my deal with 604 Records,” says Mathew, “and since then we’ve become a team, moving forward and building my career.”
604 Records president Jonathan Simkin is thrilled to have him on the team. “Joseph was there to see another artist that night, but he came out raving about Mathew and I love stories like that,” says Simkin, who further extols the young singer’s virtues as being the “real deal.”
“Mathew is not just a great, hardworking artist, he is also a reasonable, decent human being who is a real joy to work with.
“I am always extra motivated to work for artists who are not just great artists but great people. “It’s pretty rare in this godforsaken business.”
An ever-growing fan base
Now that he has a growing social media fan following and a new release, “Anything Goes,” to soon take on tour, one can only imagine what the future holds for the immensely talented local lad. Being a crooner places him in a fairly unique genre and one that is not widely offered in today’s musical landscape.
It certainly provides a great opportunity for his peer group to gain an appreciation of the classic music of a bygone, golden era. “I’ve found that a lot of my generation is unfamiliar with the “Great American Songbook,” and that’s another reason I’m so thrilled to be introducing these songs to a new generation of listeners,” he says.
“These songs are a foundational building block to every modern style of music, so it’s been exciting doing my part in bringing them back into the foreground.”
That said, one can only imagine where Mathew V sees himself five years down the road. “Singing better than ever before… playing cities and countries I’ve never seen before and collaborating with some of my favourites,” he envisions, adding, “and maybe even doing a season on Broadway.
I live my life with the sky being the limit….and beyond.”
