Matthew "Ted" Edwards is a UK-born singer and songwriter and previously led the San Francisco-based pop group called

The Music Lovers ''The Music Lovers'' is a 1971 British drama film directed by Ken Russell and starring Richard Chamberlain and Glenda Jackson. The screenplay by Melvyn Bragg, based on ''Beloved Friend'', a collection of personal correspondence edited by Cat ...

Early life

Originally from

Small Heath Small Heath is an inner-city area in south-east Birmingham, West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England situated on and around the Coventry Road about from the city centre. History Small Heath, which has been settled and used since Roman t ...

, Birmingham, England, Edwards managed to go to university to study English Literature. In 1991, Edwards left his hometown and relocated to San Francisco, California, where he worked as a compere in the city's premier 'variety' evening at The Mad Dog.

Music career

The Hairdressers

Edwards' rock band The Hairdressers released the album 'Our Lives in Showbusiness' in 1999.

The Music Lovers

While working as an MC, Edwards met bassist Jon Brooder and added Paul Comaskey on drums, completing the first lineup of the band. In 2003, Edwards formed The Music Lovers for whom he was the singer, guitarist, and songwriter. Between 2003 and 2009, Edwards released three albums and an EP on Le Grand Magistery Records out of Detroit, Michigan. The albums were also released in Japan (Enogh-Ho) and Italy (Sleeping Star). The band toured the East and West Coast of the US and Italy. The records each had distinctive sleeves designed by Matthew Jacobson and featuring images by

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, and Alan Crawford. The records received much critical acclaim. Edwards dissolved the band in 2010.

Matthew Edwards and the Unfortunates

After previously led The Music Lovers, Edwards formed the Matthew Edwards and the Unfortunates, a six-piece group from San Francisco, California, which featured current and previous members of

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, Assemble Head in Sunburst Sound, and The Music Lovers. It is said that Edwards' accompanying band, The Unfortunates, borrowed its name from the cult book by English writer B.S. Johnson. In 2013, Edwards formed Matthew Edwards and the Unfortunates. The first Unfortunates album 'The Fates' (2013) was released by Last Tape Recordings (CA) and was produced by

Eric Drew Feldman Eric Drew Feldman (born April 16, 1955) is an American musician. Feldman has worked with Captain Beefheart, Fear, Snakefinger, The Residents, Pere Ubu, Pixies, dEUS, Katell Keineg, Frank Black, The Polyphonic Spree, Tripping Daisy, Reid Pal ...

(

PJ Harvey Polly Jean Harvey (born 9 October 1969) is an English singer-songwriter. Primarily known as a vocalist and guitarist, she is also proficient with a wide range of instruments. Harvey began her career in 1988 when she joined local band Automat ...

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) who also contributed keyboards. It was recorded at Ex'pression in Emeryville, California. The album featured

Fred Frith Jeremy Webster "Fred" Frith (born 17 February 1949) is an English multi-instrumentalist, composer, and improviser. Probably best known for his guitar work, Frith first came to attention as a founding member of the English avant-rock group Henry ...

on Guitar. Also featuring on keyboards and vocals was Sasha Bell from the group

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. The sleeve was designed by American artist Rex Ray. In 2014, Edwards relocated to his hometown of Birmingham, England and convened the UK version of the band. This group recorded the Unfortunates second album 'Folklore' which was released by

Gare Du Nord The Gare du Nord (; ), officially Paris Nord, is one of the seven large mainline railway station termini in Paris, France. The station is served by trains that run between the capital and northern France via the Paris–Lille railway, as well ...

(

Ian Button Ian Button (born 16 April 1962) is an English guitarist best known for his work in the bands Thrashing Doves (1985-1991) and Death In Vegas (1994-2011). Button was one of a core of additional musicians originally brought in by Death In Vegas ...

) in June 2017. Like its predecessor it included the contribution of Fred Frith (

Robert Wyatt Robert Wyatt (born Robert Wyatt-Ellidge, 28 January 1945) is an English retired musician. A founding member of the influential Canterbury scene bands Soft Machine and Matching Mole, he was initially a kit drummer and singer before becoming para ...

, Eno), and

Dagmar Krause Dagmar Krause (born 4 June 1950) is a German singer, best known for her work with avant-rock groups including Slapp Happy, Henry Cow, and Art Bears. She is also noted for her coverage of songs by Bertolt Brecht, Kurt Weill and Hanns Eisler. Her ...

(

Slapp Happy Slapp Happy was a German/English avant-pop group, formed in Germany in 1972. Their lineup consisted of Anthony Moore (keyboards), Peter Blegvad (guitar) and Dagmar Krause (vocals). The band members moved to England in 1974 where they merg ...

Henry Cow Henry Cow were an English experimental rock group, founded at the University of Cambridge in 1968 by multi-instrumentalists Fred Frith and Tim Hodgkinson. Henry Cow's personnel fluctuated over their decade together, but drummer Chris Cutler, b ...

). The album was recorded and mixed by John A. Rivers at Woodbine Street Recording Studio. In 2019, the group signed to Parisian label December Square who released their third album 'The Birmingham Poets.' Edwards promoted the record with tours of France and the UK (with

Nouvelle Vague The New Wave (, ), also called the French New Wave, is a French art film movement that emerged in the late 1950s. The movement was characterized by its rejection of traditional filmmaking conventions in favor of experimentation and a spirit of i ...

). The album featured the contribution of Dagmar Krause. The group also appeared with

Robyn Hitchcock Robyn Rowan Hitchcock (born 3 March 1953) is an English singer-songwriter and guitarist. While primarily a vocalist and guitarist, he also plays harmonica, piano, and bass guitar. After leading the Soft Boys in the late 1970s and releasing the ...

and

The Unthanks The Unthanks (until 2009 called Rachel Unthank and the Winterset) are an folk music of England, English folk group known for their eclectic approach in combining traditional English folk, particularly Music of Northumbria, Northumbrian folk mus ...

. Edwards led the Unfortunates from 2013 to 2020 in San Francisco and England.

Matthew Edwards and the Futurists

Edwards reinvented the group after the death of close collaborator Derick Simmonds and his relocation back to California after five years in his native Birmingham. In June 2020, the Futurists released a 'The First Song of the Revolution' EP on British record label Static Caravan Records.

Discography

The Hairdressers

* 1999 – 'Our Lives in Showbusiness' – Musette Records. MUS4

The Music Lovers

* 2003 – 'Cheap Songs Tell the Truth' (EP) – Le Grand Magistery/Marriage Records iDo-3 * 2004 – 'The Words We Say Before We Sleep' – Le Grand Magistery/Marriage Records iDo-4 * 2006 – 'The Music Lovers Guide for Young People' – Le Grand Magistery Records (US) HRH-038, Enougho (JA) * 2009 - 'Masculine Feminine' – Le Grand Magistery Records HRH-046 (US) Sleeping Star (IT)

Matthew Edwards and the Unfortunates

* 2013 – 'The Fates' (Last Tape Recordings) LTR02 CD (Metal * 2015 – 'Minotaur/Bad Blood' 7-inch single (Metal Postcard Records) MP92 * 2017 – 'Folklore' (Gare Du Nord Records) GDNLPo14 * 2019 – 'The Birmingham Poets' (December Square Records FR) DESQ002

Matthew Edwards and the Futurists

* 2020 – 'The First Song of the Revolution' EP (Static Caravan Records) VAN 348

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Edwards, Matthew Living people English male singer-songwriters English male musicians English male guitarists Year of birth missing (living people)