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Matthew Frederick Robert Good (born June 29, 1971) is a Canadian musician. He was the lead singer and songwriter for the
Matthew Good Band Matthew Good Band was a Canadians, Canadian alternative rock band formed in Coquitlam, British Columbia in 1995. The band consisted of singer-songwriter/guitarist Matthew Good, guitarist/keyboardist Dave Genn, drummer Ian Browne (musician), Ian Br ...
, one of the most successful
alternative rock Alternative rock (also known as alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative) is a category of rock music that evolved from the independent music underground of the 1970s. Alternative rock acts achieved mainstream success in the 1990s w ...
bands in Canada during the 1990s and early 2000s. Since the band disbanded in 2002, Good has pursued a solo career and established himself as a political commentator and mental health activist. Between 1996 and 2016, with sales by Matthew Good Band included, Good was the 25th best-selling Canadian artist in Canada. Good has been nominated for 21
Juno Awards The Juno Awards (stylized as JUNOS), or simply known as the Junos, are awards presented by the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences to recognize outstanding achievements in Canada's music industry. The Grammy Awards are the United S ...
during his career, winning four.


Early life and career

Matthew Good's father was a colonial Englishman from
India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
and his mother was from
British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...
, Canada. Good's introduction into the music scene began while he was in high school, when he was asked by members of a folk group to write lyrics for them. Good then began singing with the group. Good taught himself to play guitar at age 20 and continued to write songs. Good's early career in music involved a variety of folk demos and a stint as the lead singer of a folk band, The Rodchester Kings. Matthew Good and guitarist Simon Woodcock were discovered at an open mic at
Simon Fraser University Simon Fraser University (SFU) is a Public university, public research university in British Columbia, Canada. It maintains three campuses in Greater Vancouver, respectively located in Burnaby (main campus), Surrey, British Columbia, Surrey, and ...
by manager Brent Christensen. Early Rodchester Kings demos were recorded at Fragrant Time Records in
Burnaby Burnaby is a city in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia, Canada. Located in the centre of the Burrard Peninsula, it neighbours the City of Vancouver to the west, the District of North Vancouver across the confluence of the Burrard In ...
by Greg Wasmuth and Steven Codling. From 1992 to 1993, Good recorded short demo tapes called ''Left of Normal'', ''Broken'', and ''Euphony'', which featured the acoustic songs "Mercy Misses You", "Heather's Like Sunday", and the title track "Euphony". In 1994, he won a prize from 99.3 The Fox's Seeds, an annual competition of local Vancouver-based bands. The prize included recording time at a local studio/recording school, where, in September 1994, Good, along with band members Steve Codling, Judy Renouf, Eran Vooys, and Ariel Watson, recorded ''15 Hours on a September Thursday''. This demo tape included the songs "Second Sun", "The Ocean", and "Last of the Ghetto Astronauts". In December 1994, the band signed a publishing deal with EMI Publishing. In March 1995, the original band went on tour across Canada. Upon returning home, the band split up and Matt started over with a new group of musicians.


Matthew Good Band


''Last of the Ghetto Astronauts'' (1995–1996)

Good formed a three-piece rock band in 1995 composed of himself, drummer Charlie Quintana (later replaced by Ian Browne) and bassist Geoff Lloyd. Dave Genn originally only recorded with the band as a paid session musician. The four recorded the band's debut
album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-track or Cassette tape, cassette), or digital distribution, dig ...
, '' Last of the Ghetto Astronauts''. The band released the album independently in 1995, after which Genn officially joined the band. The band was not originally called "Matthew Good Band". In fact, the first 5000 copies of ''Last of the Ghetto Astronauts'' were just titled "MGB". After the album was released, "Alabama Motel Room" began to receive significant radio airplay, and people began requesting the song on radio and the album at retail stores calling the band, "Matthew Good Band". At the time, the band had been having conversations about the band's name, but the band then decided that the band would be called "Matthew Good Band". Although initially popular only in the
Vancouver Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...
area, the band began to have more success across Canada in 1996, with the singles "Alabama Motel Room" and "Symbolistic White Walls" becoming significant hits on radio and their music videos being played on
MuchMusic Much is a Canadian English language discretionary specialty channel owned by BCE Inc. through its Bell Media subsidiary that airs programming aimed at teenagers and young adults. It is headquartered at 299 Queen Street West in what was o ...
. In December 1996, Matthew Good Band signed a two-album deal with
Private Music Private Music was an American independent record label founded in 1984 by musician Peter Baumann as a "home for instrumental music". Baumann signed Ravi Shankar, Yanni, Suzanne Ciani, Andy Summers, Patrick O'Hearn, Leo Kottke, and his for ...
.


''Underdogs'' (1997–1999)

In mid-January 1997, on the first day of pre-production for their next album, the group was notified that BMG Entertainment North America was merging Private Music into Windham Hill/
High Street Records High Street Records was a subsidiary label of Windham Hill Records from about 1990 to 1997. Notable acts who recorded for the label include John Gorka, Pierce Pettis, Patty Larkin, The Subdudes, Downy Mildew, and Dots Will Echo. Several sing ...
, putting a halt to the production of the album. In mid-March, after negotiations, Windham Hill/High Street released the group from its contract. Good was paid what he was owed for the two albums, and the group then decided to record the new album regardless of label support, using the money received from the divorce of their contract with Windham Hill/High Street to fund it. The group then agreed to release the upcoming album under a distribution agreement with PolyGram Group Canada. After releasing the EP ''
Raygun A raygun is a science-fiction directed-energy weapon usually with destructive effect.Jeff Prucher, '' Brave New Words: The Oxford Dictionary of Science Fiction,'' Oxford University Press, 2007, page 162 They have various names: ray gun, d ...
'' in May 1997, the band released their second full-length album, '' Underdogs'', later that year. The album was produced by
Warne Livesey Warne Livesey (born 12 February 1959) is a British/Canadian music producer, mixing engineer, songwriter and musician. He has produced Midnight Oil, The The, Matthew Good Band and Deacon Blue. Life and career Warne Livesey started his career in L ...
, who would go on to produce every full-length MGB album and most of Good's subsequent solo albums. The album spawned the singles "
Everything Is Automatic "Everything is Automatic" is a song by the Matthew Good Band. It was released as the lead single from the band's second studio album, '' Underdogs''. Track listing Inspiration In a 1997 interview, Good said that he was inspired to write "Everyt ...
", " Indestructible", " Apparitions" and "
Rico The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act is a United States federal law that provides for extended criminal penalties and a civil cause of action for acts performed as part of an ongoing criminal organization. RICO was ...
", all which were hits in Canada. In November 1998, Geoff Lloyd left the band and was shortly thereafter replaced by Rich Priske. On January 21, 1999, ''Underdogs'' was certified Platinum in Canada.


''Beautiful Midnight'' (1999–2000)

In September 1999, the band released their next studio album, '' Beautiful Midnight''. The album debuted at #1 on the
Canadian Albums Chart The ''Billboard'' Canadian Albums is the official record chart A record chart, in the music industry, also called a music chart, is a ranking of Sound recording and reproduction, recorded music according to certain criteria during a given ...
and featured the hit singles "
Hello Time Bomb Hello Time Bomb is a song by Canadian alternative rock group Matthew Good Band. It was released in September 1999 as the lead single from their third studio album, '' Beautiful Midnight''. It was nominated for Best Single at the 2000 Juno Awards ...
", " Load Me Up", and " Strange Days". In January 2000, Good underwent vocal cord surgery after being diagnosed with
sarcoidosis Sarcoidosis (; also known as Besnier–Boeck–Schaumann disease) is a disease involving abnormal collections of White blood cell, inflammatory cells that form lumps known as granulomata. The disease usually begins in the lungs, skin, or lymph n ...
, prompting him to temporarily quit smoking. In March 2000, The band won two
Juno awards The Juno Awards (stylized as JUNOS), or simply known as the Junos, are awards presented by the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences to recognize outstanding achievements in Canada's music industry. The Grammy Awards are the United S ...
for "Best Group" and "Best Rock Album". Good himself did not attend the ceremony, and guitarist Dave Genn has been quoted as saying that he only attended for the open bar. ''Beautiful Midnight'' became the band's best-selling album, being certified Double Platinum in Canada and selling over 300,000 copies by 2016. In 2000, the band's song "Running for Home" was featured in an episode of '' Higher Ground''.


2000–2001: ''The Audio of Being''

In the summer of 2000, Good stayed in a hotel for three weeks in Whistler to work on songs for the new album. Good later wrote that he spent much of the time "trying to keep down food supplement bars, trying to forget the growing tension within the band, the high expectations of needing to produce 'hit songs' (whatever they are these days), throwing up, and trying to find some semblance of direction in my personal life". The band entered the studio in late 2000 to record the material. The sessions saw a great deal of intra-band turmoil. In February 2001, the band began a brief tour of the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
to promote the American release of ''Beautiful Midnight''. In June 2001, the band released the EP '' Loser Anthems'', and followed it with what would be the band's final tour in the summer. In August 2001, Dave Genn quit the band, though he returned four days later. The band released ''
The Audio of Being ''The Audio Of Being'' is the fourth and final album by the Canadian rock group Matthew Good Band, released in 2001. It included two singles: "Carmelina" and "Anti-Pop". The album sold 73,000 units in Canada by March 2003 and was certified ...
'' on October 30, 2001.


Breakup

In November 2001, it was revealed that Genn had left the band again and Ian Browne had also left the band. In February 2002, Universal Music Canada confirmed that the band had broken up. In March 2002, during his first interview after the breakup was confirmed, Good stated that the breakup was "a conscious effort on everybody's part". In a 2009 interview for '' The Ongoing History of New Music'', Good stated that he decided the band was done after ''
The Audio of Being ''The Audio Of Being'' is the fourth and final album by the Canadian rock group Matthew Good Band, released in 2001. It included two singles: "Carmelina" and "Anti-Pop". The album sold 73,000 units in Canada by March 2003 and was certified ...
'' was released, citing him no longer wanting to placate the needs of the other band members and no one wanting to tour the record as reasons.


Solo career


''Avalanche'' (2003)

Good released his solo debut, ''
Avalanche An avalanche is a rapid flow of snow down a Grade (slope), slope, such as a hill or mountain. Avalanches can be triggered spontaneously, by factors such as increased precipitation or snowpack weakening, or by external means such as humans, othe ...
'', in 2003. The album featured major stylistic differences from those recorded with the previous band. The album featured the
Vancouver Symphony Orchestra The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra (VSO) is a Canadian orchestra based in Vancouver, British Columbia. The VSO performs at the Orpheum, which has been the orchestra's permanent home since 1977. With an annual operating budget of $16 million, it is ...
on several tracks, including the first two singles, "
Weapon A weapon, arm, or armament is any implement or device that is used to deter, threaten, inflict physical damage, harm, or kill. Weapons are used to increase the efficacy and efficiency of activities such as hunting, crime (e.g., murder), law ...
" and " In a World Called Catastrophe". Good recorded the album with long-time MGB producer Warne Livesey, who earned a Juno nomination for the effort. At the 2003 Juno Awards, Good and co-director Ante Kovac won the Juno Award for Video of the Year for "Weapon".


''White Light Rock and Roll Review'' (2004)

Good's second solo album, '' White Light Rock & Roll Review'', was released on June 15, 2004. Singles included " Alert Status Red" and "It's Been a While Since I Was Your Man". For the album, Good elected to take a stripped-down approach. Rather than record each instrument separately, Good and his new band (which consisted of himself, former MGB bassist Rich Priske, guitarist Christian Thor Valdson and drummer Patrick Steward) recorded the songs as a unit, with Good adding vocals and additional guitar parts later. Good later noted that he loved the freedom of being able to write a song, enter the studio, and have a recording completed almost immediately, rather than having to deal with the sometimes arduous process of recording layers and layers of music for a single song. Good encountered controversy with the video for "Alert Status Red". Initially, the video was intended to be a concept piece, directed by Good. However, upon entering the editing stage, he realized he hadn't shot enough footage to make his concept work. He opted to turn all of the footage over to Kyle Davison, who directed the video for "In a World Called Catastrophe", to see if anything could be made out of it. Davison came up with his own concept, edited it together, and sent the finished product to Good. Good approved of the video, and made it available for download on his website. Good, however, was unaware that Davison had utilized several short clips of surveillance footage of the Columbine High School shootings in the piece. Upon hearing about the clips from individuals who felt the use was insensitive, Good pulled the video from his website. After watching it again, he decided to enlist the opinions of others, including
MuchMusic Much is a Canadian English language discretionary specialty channel owned by BCE Inc. through its Bell Media subsidiary that airs programming aimed at teenagers and young adults. It is headquartered at 299 Queen Street West in what was o ...
, to see if they had any objections. Most felt it was reasonable, granted that the use wasn't exploitative and helped to support the message of the video, a message that they believed was decidedly relevant. Good agreed. He then returned the video to his website and expressed his support for the work of his co-director.


''In a Coma'', solo acoustic tour (2005–2006)

In March 2005, Good brought in Ryan Dahle and Meegee Bradfield of Limblifter to join his band (replacing Valdson and Priske). Good noted that he was concerned his previous line-up had run its course creatively, and that, as a solo artist, he was graced with the freedom to change direction by involving different musicians. He hoped that Dahle and Bradfield might be able to lend a new perspective to familiar material. In April, the lineup entered the studio and recorded two tracks for the Matthew Good best-of, "Big City Life" and "Oh Be Joyful". However, when Good undertook a brief tour of
Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...
in July 2005, he was rejoined by Priske and Valdson. A compilation of Good's work with the Matthew Good Band as well as his solo material was released in September 2005, titled '' In a Coma: Matthew Good 1995–2005''. The first single from the album, "Oh Be Joyful", was released at the end of July. Good took particular care in the production of the expanded deluxe edition of ''In a Coma'', which included an additional CD and a DVD. In April 2005, Good entered the studio and recorded nine songs from his catalog, reworked and performed acoustically. As a nod to fans who were unable to find them, the CD also included all of the tracks from the out-of-print EPs '' Lo-Fi B-Sides'' and '' Loser Anthems''. The DVD featured the complete library of Good's music videos, including a new video for "While We Were Hunting Rabbits" from ''Avalanche'' developed by animation students at
Sheridan College Sheridan College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning, formerly Sheridan College of Applied Arts and Technology, is a public polytechnic institute partnered with private Canadian College of Technology and Trades operating campuses ...
. Following the release of ''In a Coma'', Good began demoing songs for a new album. While promoting ''In a Coma'', Good noted that he might use the release of the compilation to mark the end of the first era of his career, where he could then move on to write "weirder" music. In December 2005, Good previewed a demo called "Black Helicopter", which he recorded at home using
GarageBand GarageBand is a software application by Apple Inc., Apple for macOS, iPadOS, and iOS devices that allows users to create music or Podcast, podcasts. It is a lighter, amateur-oriented offshoot of Logic Pro. GarageBand was originally released for ...
on an
Apple An apple is a round, edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus'' spp.). Fruit trees of the orchard or domestic apple (''Malus domestica''), the most widely grown in the genus, are agriculture, cultivated worldwide. The tree originated ...
Power Mac G5 The Power Mac G5 is a series of personal computers designed, manufactured, and sold by Apple Computer, Inc. from 2003 to 2006 as part of the Power Mac series. When introduced, it was the most powerful computer in Apple's Macintosh lineup, a ...
. In March 2006, Good embarked on a solo acoustic tour of Canada, which featured smaller crowds and more intimate settings. Good spent several weeks leading up to the tour reworking many of his older songs to fit a solo acoustic format, including rarities such as "Fated" and "Life Beyond the Minimum Safe Distance". He was joined on tour by opening act Melissa McClelland, with whom he played a cover of the
Nine Inch Nails Nine Inch Nails, commonly abbreviated as NIN (stylized as NIИ), is an American industrial rock band formed in Cleveland, Ohio in 1988. Its members are the singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer Trent Reznor and his frequent col ...
song "Hurt" at the end of his solo performances.


''Hospital Music'', live album (2007–2008)

In the aftermath of divorcing his wife, developing an addiction to
Ativan Lorazepam, sold under the brand name Ativan, Tavor among others, is a benzodiazepine medication. It is used to treat anxiety (including anxiety disorders), insomnia, Psychomotor agitation, severe agitation, active seizures including status ...
and being diagnosed with
bipolar disorder Bipolar disorder (BD), previously known as manic depression, is a mental disorder characterized by periods of Depression (mood), depression and periods of abnormally elevated Mood (psychology), mood that each last from days to weeks, and in ...
, Good channeled the emotional turmoil into his next album, 2007's '' Hospital Music''. The album was the first self-produced effort of his career and was written during his recovery from overdosing on Ativan and a stay in the psychiatric ward. ''Hospital Music'' included thinly veiled allusions to his divorce ("I Am Not Safer Than a Bank" and "She's in It for the Money") as well as darker subjects, such as Good's close friend Rod Bruno (who appears on guitar, bass and vocals throughout the record) losing his father to cancer ("99% of Us Is Failure"). The album also featured two cover songs, a radically reworked version of the
Dead Kennedys Dead Kennedys are an American punk rock band that formed in San Francisco, California, in 1978. The band was one of the defining punk bands during its initial eight-year run. Initially consisting of lead guitarist East Bay Ray, bassist Klaus Fl ...
' "Moon Over Marin" and
Daniel Johnston Daniel Dale Johnston (January 22, 1961 – September 11, 2019) was an American singer, musician and artist regarded as a significant figure in Outsider music, outsider, Lo-fi music, lo-fi, and alternative rock, alternative music scenes. Most ...
's "True Love Will Find You in the End". The album's first single " Born Losers" was also a success, peaking at #27 on the
Canadian Hot 100 The Canadian Hot 100 is a music industry record chart in Canada for songs, published weekly by ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' magazine. It was launched on the issue dated March 31, 2007 as the standard record chart in Canada; a new chart ...
. ''Hospital Music'' was additionally influenced by Good's proximity to Vancouver's notorious
Downtown Eastside The Downtown Eastside (DTES) is a list of neighbourhoods in Vancouver, neighbourhood in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. One of the city's oldest neighbourhoods, the DTES is the site of a complex set of social issues, including disproportio ...
neighbourhood, just blocks away from his Gastown loft. The opening sound bites in both "Girl Wedged Under the Front of a Firebird" and album-opener "Champions of Nothing" feature men narrating snippets of their experience from the impoverished neighbourhood. ''Hospital Music'' debuted at the top of the Canadian albums chart, Good's first number one album since ''Beautiful Midnight''. The album also marked the end of his recording and publishing contracts. In support of ''Hospital Music'', Good embarked on a brief solo tour of the United States in March 2008, and began a full-band tour of Canada in May. In 2008, Good released ''Live at Massey Hall'', the first live album of Matthew Good's career. Recorded at Toronto's landmark
Massey Hall Massey Hall is a performing arts auditorium in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Opened in 1894, it is known for its outstanding acoustics and was the long-time hall of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir. Although original ...
in May 2008, it is an unaltered recording of that night's performance.


''Vancouver'' (2009–2010)

In July 2008, Good announced he had begun working on his fourth solo album to be titled ''
Vancouver Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...
''. After entering the studio in early 2009 to record ''Vancouver'', Good confirmed that he had re-signed with Universal Music Canada and the new album would not be an indie release. The album was released on October 6, 2009. For about a month prior to its release, the album was made available on his website for free streaming, stating a desire to make his music as accessible as possible. The first single released from the album was "Last Parade." ''Vancouver'' was a reflection of Good's experiences and opinions of his hometown. "It's kind of like the way we were, the way we arethat kind of thing," Good has explained, referring to a sense of the city's "depletion", mostly in regards to the situation in the
Downtown Eastside The Downtown Eastside (DTES) is a list of neighbourhoods in Vancouver, neighbourhood in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. One of the city's oldest neighbourhoods, the DTES is the site of a complex set of social issues, including disproportio ...
.''The Vancouver Sun''
The album also continued to explore Good's personal life, including his mental illness. He later described the recording of ''Hospital Music'' and ''Vancouver'' as having together "closed chapters" regarding his personal life, allowing him to focus his energy on a stylistically different project for his next album. A Canadian tour in support of ''Vancouver'' was announced in September 2009 and ran from October 3 to December 19. Joining Good and his band as a supporting act was fellow Vancouver-based group Mother Mother. The following year, Good toured the United States from March 8 to April 4, 2010. In 2011, ''Vancouver'' won the "
Juno Award for Rock Album of the Year The Juno Award for "Rock Album of the Year" has been awarded since 1991, as recognition each year for the best rock album in Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three t ...
", the second time Good has won the award.


''Lights of Endangered Species'' (2011)

Good entered the studio on October 19, 2010, to record his fifth album as a solo artist, '' Lights of Endangered Species''. He again worked with producer
Warne Livesey Warne Livesey (born 12 February 1959) is a British/Canadian music producer, mixing engineer, songwriter and musician. He has produced Midnight Oil, The The, Matthew Good Band and Deacon Blue. Life and career Warne Livesey started his career in L ...
, marking the sixth album Warne has produced with Good. Good and Warne's Facebook wall postings stated tracking was completed November 20, while mixing of the record was completed on December 11. The album was mastered in England during the first half of 2011 and was subsequently released on May 31. The track listing was released in the members section of matthewgood.org on January 13, 2011. The first single from the album, " In a Place of Lesser Men", was released on March 21 via
SoundCloud SoundCloud is a German audio streaming service owned and operated by SoundCloud Global Limited & Co. KG. The service enables its users to upload, promote, and share audio. Founded in 2007 by Alexander Ljung and Eric Wahlforss, SoundCloud is ...
. Good reunited with former MGB drummer Ian Browne during the tour of the album later in the year.


''Arrows of Desire'', ''Chaotic Neutral'' (2013–2015)

On November 5, 2012, Good announced via Facebook that he had entered the studio to begin recording his sixth solo studio album. The album's lead single, " Had It Coming", was released on May 28, 2013. The album, '' Arrows of Desire'', was released on September 24, 2013. The album's audio was released to be streamed in Canada and Europe, as a promotion leading up to the album's release (September 17–24). On July 17, 2015, Good released the song "All You Sons and Daughters", the first single from his seventh solo studio album, '' Chaotic Neutral''. The album was released on September 25, 2015.


''I Miss New Wave: Beautiful Midnight Revisited'' (2016)

In November 2016, Good announced on his website that he had been in the studio to re-record 5 tracks from the 1999 Matthew Good Band album, '' Beautiful Midnight''. Good re-recorded ''Beautiful Midnight'' tracks "I Miss New Wave", "Suburbia", "Born to Kill", "Let's Get It On" and " Load Me Up" and released them on an EP titled ''I Miss New Wave: Beautiful Midnight Revisited'', which was released on December 2, 2016. The EP was promoted by a tour during February and March 2017 in which Good performed the ''Beautiful Midnight'' album in its entirety.


''Something Like a Storm, Moving Walls'' (2017–present)

On April 21, 2017, Good released a new song, titled "Bad Guys Win", from his upcoming album. A music video for the song was simultaneously released. On July 14, Good released the lead single from the album, "Decades", which was also accompanied by a music video. In September 2017, the album was announced as being titled '' Something Like a Storm''. The album was released on October 20, 2017. Good embarked on a co-headline tour across Canada with
Our Lady Peace Our Lady Peace (sometimes shortened to OLP) is a Canadian alternative rock band formed in Toronto, Ontario in 1992. Led by lead vocalist Raine Maida since its formation, the band currently also features Duncan Coutts on bass, Steve Mazur on guit ...
in March 2018. On March 27, during a performance in
Edmonton Edmonton is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Alberta. It is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Central Alberta ...
, Good collapsed onstage due to pneumonia and was taken to a hospital. Good's performance for the next show on the tour was cancelled, but Good returned to the tour on March 30. In 2019, Good embarked on his first solo acoustic tour since 2007. On October 18, 2019, Good released a new single, titled "Sicily". An accompanying music video was released on November 21, 2019. "Sicily" is taken from the 15-track album, '' Moving Walls'', that was released in February 2020.


Writing and political activism

Apart from his music career, Good has also been a writer and blogger. From late 1997 through the end of 2000, Good published a series of monthly "manifestos" on the band's website. Many of those were later compiled and released in his debut book ''At Last There Is Nothing Left To Say'', published in 2001 by Insomniac Press (). In a 2001 interview, Good said regarding his writing: "It comes from the need inside of me to make fun of people. And my need to make fun of myself. I like writing things that are both intelligent and subversive. There's so much for me to write aboutsociety has become so absolutely ridiculous." In 2008, Good created a new website entitled ''Dear San Diego'', on which he wrote fictional journal entries. The website no longer exists, though some of the text is still available on some fan sites. Throughout his life, Good has displayed a passion for politics and history which is reflected in his music. He has commented that he would have become a history teacher had he not found success as a musician. For many years, he blogged on his website about political issues, including US foreign policy and human rights. Currently, his website no longer features a blog. Good has been heavily involved with
Amnesty International Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says that it has more than ten million members a ...
, bringing Amnesty representatives on the road with him during his 2004 tour and offering a limited-edition soccer jersey on his website with proceeds going to Amnesty. In 2004, his song "Annabelle" was exclusively released on the Amnesty International Canada website.


Personal life

Good, whose family background is English, was born in Burnaby, British Columbia, and grew up in
Coquitlam Coquitlam ( ) is a city in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, Canada. Mainly suburban, Coquitlam is the List of cities in British Columbia, sixth-largest city in the province, with an estimated population of 174,248 in 2024, and one of th ...
both suburbs of
Vancouver Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...
. After living in various parts of Vancouver for the majority of his career, Good moved to Maple Ridge around the time of ''
Vancouver Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...
s 2009 release. Good has been affected by ongoing bouts of mania and anxiety throughout his career, many of which he credited to the stresses of popularity. He recalls regularly passing out and vomiting during the time of ''
The Audio of Being ''The Audio Of Being'' is the fourth and final album by the Canadian rock group Matthew Good Band, released in 2001. It included two singles: "Carmelina" and "Anti-Pop". The album sold 73,000 units in Canada by March 2003 and was certified ...
s recording in 2001. Behind the scenes of Good's 2005 release of ''In a Coma'' and his subsequent touring, Good's ongoing mental health concerns escalated, particularly following the unexpected separation from his first wife, Jennifer, in February 2006. In early 2006, prior to a solo acoustic tour of Canada, Good was prescribed
Ativan Lorazepam, sold under the brand name Ativan, Tavor among others, is a benzodiazepine medication. It is used to treat anxiety (including anxiety disorders), insomnia, Psychomotor agitation, severe agitation, active seizures including status ...
to help counter his anxiety. During a stop in
Kingston, Ontario Kingston is a city in Ontario, Canada, on the northeastern end of Lake Ontario. It is at the beginning of the St. Lawrence River and at the mouth of the Cataraqui River, the south end of the Rideau Canal. Kingston is near the Thousand Islands, ...
, Good was rushed to the hospital following an adverse reaction to the Ativan. The last two shows of the tour were cancelled for what Good later explained was a "nervous breakdown". The following summer, Good planned to spend several months in Europe to write a book. However, just a few days into the trip, Good found himself overwhelmed emotionally, experiencing what he described as the "absolute worst manic episode" while visiting friends in
Bristol Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, the most populous city in the region. Built around the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by t ...
. He returned to Vancouver, moving into his parents' home. While there, Good began to have an increasing dependence on Ativan. One night, while at his parents' house, Good took upwards of 45 Ativan pills and collapsed to the floor. The collapse was heard by his parents and he was rushed to the hospital. During a brief stay in the hospital's psychiatric ward, to which he willfully committed himself, Good was diagnosed with
bipolar disorder Bipolar disorder (BD), previously known as manic depression, is a mental disorder characterized by periods of Depression (mood), depression and periods of abnormally elevated Mood (psychology), mood that each last from days to weeks, and in ...
. The genetic illness was traced back to his mother's side. Recalling past events and stages throughout his life, he has described the diagnosis as a relief, adding "it was like finding the final pieces of the puzzle." Good wrote much of the material for his 2007 release, '' Hospital Music'' during his recovery. In September 2013, Good spoke at the TEDxToronto conference about his creative life and bipolar diagnosis. His presentation was titled "Balancing mental health and genius". In 2021, Good was dropped by his label and management after his ex-girlfriend, Hayley Mather, accused him of being a "serial abuser" on her Instagram account, adding that during their relationship, he had cheated and constantly lied to her but also sexually coerced, groomed, emotionally and mentally abused and manipulated her. She later added “Everything that took place was consensual, however, I was told that fulfilling his fantasies were a way to bring our relationship closer together and that it would bring greater intimacy between he and I. It did not bring us closer together.” Good, who described Mather as his "ex-partner", denied these allegations on his Twitter account. On March 29, 2021 The Canadian Mental Health Association released a statement saying, "CMHA has no current association with Matthew Good and will not be working with him in the future."


Discography


with Matthew Good Band

* '' Last of the Ghetto Astronauts'' (1995) * ''
Raygun A raygun is a science-fiction directed-energy weapon usually with destructive effect.Jeff Prucher, '' Brave New Words: The Oxford Dictionary of Science Fiction,'' Oxford University Press, 2007, page 162 They have various names: ray gun, d ...
'' (1997) * '' Underdogs'' (1997) * '' Lo-Fi B-Sides'' (1998) * '' Beautiful Midnight'' (1999) * '' Loser Anthems: B-Sides & Rarities'' (2001) * ''
The Audio of Being ''The Audio Of Being'' is the fourth and final album by the Canadian rock group Matthew Good Band, released in 2001. It included two singles: "Carmelina" and "Anti-Pop". The album sold 73,000 units in Canada by March 2003 and was certified ...
'' (2001)


Solo

* ''
Avalanche An avalanche is a rapid flow of snow down a Grade (slope), slope, such as a hill or mountain. Avalanches can be triggered spontaneously, by factors such as increased precipitation or snowpack weakening, or by external means such as humans, othe ...
'' (2003) * '' White Light Rock & Roll Review'' (2004) * '' In a Coma: 1995–2005'' (2005) * '' Hospital Music'' (2007) * '' Live at Massey Hall'' (2008) * ''
Vancouver Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...
'' (2009) * '' Lights of Endangered Species'' (2011) * ''Old Fighters'' (2013) * '' Arrows of Desire'' (2013) * '' Chaotic Neutral'' (2015) * ''I Miss New Wave: Beautiful Midnight Revisited'' (2016) * '' Something Like a Storm'' (2017) * '' Moving Walls'' (2020)


Juno Awards

* Rock Album of the Year, ''Vancouver'', 2011 Juno Awards (Solo career) * Video of the Year, ''Weapon'', 2003 Juno Awards (Solo career) * Best Rock Album of the Year, ''Beautiful Midnight'', 2000 Juno Awards (with Matthew Good Band) * Best Group of the Year, Matthew Good Band, 2000 Juno Awards (with Matthew Good Band) Good did not attend any of the ceremonies where he won awards.


See also

*
Music of Canada The music of Canada reflects the diverse influences that have History of Canada, shaped the country. Indigenous Peoples, the Irish-Canadians, Irish, British, and the French have all made unique contributions to the musical Culture of Canada, herit ...
*
List of Canadian musicians A list is a set of discrete items of information collected and set forth in some format for utility, entertainment, or other purposes. A list may be memorialized in any number of ways, including existing only in the mind of the list-maker, bu ...


References


Further reading

*


External links

* *
Balancing mental health and genius Matthew Good at TEDx Toronto 2013

Near Fantastica, fansite
!-- Please note that this is a particularly prominent website, one that Matthew Good himself links to from time to time. As such, it is an acceptable link under WP:EL. Other fansites would be considered link spam. --> {{DEFAULTSORT:Good, Matthew 1971 births Living people Canadian activists Canadian alternative rock musicians Canadian male bloggers Canadian rock singers People from Burnaby People from Coquitlam People with bipolar disorder Musicians from British Columbia Juno Award for Video of the Year winners Juno Award for Rock Album of the Year winners 20th-century Canadian male singers 21st-century Canadian male singers Warner Music Group artists Universal Music Group artists Canadian male singer-songwriters 20th-century Canadian singer-songwriters 21st-century Canadian singer-songwriters