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Matthew "Ted" Edwards is a UK-born singer and songwriter [1] and previously led the San Francisco-based pop group called The Music Lovers. [2] [3] [4]
Originally from Small Heath, [5] Birmingham, [6] England, [7] Edwards managed to go to university to study English Literature. [8] In 1991, Edwards left his hometown and relocated to San Francisco, [9] [10] California, where he worked as a compere in the city's premier 'variety' evening at The Mad Dog. [11]
Edwards' rock band The Hairdressers released the album 'Our Lives in Showbusiness' in 1999. [12]
While working as an MC, Edwards met bassist Jon Brooder and added Paul Comaskey on drums, completing the first lineup of the band. [13] In 2003, Edwards formed The Music Lovers for whom he was the singer, guitarist, and songwriter. [14] Between 2003 and 2009, Edwards released three albums [3] [8] and an EP on Le Grand Magistery Records out of Detroit, Michigan. [8] 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 Albert and David Maysles, Elliott Erwitt, and Alan Crawford. The records received much critical acclaim. Edwards dissolved the band in 2010.
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 Ladybug Transistor, Assemble Head in Sunburst Sound, and The Music Lovers. [15] It is said that Edwards' accompanying band, The Unfortunates, borrowed its name from the cult book by English writer B.S. Johnson. [4] [16]
In 2013, Edwards formed Matthew Edwards and the Unfortunates. The first Unfortunates album 'The Fates' (2013) was released by Last Tape Recordings (CA) [15] and was produced by Eric Drew Feldman (PJ Harvey, Captain Beefheart) who also contributed keyboards. It was recorded at Ex'pression in Emeryville, California. [17] The album featured Fred Frith on Guitar. [18] Also featuring on keyboards and vocals was Sasha Bell [16] from the group The Essex Green. 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 (Ian Button) in June 2017. [5] [8] Like its predecessor it included the contribution of Fred Frith (Robert Wyatt, Eno), and Dagmar Krause (Slapp Happy, Henry Cow). [19] The album was recorded and mixed by John A. Rivers [8] [20] [21] at Woodbine Street Recording Studio. [22]
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 album featured the contribution of Dagmar Krause. [1] The group also appeared with Robyn Hitchcock [7] and The Unthanks.
Edwards led the Unfortunates from 2013 to 2020 in San Francisco and England. [7]
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. [23] [24]
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