The Matinee

It’s been a decade since singer Matt Layzell and guitarist Matt Rose spent a few hazy days writing songs in a rustic cabin in Desolation Sound on British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast. Since then, The Matinée has evolved from its humble origins, navigating their own route, to become a powerhouse roots-rock band with a following spread across North America. Having spent years logging miles in the tour van and dropping sweat on stages near and far, the four-piece — which also includes drummer Peter Lemon and guitarist Geoff Petrie — is making its most electrifying statement yet with their sophomore album Dancing on Your Grave.

In 2013, the group signed to Light Organ Records and released its debut album, We Swore We’d See the Sunrise. Recorded at the prestigious Armoury Studios with Grammy award-winning producer Steve Berlin (The Tragically Hip, Los Lobos), the record’s salt-of-the-earth rock sound made a splash on radio across North America and earned the outfit a string of prominent festival bookings across Canada and the U.S.A.

In 2015, they linked up with Mounties members Steve Bays (Hot Hot Heat) and Ryan Dahle (Limblifter) who produced the 2015 EP Broken Arrows and helped to nurture the ensemble’s gritty rock influences. The result; the first single off the record, Temper Temper, hit #1 on the CBC Radio 3 national charts.