Following
a successful 5-year stint touring pubs, clubs, and concert
halls across the province of Ontario, Urban
Folk disbanded in March of 2003. The full-length
studio album, Scarlet Ground,
followed their first release, the self-titled debut EP featuring
the track 'That's My Home', penned by the group's guitarist
Matt Humphreys. "We wanted to recreate the folk
music we grew up listening to," says Matt "and give
it our own modern twist – what we like to call Urban
Folk." Scarlet Ground
features 9 selections, 5 of which are original compositions
by Matt. His brother Beau Humphreys played keyboards,
percussion, and sang on most of the tracks, "So much
was going on – people couldn't believe I was doing it
all at once – and we were young guys, and we knew all
their favourite songs... it was fantastic to be on stage and
feel that energy."
Urban
Folk played over 350 shows in venues from Thunder
Bay to Ottawa to Windsor. Throughout their career, the boys
were full-time students: Beau was studying Business and Accounting
at UWO (London) and Matt was studying Music at UofT (Toronto).
"Matt and Beau were playing all the time – and
they STILL did well at University and finished their degrees,"
says their mother Mollie, "I'm a proud mom."
Armed
with only an acoustic guitar, Matt continued the Urban
Folk
vibe on his own after the group disbanded. "It was tough
playing up there on stage without Beau," says Matt, "but
he was always there in the audience egging me on." Matt
plays solo/acoustic shows across the province, and also brings
in a band for larger venues. Beau, on the other hand, is
an
accounting coordinator for Maple Leafs Sports and
Entertainment in Toronto. "I'm doing
it for the glory",
chuckles Beau "I might get back into music sometime
soon."
And so we all hope.
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