Matthew & Me at Rough Trade West

A small, yet eager bunch of listeners happily crams into the cosy confines of Rough Trade West on a sticky Saturday afternoon for the enticingly dreamy, acoustic pop sounds of Matthew & Me. Following the recent release of their EP MMXII, the cheery five-piece band offers a welcome escape from the trudging masses of the Portobello Road market only metres away.  

Kicking off with the up-tempo Modern Life led by the harmonic fusion of lead singer Matthew Board’s ethereal falsetto and Grace Billings’ sweet, almost angelic tones, it is immediately clear that this is a band that is blissfully comfortable on stage. Undoubtedly humble and visibly grateful for the simple pleasure of having a room full of listening ears, the relatively young Matthew & Me move from track to beautiful track with all the ease, grace and friendly repartee of the most seasoned performers.

Opening with the wholly fitting lyrics “you make my heart grow”, the ghostly Sinners asserts the hold this unassuming bunch from Totnes already have on their entranced little audience. Many a heart is most certainly growing as the band move on to the inherently crowd-pleasing Roots that sadly doesn’t feature on the new EP. There is an obvious mutter of disappointment as they announce their last track, the jangling, joyous arrangement that is Festival, marking the unwelcome end of a much too short set.

Shuffling unwillingly out the door of Rough Trade West is a crowd left wanting, not as a result of anything lacking from the performance, but rather from a unanimous desire for more. Matthew & Me provided a dreamy means of escape from the unprecedented heat and bustling chaos of the streets outside, made obvious by the almost serene smiles left on the faces of even the most hot and bothered audience members.

Kayla Clibborn

For further information and future events visit Matthew and Me’s website here.