This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Matthew Good Band’s debut album, Last of the Ghetto Astronauts. Even though the Vancouver-area group was one of Canada’s most celebrated rock acts of the late ‘90s, the outfit’s titular frontman doesn’t speak about those early days with much fondness.
“In the beginning, it’s all tension,” the 44-year-old Good reflects. “If you can imagine one of those weekends when you’re young where you go out and do stuff, you get no sleep and you’re kind of operating in a parallel universe — that’s your life. When you’re a young musician and you’re working on things, you’re playing live, going on tour and playing anywhere, that’s what your life is like. Like you’re in a dream state.”
Good remembers those days as a non-stop blur of activity in which he would tour relentlessly, often working on writing songs the moment after he got off-stage. He was known for his bristly demeanour, struggled with depression and anxiety, and was eventually diagnosed with biopolar disorder during a stay in a psychiatric hospital in 2006. Good remembers his reaction to that initial diagnosis: “Well, that just explained the last 35 years of my life!”
These days, he spends his time very differently. With the band having dissolved back in 2002, Good moved to Maple Ridge with his family a few years ago. During this phone conversation with Westender, his young daughter can be heard in the background, and the songwriter has to briefly pause the conversation in order to start up a new episode of the kids’ show Blue’s Clues.
In addition to overhauling his personal life, Good has developed a more easygoing approach to music. During the recording sessions for his latest solo album, Chaotic Neutral, he allowed longtime producer Warne Livesey to take the reins. “Instead of sitting at the board while things are going down and being very involved and hovering like I usually do, I was just kicking back,” Good says. “I’d come in from getting a cup of coffee or something and he’d have drums and bass [already finished] and I’d be like, ‘Alright, good!’”
This relaxed studio experience translated into an album that channels the full emotional breadth of Good’s style. The cinematic alt-rock of opening cut “All You Sons and Daughters” evokes the cathartic muscle of his ‘90s hits, while the catchy chorus repetitions of “No Liars” make it an instant singalong, and cuts like “Tiger by the Tail” and “Cold Water” are graceful slow-burners that highlight his plaintive vibrato. This diversity of moods is reflected by Chaotic Neutral’s title, a Dungeons & Dragons term signifying characters with unpredictable personalities.
The 11-song LP also features a piano rock rendition of Kate Bush’s 1985 single “Cloudbusting”. When deciding to include this song on the record, Good had to overcome his trepidation at covering such a classic artist. He explains, “People in my circle heard it and were like, ‘Y’know what man, that’s not a bad bit you did there. I don’t think that necessarily crosses the line as being offensive.’ And I said, ‘Yeah, but it’s still Kate Bush. It’s sacrilege.’”
The humility and chattiness that Good displays when talking about the album shows how far he’s come since the tension of his early career. “It’s just a moment in time,” Good says in regards to Chaotic Neutral. “I make a record and it represents a moment in the span of my career. I’ll go on to make another record after this in a couple of years, and it will be what it will be. I kind of just take it as it comes.”
• Matthew Good plays the Vogue Theatre Nov. 13 and 14 with guest Scott Helman. Tickets $39.50-$55 at Ticketfly.com
