A Brief History
Matt had been involved with bands since high school. His main band, Cone Five, came to be known around Winnipeg from their frequent live shows, and also on college radio. Kevin was/is involved with UMFM, where he has served since 1998 as a DJ. He was also Music Director for several years, and was very familiar with Cone Five's music.
A mutual admiration society of sorts had begun without the two having even met each other, as Matt was a frequent listener to Kevin's Thursday night radio show. The ever-personable Matt introduced himself to Kevin one night at a concert, and a firm friendship developed.
Both gentlemen had extremely varied taste in music, running the gamut from classical to punk, traditional British folk to extreme noise. Kevin, having long desired to record something involving diverse and interesting instrumentation, and having recently seen Matt perform an acoustic show (which was, to say the least, in bizarre contrast from the high-decibel Cone Five shows), made the suggestion that a rewarding collaboration might ensue.
And so it has.
Mr. Pine was born - in some ways an ongoing recording experiment, in others a desire to create a timeless music incorporating folkish elements, hazy mysticism, demented maypole dances, and fractured poetry. Mr. Pine was always going to be an exploration into melodic realms, but we have not forgotten our love of the avant-garde - it will certainly creep in from time to time.
Under the aegis of Ryan McVeigh and his expert production abilities, we have enbarked. Who knows what happens next.