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The
new owner of Wendy Matthews' heart stares lovingly at the
songstress, nuzzles her neck, then bounds around their one-bedroom
apartment in Sydney's Bondi.
"It sounds so ridiculous that a little joyous puppy can change your
life, but really she has", says Matthews as Bear, her tireless
ten-month-old, short-haired Border Collie, streaks back into the
kitchen. "I've a song out there at the moment called Beautiful
View which makes me think of her, but that's because she's the
love of my life at the moment".
Don't bother detecting any veiled bitterness in that statement: the
contentment that Canadian born Matthews exudes is as tangible as the
many exquisite DIY mosaic frames and tabletops, that colour her
incense-fragrant home. With the release of her sixth album Beautiful
View, the multi award winning crooner of such radio staples as "The
Day You Went Away" and "Standing Strong" leave no doubt that the
title of her latest effort is apt. "I've got my land in the country,
I've got my little place in town and I'm really pleased with this
record and I'm actually pleased that I'm getting older, which is a
huge weight off", chuckles the 40 year-old, who a year ago ended a
two year relationship with a boyfriend she declines to name. "I'm
not unhappy, I'm really loving this time of my life".
The
soul-searching that's reflected in Beautiful View, which
features more of Matthews' writing than past albums, began on the
heels of her last release, 1999's Best-Of collection Stepping
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"All of my life, best-ofs denoted the end of somebody",
says Matthews whose trademark brunette curls have been tamed into a
sleek new caramel 'do. "But then it made me think alright, a chapter
closed that was then, this is now, and it freed me up to do anything
I want to do.
And it really was a sense of levity and lightness, and so all these
songs started to come out for this record". It's an effort "a lot of
people will be surprised by", says its producer Michael Szumowski. "We didn't want people to think 'OK, another
typical Wendy Matthews record' and on that level we've definitely
achieved a goal."
As far as personal goals go, for Matthews, the 1998 purchase of 4ha
of rainforest on a North Coast mountain top, six hours drive from
Sydney, represented the culmination of a long-held dream.
"Years ago, even when I was 20, I thought if I turn 40 and I don't
have my land yet and I just have a whole closet full of clothes, I'm
going to be really p---ed off!" In 1999 she erected a traditional
Sioux tepee - the canvas structure has a 7m diameter, enough to put
a bed, sofa, dining table and central fire pit - on the site as
testimony to her love of native North American culture. "Growing up
in Canada, I always knew someone with a tepee," it's something
that's just magic for me". Recent reports have hinted that the
singers neighbour Russell Crowe was a mite enchanted himself - by
Matthews rather than her tepee, although he helped put it up the
first time. "I don't want to be counted among the people joining
the queue to pull out old photos and jump on that wagon," says
Matthews who won't elaborate, but admits to having shared a few
dinners and a couple of weekends at his farm early last year. She
describes the Oscar winner, whom she first met when he presented her
with an ARIA award in the early 90's as "a very gentle, very
thoughtful friend". Crowe has a spoken cameo on No Vacancy a
track on Beautiful View: "I wanted a low male voice, giving
me advice as a trusted confidant" she explains. "I thought 'Russell
is perfect', and called him. He said, if you make a donation to
Amnesty International, I'm there, and that was wonderful.
For the male who holds the mantle of the most important male in my
life, - to date, says the singer, look no further than her late
grandfather George: "the one person who taught me the things I still
use in life". Matthews, the middle child of art director Peter and
yoga teacher Joan, recalls singing at her grandpa's feet as he
played the harmonica. When she was growing up in Montreal, music
filled her world, to the chagrin of her brothers Glenn and Gary.
"When she was
very little, maybe 4 years old she just used to say, 'I'm gonna
sing' and she'd sing all the time" says Joan with a laugh. 'Her
brothers would yell "Shut up !- she's singing again" The little
warbler who recorded a song for sesame street, was also a budding
humanitarian. Joan recalls her 6 year old returning from school in
tears one day because a teacher had smacked a classmates hand with a
ruler. "She said " 'it makes me so, so sad and angry'. She has
always been extraordinarily sensitive to other people and their
feelings."
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At
16 the fledging blues singer, left home to bush her way from Canada
to Mexico. "I never ever, forgot that day", sighs Joan, "but she was
going to sing and that was all there was to it". Working as a
session signer in La for artists such as Cher and Donna Summer led
to an offer to accompany ex-Little River Band singer Glenn Shorrock
to Australia for his 1983 solo tour. Six weeks turned into a
lifelong stay.
Today, Wendy Matthews is 'wide open to new experiences" and a
silversmith course is on the cards for this art-and-crafty
performer. "Wends is ever-growing, intuitive and open to things:
capable of joy, a good laugh and a good adventure', says charity
trust creative director Honey Lea, her best friend of 25 years.
"She's free-flowing now, more expressive in her music and more
comfortable
with who she is". She's healthy, strong and happy". Joan seconds
that: "She's always been someone who can laugh so easily and so
beautifully, but there's a lot more laughter now when we talk".
Story:
Karina Machodo
Photos: David Anderson
Additional Photos: Wendy Matthews
© Who Magazine - May 28th 2001 |
