A Personal Resonance
When Canadian -born singer Wendy Matthews isn't making music, she retreats to her tepee with a view in Northern NSW.

There is a look of contentment on singer Wendy Matthews' face these days. Although her fifth and most personal album, Beautiful View has just been released to the public, there are no signs of nerves or stress. Wendy's confidence as a singer and songwriter has grown. She is no longer vulnerable to, or fearful of criticism. She has found her place and she's revelling in it.
"I'm so pleased with everything I have in my life" says Wendy, whose previous hits include The Day You Went Away and Friday's Child. "I've got my place in the city, my land in the country, I'm in control... having everything I need right here has really changed thing for me. I'm more honest, more confident and my material reflects this"

While her talent and distinctive sound has made her one of the country's
most popular contemporary vocalists, Wendy's ability to maintain creative control has ensured she has pleased her toughest critic - herself. She says her responsibility for the album Beautiful View extends far beyond singing and writing. "This album is a breath of fresh air for me", says the multi-Aria winning artist.

"These days my songs resonate with me on a personal level. I've either written them, or they've touched me so much I've wanted to sing them right off the bat. Singing is my form of expression - I sing about life or unconditional love, so at the end of the day my work means something to me". It's for these reasons that Wendy's green-grey eyes narrow and her mouth forms a smirk when she discusses the overdose of manufactured music on today's charts. "I just don't get that whole new medium", she says. "There is such a huge desire for instant fame that the quality and the meaning behind the music is deteriorating. Manufactured music is so transient and full of air".

Wendy says when young fans approach her, they rarely want to know about the music or the long hard slog to the top, just the perks of being a 'celebrity'. "The first question they ask is how much money I make, what other famous people I know and whether I get to ride around in a limousine" , say Wendy who at 16 was busking across Canada with two friends. "It all moves way too fast. The marketers want that number one, and if they don't get it in five seconds they'll bring out another group and try it with them. It's sad because at the end of the day you are just a puppet." 
"I am proud that after five albums I have remained true to myself. I'm not going into the studio and whacking a vocal onto something I haven't been a part of". It's my name on the cover and it's hugely important for me to connect with it".

Wendy's raw honesty and passion for keeping the spirit of the music alive is not surprising. Her peer describe her as intelligent, well-read and despite an intense stage presence, extremely funny. Unlike many industry types, Wendy is rarely spotted strutting the red carpet at premiers, or gracing the social pages of national newspapers or magazines.

In her spare time, she would rather escape to her 10acre property on the North Coast with her Border Collie Bear. There is no flashy holiday house at her hideaway, just a majestic Sioux tepee, and fittingly, a Beautiful View. "I love my tepee", she says. "I haven't built on the property yet, but you just can't beat this sort of living. There's no phone, just a whopping bit firepit, a double bed and some Indian rugs". It sounds clichéd, but being out there gives me lots of time to think and get back to reality."

Canadian born Wendy attributes her love of conical living to her Canadian-Indian heritage.
And while she fells a strong connection to her birthplace, she admits a recent trip back made her realise she is now very much Australian.

Wendy describes her journey to Canada, where she featured on an Eden Gaha documentary, on prominent Australians from other countries, as a pilgrimage.

"We went climbing in the mountains, visited the clubs that I used to sing in and surprised my younger brother," says Wendy who became an Australian citizen in 1995. "I have one parent on the west coast and one on the east coast, so we went all over. It was strange going from the pioneer-like west coast to Montreal, which is like a mini-Manhattan. It's all so different now, and being there made me realise just how Australian I am".

Story - Amy Mills
© Gold Coast Bulletin
3rd July 2001