Matthew Jay

Singer/songwriter Matthew Jay secured a recording contract prior to making his stage debut. Comparisons with British singer-songwriters such as Badly Drawn Boy and David Gray surfaced regularly once the U.K. label Food issued his EPs Four Songs and Friendly Fire, both of which drew notice from domestic journalists. Raised in a musical household in Abergavenny, South Wales, he absorbed his parents’ record collection of John Lennon, Led Zeppelin, and the Rolling Stones while also playing bass in the family band. Songs written and taped on cassettes in his bedroom later appeared on the EPs and on his debut album Draw, a release Capitol Records issued to strong reviews in 2001. The record quickly gained rotation on U.S. college stations. By blending acoustic guitar with electronic textures, Jay was grouped with David Gray, Badly Drawn Boy, and Beth Orton within a contemporary updating of folk-rock. Support slots for Dido, the Doves, Shelby Lynne, and Stereophonics expanded his audience beyond its initial following and brought additional critical recognition. On September 24, 2003, the 24-year-old fell seven stories from his apartment window in Nottingham, England.