Biography
The brief alliance between multi-instrumentalist and singer Julie Matthews and singer-guitarist Pat Shaw brought together two established careers that continued to flourish independently. In 1995 their joint release Lies and Alibis earned a nomination for a British Country Music award, and their work alongside Kathleen and Rosalie Deighton, Kate Rusby, and Kathryn Roberts produced the album Intuition. Shaw, who grew up in Yorkshire, England, first took the stage in folk clubs during her late teens. Drawn to country and bluegrass, she launched her own roots-focused ensemble in the first months of 1995. Matthews, an Albion Band stalwart between 1990 and 1997, demonstrated equal command of piano, guitar, mandolin, bouzouki, and keyboards. Several of her compositions reached new audiences through Fairport Convention and Mary Black; the latter artist’s version of “Thorn Upon the Rose” climbed into the Top Ten in both Ireland and Japan.
Albums