[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_single_image image=”4110″ alignment=”center” img_link_target=”_self” img_size=”1144×400″ border_color=”grey”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]Letting the cat out of the bag…[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]”In 1960, the nephew of legendary Canadian author Robertson Davies married Neil Young‘s cousin…and then they had a baby and they named him Matthew. Well, Matthew Davies is all grown up, and as you would expect, given his pedigree, he is making his own contribution to the Canadian cultural scene…having written and composed soundtracks for television and jingles for radio at his recording studio for many years, Davies has now put himself into the spotlight, turning his love of music into a band and a new record…Monkey Fightin’ Snakes!” Gill Deacon on CBC’s Here And Now, February 2014[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Matthew Davies has been around music and writing his whole life, starting to play at 5, writing his first song at 8, and joining his first band at 11. In 1976 his parents divorce sent him to live in California. In 1981 he returned to Canada, dropped out of high school, and began playing around Toronto in bars and seedy dives. “I never once played the ‘family connection card’ to try and get a gig” he said recently. “I would rather make it on my own merits”. After a couple of years of starving, Matthew went to college as a recording engineer. “I figured that at least I’d be around music that way, and it might lead to other things”. His hunch paid off when he was working as an audio engineer for television and film. “I was mixing an independent feature film, and there was a scene that really needed some music, but the composer hadn’t written any, so I did. When the producer came to our session, I played him the scene with the new score and he loved it. He asked if we could get the rights and I said ‘I have the rights…I wrote it’ and I’ve been writing music for a living pretty much since then.” Matthew Davies has never had a lesson, nor does he read music…it’s all in his Monkey Fightin’ ears.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]Forming The Band…[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Monkey Fightin’ Snakes was formed in 2011 when Matthew Davies and Dave Stoyles started jamming. “I had been going through a really fertile period of song writing, and wanted to start working out the songs with some fresh ears… Dave is the nicest guy and although he didn’t play bass, he was so musical, and I knew we had something. Plus, he really liked single malt scotch, so…” Dave had in fact been playing many different instruments for years…button box accordion, souzaphone, trombone, guitar and had even been the leader of the marching band at the University Of Western Ontario. Dave and Matthew played regularly for about 2 years, when by some grand design, they met drummer Darren Atkinson.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Darren, like Matthew and Dave, is a father, and had been arranging a play date for his and Matthew’s 6 year old sons. When Matthew’s wife Ginette met Darren, she said “Matthew, You’ve got to meet this guy.” Darren was the perfect fit, with his love of Bonham, Ringo, Nigel Olsson, and most notably, Keith Moon, he had the sound the duo had been after. In fact, there is a legendary, corroborated story of a young Darren playing the drums on Roger Daltrey’s lawn at 7 AM in an attempt to join The Who during the late 80’s. A seasoned professional, Darren put the back beat into the sound and, after watching the TV edit of “Snakes On A Plane”, Monkey Fightin’ Snakes was born. The boys met with Multi – Juno Award winning producer Michael Philip and decided to make “an old school Rock record” – live off the floor through an old Neve console to 2′ tape…guitar solos and lead vocals as part of the take. “Finish What You Star” was completed in 2014. Look out for a formal release with vinyl in early 2015.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]