<\/p>\n
Some voices take you straight back \u2013 not just to a time, but to a feeling. For me, Ard Matthews<\/a> is one of those.<\/p>\n I still remember one of the first times I saw him perform, sometime around 1997. It was a night at Alcazar, our local nightclub in Springs, and one of the only venues that ever drew proper live acts.<\/p>\n Hundreds of us, young and wide-eyed, packed into the room, starved of big-city buzz but armed with all the energy in the world. And possibly the biggest thirst too \u2013 because when the music\u2019s good, nobody knows how to celebrate quite like a Springs crowd.<\/p>\n The minute the opening chords of \u201cShallow Waters\u201d began, the place transformed. We sang like it was our own story, belting out \u201cFather and Farther\u201d and swaying to \u201cSugarman\u201d. It was one of those rare shows that took a small town and made it feel limitless for a night, thanks to a storyteller who understood the magic of music and memory.<\/p>\n Fast forward nearly three decades, and Ard Matthews is still creating those moments.<\/p>\n I first noticed Ard\u2019s new music release on Facebook \u2013 a simple post announcing another song, paired with a video clip that felt more like a moment captured than a piece of promotion. From there, it became clear something more immersive was happening.<\/p>\n His latest project, As It Should Be<\/em>, isn\u2019t being released the way most albums are these days. Instead of dropping all the tracks at once, Ard is sharing the music slowly, one song at a time, each accompanied by a cinematic video on YouTube and social platforms.<\/p>\n He\u2019s also created a small members-only space on YouTube for listeners who want to experience the releases as they happen, with early access and behind-the-scenes glimpses into the making of the songs.<\/p>\n Even the visuals themselves are deeply personal: every video is shot, directed and edited by his fianc\u00e9e, actress and creative collaborator Tanya van Graan<\/strong>. Filmed in natural light and real-life settings, the videos feel less like music videos and more like moments lifted from Ard\u2019s own world.<\/p>\n Although I\u2019ve enjoyed each of the songs Ard has shared so far, there\u2019s something about \u201cBack to the Water\u201d that keeps pulling me back. It feels both familiar and unexpected, as if Ard is returning to the emotional waters he first waded into with Shallow Waters<\/em>, but with the depth of someone who\u2019s lived, loved, and learned along the way.<\/p>\n If you\u2019d like a feel for the tone of the album, there\u2019s a short 45-second teaser for \u201cBack to the Water\u201d<\/a><\/strong> here:<\/p>\n Listening to it, I hear echoes of Pink Floyd<\/em> in the dreamy, reflective guitar work \u2013 gradually building into something hypnotic and cinematic. Ard has always been a skilled storyteller,<\/a> but now it feels like he\u2019s letting us all the way in.<\/p>\n There\u2019s a sense of renewal in this project, a quiet confidence and emotional honesty in every note. And through it all, it\u2019s still full of love.<\/p>\n In an age where music is often consumed and forgotten just as fast, Ard Matthews is inviting us to slow down, listen with intention, and reconnect \u2013 not only with the songs, but with ourselves.<\/p>\nA Slow, Soulful Return<\/h2>\n
A Song that Tugs at Something Old and New<\/h2>\n
ARD Matthews\u2019 As It Should Be<\/h2>\n