Matt Mays & El Torpedo

On the most basic level, Matt Mays & El Torpedo is Matt Mays (guitar, vocals), Rob Crowell (keys, vocals), Jay Smith (guitar, vocals), Tim Baker (drums) and Andy Patil (bass, vocals). From the first listen though, it’s obvious that there is more to the band than just five members.

Born out of the release of Matt Mays’ debut solo album (Matt Mays Sonic Records 2002), El Torpedo began playing a steady line up of shows in their native Nova Scotia. Flooring audience after audience in crowded bars around the province, the band quickly proved them selves to be one of the premiere live acts in the area.

Skip forward three years and that claim can be extended to the entire country. Through playing a series of national tours with artists such as Sam Roberts and Blue Rodeo, MM&ET have spread their own gospel, converting people of all ages into devoted fans.

With Patil and Baker’s driving rhythms pushing the squalls of Murphy and Mays’ dual guitar attack, the band’s sound is a soulful eruption of roots rock, mixing the likes of early Bruce Springsteen,Tom Petty,George Thorogood,and Steve Earle. While talent stands as the band’s backbone, MM&ET posses that indefinable element that carries a band’s music beyond the sum of its’ parts. “It’s one of those things that you couldn’t really construct with anyone,” claims Mays’ of the band’s chemistry. “It’s a really natural solidification in music of four friends who like, listen to and laugh at all the same things.”

The group has skillfully captured this unity on their self titled album, released on Sonic Records. Recorded between the The Sonic Temple and Ultramagnetic Recording in Halifax, the album was produced by Grammy award winner Don Smith (Tom Petty, U2, Keith Richards, Bob Dylan, and The Traveling Wilburys). “He was all about the vibe we had,” says Mays of the famed producer. “If a take had a lot of mojo and some mistakes, we’d keep that one over a perfect take.”

Highlighting Mays’ introspective songwriting and the dynamic power of the band’s performances, Matt Mays & El Torpedo features fourteen stirring songs full of endless highways and broken hearts. From the mournful strums of “Lost Souls” to the epic chorus of “Travelin’”, each track thrives with a unique perspective and point of view. The disc also features several guest performances that include Kathleen Edwards (“The Plan”), Kate Maki (“Cocaine Cowgirl” and “St. George's Lane”) and Dale Murray (“Good People”).

The album’s first single “Cocaine Cowgirl” was the #1 most added rock song in Canada in its’ first week of play. Shot in the desert outside LA, the video for the song was directed by Wendy Morgan (Sloan, Stars, The Unicorns, The Dears). The second single from the album, “On The Hood”, has recently been released to both radio and television. Again directed by Wendy Morgan, the video was shot near Matt’s home in Hubbards, NS.

So, as Matt Mays & El Torpedo prepare to expand their acclaim with tours in the US & UK, one thing is for certain; whether it be mojo, kismit, or simple chemistry that is at the band’s core, in the end it’s just good old rock n’ roll, and really, what else matters?