Wolverhampton singer Scott Matthews talks ahead of his new release

The Wolverhampton-based singer/songwriter is presently recording his sixth album, which is due for release in April, and hopes to record in a venue with stunning acoustics.

And rather than head to studios in London, Bath, Wales or Scotland – he wants to stay close to home and find a unique and bespoke environment in which to record. The idea is to capture the magic that Scott’s concerts create, where fans from around the UK find themselves spellbound by the mystery of his evocative, spine-tingling songs.

Scott became a huge success when he released the hit single Elusive, which was a BBC Radio favourite and earned him a tour with the Foo Fighters, a major recording deal with Island – home to U2, Bob Marley, Nick Drake and others – and won an Ivor Novello Award.

He has since released five albums – including his two most recent, Home Pt I and Home Pt II – and is embarking on a new record, which is yet to have an official title.

Scott says: “I’m writing at home and have a number of songs. I want to get to 15 or so, and whittle that down to 10. The idea for recording in a church came about because they have such brilliant acoustics. Recording in a unique environment, rather than a traditional studio, also adds a little magic to the performance. There’s something that happens when I play a concert, a feeling, or an energy, that the audience and I both feel. The idea is that by recording in a church with sensational acoustics, I can recreate that feeling and commit it to the record.”

The record will be released in spring 2018, with an accompanying tour. And Scott, one of the UK’s most revered and respected singer/songwriters, is finally recording a stripped-down album featuring only him and a guitar.

Fans are being given the chance to engage with the recording process by getting regular updates from the artist, through an organisation called Pledge Music.

Pledge Music gives performers who choose not to have a record deal the opportunity to work directly with fans – where they pre-order signed copies of the work, which helps to pay the upfront costs of recording.

Scott adds: “I founded my own record label – Shedio – which is based around the converted garden shed at the bottom of my garden. That’s the space where I usually record. The fan-funded model works really well because fans then get the chance to find out about the process while it is still on-going. They get regular updates, which might include messages from me, video updates – all sorts of things.

“Then, when the record is complete, they are the first to receive a signed copy of the new album, which is delivered to their door. It’s pretty simple for people to get involved. They just need to go online and search for Pledge Music, then search for Scott Matthews and all of the details appear.”

Scott says financing the project is not the most important part of Pledge. The thing that he enjoys best is having direct access to his fans.

“You might wake up one morning and there’ll be a message from someone in Paraguay who has just discovered the back catalogue, which is great. Or, alternatively, you might get a fan from somewhere in the UK who is really passionate about the music and can speak articulately about particular songs.

“That really fuels my fire. Having that direct link with the fans, where they can tell me what they think, is a massive boost. And that’s one of the things I’m looking forward to as I record my sixth album.”

Scott remains in the spotlight and was recently asked by the BBC to unveil a commemorative Blue Plaque at the former home of iconic British folk singer Nick Drake, who lived at Tanworth-In-Arden. Scott was happy to oblige and performed the ceremony alongside fellow singer/songwriter Simon Fowler, best known as frontman with Ocean Colour Scene.

“It was an enormous honour,” he says. “There have been a few highlights in my career: winning an Ivor Novello, presenting John Martyn with a Lifetime Achievement Award in a room full of people like John Martyn and so on. But being asked to unveil the plaque at Nick Drake’s home was remarkable. There were little rural paths that he would have walked along. It was easy to marvel at the things that would have gone on in his room, at the records that would have been delivered to his door and so on. It was a real privilege, a very special moment.”

Scott, an avid Wolverhampton Wanderers fans, is looking forward to being back on the road in spring – though eagle-eyed fans might get the chance to see him play a few unannounced shows before then, when he trials new songs.

“You can learn more from a three-minute soundcheck, or by playing a song at a gig, than you can by spending a year writing and refining a song. So I plan to road-test a few of the songs with a small number of gigs this autumn. The record will be finished by December, I’ll reflect for a little while and then it will be out in spring. I’m very excited to be finally recording a record that’s just me and a guitar. And, having released five albums already, I’m just thrilled to have the opportunity to record and release a sixth.”

l Fans who want to pre-order signed copies of Scott Scott’ new album can log onto Pledge Music to receive regular updates at: www.pledgemusic.com/projects/scott-matthews-studio-album-six