Scott Mathews

Scott Mathews started out as one half of Durocs (renowned ceramic artist <a href="spotify:artist:24xbP3qr0j54hFf9AGTjQA">Ron Nagle</a> was the other half), a Northern California new wave/power pop band that earned a U.S. cult following with their 1979 self-titled release; it was also a Top Ten record in parts of Europe. By then, Mathews had already caught the attention of the music industry and was getting work as a songwriter, arranger, and multi-instrumentalist (today he most frequently works as a producer). One of his first assignments was to produce <a href="spotify:artist:0JDkhL4rjiPNEp92jAgJnS">Roy Orbison</a> and "Pretty Woman" for a TV commercial; this was before rock in advertising was common practice. He's written songs for artists as diverse as <a href="spotify:artist:7jmTilWYlKOuavFfmQAcu6">Barbra Streisand</a> ("Superman") to <a href="spotify:artist:7zfhej6FnVXN9LIXs6dcoK">the Tubes</a>; he's produced retro-revivalists like surf-guitarist <a href="spotify:artist:6Ycrt8OjGSSFihsb0446eg">Dick Dale</a> and contemporary Americana, like the standard of the genre, <a href="spotify:artist:4Sld5LOPbAm1QSq9U32fFV">John Hiatt</a>'s Riding With the King. He's played thousands of sessions with everyone from <a href="spotify:artist:4KDyYWR7IpxZ7xrdYbKrqY">Bonnie Raitt</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:3oDbviiivRWhXwIE8hxkVV">the Beach Boys</a> to <a href="spotify:artist:08avsqaGIlK2x3i2Cu7rKH">Keith Richards</a> and he's participated in several Grammy (<a href="spotify:artist:4OrieSJUghNfNx5UuPCgxF">Robin Williams</a>, the <a href="spotify:artist:3oDbviiivRWhXwIE8hxkVV">Beach Boys</a>) and Oscar winning projects. His songs have been cut by <a href="spotify:artist:7jmTilWYlKOuavFfmQAcu6">Streisand</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:65Gh3BfK84aTIugiRCgLBA">Dave Edmunds</a> ("Closer to the Flame"), and <a href="spotify:artist:5PpcyAkdpuo9a08HiU6yfi">NRBQ</a>'s <a href="spotify:artist:2yrxgdT8hFpQtD0W0rgqSG">Al Anderson</a> (his songwriting partner), among many others in rock, pop, and blues. He's played with <a href="spotify:artist:6DbJi8AcN5ANdtvJcwBSw8">Ringo Starr</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:2BGRfQgtzikz1pzAD0kaEn">Elvis Costello</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:6PAt558ZEZl0DmdXlnjMgD">Eric Clapton</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:7bMi7pddqeilAI6V9LWZaW">Steve Miller</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:1CPwHx5lgVxv0rfcp7UXLx">Ry Cooder</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:46njgd2Rq9tZc4ZjeQMgbh">Boz Scaggs</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:4KDyYWR7IpxZ7xrdYbKrqY">Bonnie Raitt</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:44NX2ffIYHr6D4n7RaZF7A">Van Morrison</a>, among other legendary performers and 70+ members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Various projects he has worked on total more than 20 million units sold. Mathews continues to work as a Northern California-based producer; he owns and operates TikiTown Studios in Marin County. ~ Denise Sullivan, Rovi