BIO

“I desire to write songs that connect us with each other; songs that tap into our hopes and heartaches, our fears and passions, the things that make us vulnerable, the things that tell us we are alive. I see a dark and broken world in desperate need of mercy and compassion and I am compelled to create music that will draw us closer to grace, to each other and to our Creator. I am not a preacher – just a fellow-traveller on this fascinating ride …and I don’t mind being transparent.” Ali Matthews

Multi-award winning recording artist, Ali Matthews has been a performing songwriter since her teens and has built a strong following across Canada and beyond. She has released 5 critically acclaimed CD’s since 2000 on her independent music label, Shake-a-paw music. Her CD’s are distributed nationally through David C Cooke Distribution.

As a graduate of The University of Western Ontario, where she studied English and Drama, songwriting is her natural passion. Writing and performing on both piano and acoustic guitar, she blends mature and sensitive lyrics with evocative, compelling melodies. Ali’s songwriting and performing are highly respected in both the Christian and the mainstream music industry due to her accessible, honest lyrics and her ability to weave the “spiritual” into every day life experiences.

Matthews’ songwriting and recording have yielded an impressive collection of international awards. She holds the GMA (Gospel Music Association Canada) record as the artist with the most nominations ever in one year. (11 nominations in 2006) She has received 7 GMA Covenant awards and 19 nominations in 5 years. She was a winner in the 2006 International Songwriting Competition, The Canadian National Songwriting Competition, The Word Guild Canadian Writers Awards and she was named Woman of the Year in the City of Stratford for her outstanding contribution to the Arts.

On stage, Matthews has teamed up with co-producer and guitarist, Rick Francis creating a slick acoustic duo with a captivating sound. The stage show explores a wide range of musical styles including elements of folk, pop, rock, jazz and country. The duo has delivered over 600 performances in five years and on special occasions pulls out a seven-piece band of top-flight performers, fittingly called The Good China.