Songwriter Keith looks back on life in Wick as he launches first solo album
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
A SINGER and guitarist who originally hails from Wick has brought together some of the best musical talent in Scotland for his newly released debut solo album.
Keith Matheson, now based in Edinburgh and in his mid-50s, says that "good things come to those who wait".
He describes the album, called Kekker, as "a highly personal collection of songs that illustrate the power of reflection".
From a very young age all he wanted to be was a pop star and he played with bands around the pubs and clubs of Wick and Thurso in the 1970s and early ’80s.
"When I was wee, when glam rock kicked off, I just wanted to be Gerry Shephard from the Glitter Band who had a star-shaped guitar," he said.
Keith fondly recalls playing cardboard guitars with his pals to the sounds of the '70s such as The Sweet's Teenage Rampage and other glam hits.
In his final years at Wick High School he started playing real guitars and did "bits and bobs" with a variety of local bands such as Helter Skelter, Ministry of Dance, the Sirens, the Rocking Princes and even a punk band when he filled in for an absent member for a Thurso gig.
Keith's mum and dad, Doris and Alex, moved from Wick to Glenrothes to be nearer family members. He says that despite being many miles away from Wick his fondness for the "salty air of the sea" has never left him.
"I'm down at the water a lot here and to just get that smell of the sea takes me back to when I used to walk around the North Head or over at the Trinkie."
Keith describes himself as "a bit of a romantic" and revels in nostalgic memories of how his whole world growing up was encompassed within a three-and-a-half-minute walk from his parents' house on the north side of town.
He moved from Wick to Dundee at the age of 21 and, finding himself in the city at an exciting time for music, formed Big Blue 72 and started to find his feet as a songwriter and performer.
He then teamed up with Kit Clark who had recently left Danny Wilson to form Swiss Family Orbison, who were championed by John Peel for their first album and toured extensively, both as headline and as support to Teenage Fanclub and the Saw Doctors.
When Swiss disbanded his next move was to join Davie Scott as guitarist with the Pearlfishers.
It has been 16 years since Keith recorded, and apart from infrequent Swiss Family Orbison reunion gigs he has stayed away from performing.
Now, for his first solo album, he has been reunited with former Swiss bandmates Gregor Philp and Dougie Vipond (both of Deacon Blue), Ged Grimes (ex-Danny Wilson and now Simple Minds) and, from the younger generation of Dundee musical talent, Andrew Mitchell (SAY Award shortlisted).
The album was recorded in Magic Box, Dundee.
Keith said: “Can you imagine trying to get a line-up together like that for a tour?
"I was delighted that they were all so keen to play on the record and all seemed to get something different from playing on it. I might do a few solo acoustic gigs but there will be no major touring.
“For me it was about bringing these songs together and making a record that talks to people about these experiences that we all think are so personal but are absolutely universal.”
Kekker Greatest Hits Volumes 1 and 2 is available to preorder on Bandcamp hosting service at kekker.bandcamp.com as a digital download and a limited edition 12-inch vinyl.
