Matthew Good Band

1995–1996: Formation, Last of the Ghetto Astronauts

After beginning his music career as a folk musician, Matthew Good formed a three-piece rock band in 1995 composed of himself, drummer Ian Browne and bassist Geoff Lloyd. Dave Genn originally only recorded with the band as a paid session musician. The four recorded the band's debut full-length album, Last of the Ghetto Astronauts, releasing it independently in 1995, after which Genn officially joined the band. The band was not originally called "Matthew Good Band". In fact, the first 5000 copies of Last of the Ghetto Astronauts were just titled "MGB". After the album was released, "Alabama Motel Room" began to receive significant radio airplay, and people began requesting the song on radio and the album at retail stores calling the band, "Matthew Good Band". At the time, the band had been having conversations about the band's name, but the band then decided that they would be called "Matthew Good Band". Although initially popular only in the Vancouver area, the band received more exposure across Canada in 1996, with the singles "Alabama Motel Room" and "Symbolistic White Walls" becoming significant hits on radio and their music videos being played on MuchMusic. In December 1996, Matthew Good Band signed a two-album deal with Private Music.

1997–1999: Underdogs

In mid-January of 1997, on the first day of pre-production for their next album, the group was notified that BMG Entertainment North America was merging Private Music into Windham Hill/High Street Records, putting a halt to the production of the album. In mid-March, after negotiations, Windham Hill/High Street released the group from its contract.^[2] Good was paid what he was owed for the two albums, and the group then decided to record the new album regardless of label support, using the money received from the divorce of their contract with Windham Hill/High Street to fund it. The group then agreed to release the upcoming album under a distribution agreement with PolyGram Group Canada. After releasing the EP Raygun in May 1997, the band later that year released their second full-length album, Underdogs. The album was produced by Warne Livesey, who would go on to produce every full-length MGB album and most of Good's subsequent solo albums. The album spawned the singles "Everything Is Automatic", "Indestructible", "Apparitions" and "Rico", all which were hits in Canada. In late 1998, Geoff Lloyd left the band and was replaced by Rich Priske. On January 21, 1999, Underdogs was certified Platinum in Canada.

1999–2000: Beautiful Midnight

In September of 1999, the band released Beautiful Midnight.^[3] The album debuted at #1 on the Canadian Albums Chart and featured the hit singles "Hello Time Bomb", "Load Me Up" and "Strange Days". The album earned them two Juno awards in 2000, for Best Group and Best Rock Album. Good himself boycotted the Juno Awards, and guitarist Dave Genn has been quoted as saying that he only attends for the open bar. Beautiful Midnight became the band's best-selling album, being certified Double Platinum in Canada and selling over 300,000 copies by 2016.^[4] In 2000, the band's song "Running for Home" was featured in an episode of Higher Ground.

2000–2001: The Audio of Being

In 2000, the band began working on their next album. The album's creation came during a difficult period for Good. While he struggled to deal with the band's success, he was diagnosed with sarcoidosis, prompting him to temporarily quit smoking. Following throat surgery to remove a nodule from a vocal cord, Good stayed in a hotel for three weeks in Whistler to work on songs for the new album. Good wrote most of the album while unable to speak or sing. Good later wrote that he spent much of the time "trying to keep down food supplement bars, trying to forget the growing tension within the band, the high expectations of needing to produce 'hit songs' (whatever they are these days), throwing up, and trying to find some semblance of direction in my personal life". The band entered the studio in late 2000 to record the material. The sessions saw a great deal of intra-band turmoil. In February 2001, the band began a brief tour of the United States to promote the American release of Beautiful Midnight. In June 2001, the band released the EP, Loser Anthems, and followed it with what would be the band's final tour in the summer. In August 2001, Dave Genn quit the band,^[5] returning though four days later. The band released The Audio of Being on October 30, 2001.

Breakup

In November 2001, it was revealed that Genn had left the band again and Ian Browne had also left the band.^[6] Universal Music Canada later confirmed that the band had broken up. In March 2002, during his first interview after the breakup was confirmed, Good stated that the breakup was "a conscious effort on everybody's part".^[7] In a 2009 interview for The Ongoing History of New Music, Good stated that he decided the band was done after The Audio of Being was released, citing him no longer wanting to placate the needs of the other band members and no one wanting to tour the record as reasons.

2002–present: Aftermath

Since the breakup of Matthew Good Band, Good has pursued a successful solo career. Genn has been a member of the Canadian rock group 54-40 since 2003 and has written and produced for several artists. Priske continued as Good's bassist until 2005. Geoff Lloyd died in January, 2010.^[8] Good briefly reunited with Browne in 2011, with Browne drumming for Good on his Lights of Endangered Species tour.

In 2012, in response to a comment on a message board on Good's fansite, Good commented on the potential for a reunion of the Matthew Good Band.

"As for a band reunion – Ian and I joked about it on the last tour. I don’t think the problem is that Rich and Dave wouldn’t consider it were there substantial money to be made – I’ve never known two people more inclined to do things for money – but that there isn’t significant money to be made, nor, despite what some might believe, are there secret masses just waiting for it to happen that would pay through the nose for tickets en masse. First and foremost it would be a lie. Second, it would be nothing more than an obvious cash grab were there money to be made – and there isn’t. Lastly, I would have a very hard time seriously considering it without Geoff – and that’s an obvious impossibility now."