Album Notes

Matt Backer was born in Louisiana USA in a log cabin he helped build.
His parents were members of the jetset, living in Mexico,Venezuela, Belgium, The Carribean, and England. They lost him in transit at Miami airport and he was raised by friendly groundstaff.

Matt's university studies in England and the USA prepared him for the life of an urban guerilla, but he couldn't spell that so he became a guitarist instead and over the years has played with many artists including Matthew Sweet, ABC, Steve Earle, Joe Cocker, Sinead O'Conner, Aimee Mann, Swing Out Sister, Emylou Harris and Julian Lennon.

Matt is currently recording his 2nd album and plays in England and the USA regularly.

Review of 'Is That All' by Chris Ingham in Mojo Feb 2002

The Axe For Hire Has His Own Album To Do!

Having had his resourceful 6 string grace the work of everyone from Sinead O'Conner and Matthew Sweet to Steve Earle and Shirley Bassey, Backer steps centre stage with a janglesome rock record full of wise chunky guitar and the sort of of songs that can only come with experience and a massive record collection. The lyrics reflect a certain midlife ennui, if not panic (Golden Boy, Is That All?, Landlocked all drip with disappointment that will ring bells with forty -somethings everywhere), but the vitality and sheer depth of Backer's facility provide the neccesary uplift. Shame he didn't believe in his singing enough to really let rip, but there are a couple of songs here (the defiant, tremendous Fountain Of Youth and classic Americano pop of Everything Is Not Enough) that in the throat of a grizzled pissed off old legend would be magnificent.