http://www.viewmag.com/viewstory.php?storyid=7141

Hamilton Music Notes - OCT.1, 2009

By Ric Taylor

MATT PAXTON BRINGS IT BACK HOME

Matt Paxton’s first release on Drinking Cap Records “Hand Drawn Maps” introduced the young reticent singer/songwriter locally and to campus radio nationally but the musician had greater aspirations. When some local musical veterans began to take note, Paxton would slowly lose his reserve and start to build a network of like–minded musician friends and fans that would eventually snowball into his own label and an already critically lauded collection of songs. Back Home in the Village, recorded at Vibewrangler Studio with producers Michael Keire and Glen Marshall, showcases Paxton’s attention to detail in songwriting and a pensive, heartfelt approach to performance. This week, the Hamiltonian returns from a move to explore what the world outside Hamilton has to offer and he brings his official CD release party back home to the village where it all started.

“It was really cool for me to see and hear dudes like Tom Wilson, Bob Lanois, Marshall and Keire promote my songwriting,” recalls Paxton. “I look up to those guys a lot and appreciate their kind words and encouragement because it has certainly helped. Growing up in Hamilton has taught me a lot about hustling. I grew up listening to all of Tom Wilson’s projects and was inspired by his hard work. No one in this country hustles more successfully than Tom Wilson does. Tom Wilson taught me to completely throw myself into my passion and art. He told me nobody gives a shit about what you do more than you do. I dig that and will always remember that.”

Paxton’s taken the advice and grown up considerably in the last three years. He’s honed the songwriting and hustling skills and the Down By The Point collective/label of musicians, artists, and photographers he started is growing exponentially. While this winter Paxton will have songs featured on Country Music Television’s The Show and AuxTV’s Mastertracks, his main focus will be touring to let people know about this new collection of songs. But while he’s set to be on the road for quite some time, it’s Hamilton that will always be on his mind.

“We picked ten songs that seemed to have a certain thread,” muses Paxton. “I like to think of them as acts and scenes from the play called Back Home in the Village — all with introductions, reoccurring imagery, characters that haunt each track, and familiar settings. It is a pensive album that I had to complete and get off my chest. It’s all about experiences born right here in Hamilton. It paints days and nights spent in this city, some good, some bad and some in between. It is my way of documenting my time here in Hamilton. Most of this album was written when I was living downtown in Hess Village. The sounds and stories on the record were born in the doorway of that burnt down building on the corner of King and Hess.

With guests including Tim Gibbons, Bill Dillon, Carl Jennings, Tone Valcic and Aaron Goldstein and more, Back Home In The Village showcases both the full band as well as the solo voice and guitar versions of Paxton. For his homecoming, the show will have a small potential list of guest performers to keep the focus on the songs themselves.

“The album has been up on iTunes since January,” says Paxton. “I have been experimenting with digital distribution and figuring out what methods work best. But now I am ready to physically release the album the old fashioned way. From there I plan to tour, record another album and also put out Back Home in the Village on vinyl. I think those Bill Dillon licks off of the album will sound even better on your dusty old record player.
“For the CD release, I will be playing a very pensive set mostly solo with minimal accompaniment. I usually show up at events like this with my best men armed to the teeth but I decided to leave The Smoked Out City Band at the bar this time and truly focus on the storytelling that is the key to this album.

“I spend most of my time making my way back to Hamilton,” adds Paxton. “I did recently move to Toronto to pursue my passion in art, photography and design so that I can bring it all back home and tie that passion into operating Down By The Point Records and music. It was also about time for me to expand my songwriting outside of my hometown and gain inspiration from diverse cultures, while making a lot of new contacts. I am always coming back to Hamilton to hang where I feel most comfortable in the world.”

Matt Paxton plays this Thursday October 1 at the Casbah with Dylan Hudecki and Dan Delaplante. The doors for the licensed/all ages event open at 8pm and $10 gets you in with a copy of Paxton’s new CD. For more details click on

http://www.myspace.com/downbythepointrecords