FOR his latest album, singer-songwriter Scott Matthews has continued with his self-sufficient approach to music.

Recorded in his ‘shedio’ at the bottom of his garden, ‘Home Part Two’ exhibits the production and engineering skills of the musician, as well as his song craft.

Although the album features a band, with whom Matthews has toured the songs already, his forthcoming tour will see him perform the songs solo, with just a guitar to accompany him.

Matthews said: “It is a good test of the songs to perform them on my own. If they stand up and have the same energy and the fans can still engage with it then that’s great.

“’Home Part Two’ is a very present sounding record. ‘Part One’ was grainy and coarse sounding but ‘Part Two’ feels like it is blossoming.

“Sonically, I wanted to create a very broad canvas this time around. ‘Part Two’ bears similarities with my debut album, ‘Passing Stranger’ in the sense that there has been a desire to return to the roots of where my musical seeds were planted. “It is almost like a need to rekindle a relationship with the artist I was 10 years ago but joining forces with the artist I am today.”

On the album Matthews uses his band to its full potential, layering the sounds of flugelhorns and sousaphones over the cello and double bass.

He added: “It is my most colourful record to date. The comparisons to my first album mean I have almost come full circle.”

Matthews’ debut album, ‘Passing Stranger’ earned him serious critical acclaim with its mix of folk, rock, blues and Eastern-inspired song-writing, and in 2007 his first single ‘Elusive’ won the Ivor Novello Award for ‘Best Song Musically and Lyrically’.

From here Scott went on to perform on anumber of international sell-out tours with respected artists such as Bert Jansch,Robert Plant and Alison Kraus, Foo Fighters, Rufus Wainwright and Tori Amos.

‘Home Part Two’ is released on Matthews’ own Shedio Records, and is available to purchase from his website scottmatthews.uk.

He will play his new solo acoustic show at the Brewery Arts Centre in Kendal on March 30.