The Matinee is a six-piece roots rock band formed in Vancouver, Canada in 2007. The band was formed by longtime friends Matt Layzell on lead vocals, guitarist and pedal steel player Matt Rose, bassist/banjo player Mike Young, his brother Dave Young on keyboards and mandolin, drummer Pete Lemmon, and guitarist/vocalist Geoff Petrie.
The group quickly began their career with a heavy focus on touring, playing grueling shows early on with very little support or exposure. They self-released a very low-key, full-length album on their own
Blue Collar Records imprint in 2007, followed by a self-titled EP two years later. In 2011, the group placed third in the Peak Performance Project, a contest held by Vancouver radio station 100.5 The Peak, earning a considerable amount of money to put toward the recording of their first proper debut album. The band worked at a casual pace on the album with producers
Steve Berlin (a member of
Los Lobos whose production credits included
R.E.M. and
the Tragically Hip), as well as Steve Bays, frontman for indie outfit
Hot Hot Heat. The resultant full-length, We Swore We’d See the Sunrise, was released on
Light Organ Records in early 2013 and the band toured in its support. ~ Fred Thomas, Rovi