Iain started as Ian, the male singer in Britain’s Fairport Convention in the late ’60s, but quickly left that band to start a couple more and then move to the US for a lengthy solo career. He has in total released close to 50 albums, including many collaborations.

We discus the title track from How Much Is Enough (2024), the title track from God Looked Down (1996), and “Road to Ronderlin” by Matthews Southern Comfort from Later That Same Year (1970). End song: “St. Theresa’s Ghost” by Ian Matthews and the Searing Quartet, from Joy Mining (2008). Intro: “Book Song” by Fairport Convention from What We Did on Our Holidays (1969), which was co-written with my previous guest Richard Thompson. Learn more at iainmatthews.nl.

Hear all of “Book Song.” Hear “If You See Thro’ My Eyes,” a central early solo tune (that also features a harmony with Fairport’s Sandy Denny); this is also the title of Iain’s 2018 memoir. Listen to the big single by Plainsong, “in Search of Amelia Earhart.” (1972). Here’s one of the tunes he made with Michael Nesmith shortly after moving to America in 1973. Here’s the Baker’s Dozen 2017 duo version of “God Looked Down.” Here’s that later (2013) re-working of Matthews Southern Comfort’s “Road to Ronderlin” that Iain refers to, and here they are playing it live.

Watch Iain live with BJ Baartmans. Here he is solo. Here he is live with The Salmon Smokers. Watch Iain’s band live in 1983, and in 1994. Here he is live with Richard Thompson playing their biggest hit together, “Woodstock” by Joni Mitchell. Watch Fairport Convention live in their initial (pre-Sandy Denny) configuration.

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