Leaving The Beautiful Girls Behind

By Dan Hutton on August 18, 2011 in Arts

Best known as the frontman of Northern Beaches based roots outfit The Beautiful Girls, Mat McHugh has left the band behind and taken off on a global adventure alone, not so much reinventing himself as he is rediscovering.

In between travels McHugh has also been spending some time in the studio laying down his solo EP, Go Don’t Stop, and now he’s back on the road sharing it with the world. His travels will see him land in Sydney on August 20 for a big show at the Oxford Art Factory.

During the month The Beast caught up with the man in question…

Mat McHugh in a sentence is… Just another human being.

First memory of music… Laying on the floor listening to records with my dad.

First album you bought… Papa Abraham and the Smurfs – Pink Toothbrush, Blue Toothbrush.

Song that gives you goosebumps… John Coltrane – Acknowledgement.

Fave driving album/s… Serge Gainsbourg – Histoire de Melody Nelson.

A Mat McHugh highlight… The birth of my son.

If you could pick a supergroup its members would be… King Tubby (front of house), Thelonius Monk (keys), Miles Davis and John Coltane (horns), Hendrix (guitar), Sly and Robbie (bass and drums), Frank Sinatra (vocals), Biggie Smalls (MC).

Sydney bands giving you the good tingles at the moment… I don’t get to see/hear many because I’m always overseas. I’m unqualified and I would be just making shit up.

Fave Sydney venue… The Metro – not too big, not too small, good sound and I’ve seen some of my favourite shows there over the years.

Band or genre that gives you an ice-cream headache… Pseudo-80s anthemic synthesizer music with guys with funny haircuts and tight clothes singing in falsetto voices. There is nothing about that I can relate to.

If you bowed to corporate sponsorship it would be to advertise… Apple.

Your dream bill for a night (Mat McHugh included of course)… Kyuss, King Tubby, Desmond Dekker, Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Jay Z, John Coltrane, Fiona Apple, Massive Attack, The White Stripes, Frank Sinatra, Roots Manuva, Miles Davis, Dusty Springfield, Run DMC, Johnny Osbourne and Michael Jackson.

What next for Mat McHugh… Hopefully more songs. More love.

Mat will be playing a solo show at the Oxford Art Factory on August 20. Tickets are $20 plus booking fee and are available from www.moshtix.com and www.oztix.com. Mat McHugh’s new EP, Go Don’t Stop, is out now. For more information visit www.matmchughmusic.com.