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Following a successful 5-year stint touring pubs, clubs, and concert halls across the province of Ontario, Urban Folk disbanded in March of 2003. The full-length studio album, Scarlet Ground, followed their first release, the self-titled debut EP featuring the track 'That's My Home', penned by the group's guitarist Matt Humphreys. "We wanted to recreate the folk music we grew up listening to," says Matt "and give it our own modern twist – what we like to call Urban Folk." Scarlet Ground features 9 selections, 5 of which are original compositions by Matt. His brother Beau Humphreys played keyboards, percussion, and sang on most of the tracks, "So much was going on – people couldn't believe I was doing it all at once – and we were young guys, and we knew all their favourite songs... it was fantastic to be on stage and feel that energy."
Urban Folk played over 350 shows in venues from Thunder Bay to Ottawa to Windsor. Throughout their career, the boys were full-time students: Beau was studying Business and Accounting at UWO (London) and Matt was studying Music at UofT (Toronto). "Matt and Beau were playing all the time – and they STILL did well at University and finished their degrees," says their mother Mollie, "I'm a proud mom."
Armed with only an acoustic guitar, Matt continued the Urban Folk vibe on his own after the group disbanded. "It was tough playing up there on stage without Beau," says Matt, "but he was always there in the audience egging me on." Matt plays solo/acoustic shows across the province, and also brings in a band for larger venues. Beau, on the other hand, is an accounting coordinator for Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment in Toronto. "I'm doing it for the glory", chuckles Beau "I might get back into music sometime soon." And so we all hope.
