Singer-Songwriter Matthew Holtby shines on the new EP Yesterday.
Across the three-track EP, released via Pacifirecords, the singer-songwriter strips things back to their emotional core, offering listeners a quiet, unvarnished glimpse into his current creative headspace. Centred on live, off-the-floor recordings, performed solo at the microphone with nothing more than an acoustic guitar and the room itself. It’s a deliberate shift toward immediacy, capturing performances as they happen rather than polishing them into something pristine.
That rawness is by design. Holtby explains the project began almost accidentally, during a solitary evening at home. “I had the house to myself one evening, and decided to put up a couple of mics and just perform a handful of songs for the cats. After combing through the recordings, I thought they were a real raw representation of what I’m doing live lately, and decided to move one step further with them. I reached out to some friends who are exceptional at what they do, and this is the result.”
From there, the recordings grew organically. While the foundation remains Holtby alone at the mic, the EP is gently expanded by a circle of collaborators. Natalie Hughes contributes baby grand piano, Victoria Yeh adds violin, Andrew Ivens brings pedal steel, and Ira Quinsey layers mandolin and additional acoustic guitar. The finishing touches come from Juno Award–winning producer Rob DeBoer, whose subtle synth work and mixing help tie the project together without compromising its stripped-down spirit.
The recording process itself mirrors the EP’s homespun feel. Holtby moved between informal spaces, a friend’s living room, his own basement, even his backyard, before tracking strings at Treblecock Studios in Peterborough with producer Liam Boucher. DeBoer later assembled the pieces at his Warkworth studio, stitching together performances captured across these varied environments into a cohesive whole.
The result is a collection that feels deeply personal, almost voyeuristic in its closeness. Yesterday doesn’t demand attention so much as it invites it, rewarding quiet listening with its emotional resonance.
