ARD Matthews drops new album, one song at a time [VIDEO]

Some voices take you straight back – not just to a time, but to a feeling. For me, Ard Matthews is one of those.

I still remember one of the first times I saw him perform, sometime around 1997. It was a night at Alcazar, our local nightclub in Springs, and one of the only venues that ever drew proper live acts.

Hundreds of us, young and wide-eyed, packed into the room, starved of big-city buzz but armed with all the energy in the world. And possibly the biggest thirst too – because when the music’s good, nobody knows how to celebrate quite like a Springs crowd.

The minute the opening chords of “Shallow Waters” began, the place transformed. We sang like it was our own story, belting out “Father and Farther” and swaying to “Sugarman”. It was one of those rare shows that took a small town and made it feel limitless for a night, thanks to a storyteller who understood the magic of music and memory.

Fast forward nearly three decades, and Ard Matthews is still creating those moments.

A Slow, Soulful Return

I first noticed Ard’s new music release on Facebook – a simple post announcing another song, paired with a video clip that felt more like a moment captured than a piece of promotion. From there, it became clear something more immersive was happening.

His latest project, As It Should Be, isn’t being released the way most albums are these days. Instead of dropping all the tracks at once, Ard is sharing the music slowly, one song at a time, each accompanied by a cinematic video on YouTube and social platforms.

He’s also created a small members-only space on YouTube for listeners who want to experience the releases as they happen, with early access and behind-the-scenes glimpses into the making of the songs.

Even the visuals themselves are deeply personal: every video is shot, directed and edited by his fiancée, actress and creative collaborator Tanya van Graan. Filmed in natural light and real-life settings, the videos feel less like music videos and more like moments lifted from Ard’s own world.

A Song that Tugs at Something Old and New

Although I’ve enjoyed each of the songs Ard has shared so far, there’s something about “Back to the Water” that keeps pulling me back. It feels both familiar and unexpected, as if Ard is returning to the emotional waters he first waded into with Shallow Waters, but with the depth of someone who’s lived, loved, and learned along the way.

If you’d like a feel for the tone of the album, there’s a short 45-second teaser for “Back to the Water” here:

Listening to it, I hear echoes of Pink Floyd in the dreamy, reflective guitar work – gradually building into something hypnotic and cinematic. Ard has always been a skilled storyteller, but now it feels like he’s letting us all the way in.

There’s a sense of renewal in this project, a quiet confidence and emotional honesty in every note. And through it all, it’s still full of love.

ARD Matthews’ As It Should Be

In an age where music is often consumed and forgotten just as fast, Ard Matthews is inviting us to slow down, listen with intention, and reconnect – not only with the songs, but with ourselves.

With As It Should Be, he’s not just offering new music. He’s reminding us what it feels like to be moved by it again.

And maybe, just maybe, he’s inviting us to do the same in our own lives: to pause, return to what matters, and feel things as they are. To remember, as another song on the album puts it so simply, that “There Is Only Love.”

As it should be.