Kevin Mathews
| Kevin Mathews | |
|---|---|
| Born | 15 February 1961 |
| Origin | Singapore |
| Genres | Pop-rock |
| Occupation(s) | Singer |
| Instruments | Vocals, guitar, keyboards |
| Years active | 1990–present |
| Labels | KAMCO Music |
| Associated acts | Watchmen Popland The Groovy People |
| Website | Power of Pop |
Kevin Mathews (born 15 February 1961) is a Singaporean singer-songwriter and film music composer.
Mathews formed The Watchmen in 1989 with his Anglo Chinese School classmates Tony and James Makarome. Originally a five-man band called The Hornets, The Watchmen put out three independent releases in the early 1990s, Who Watches the Watchmen, Industry & Commerce and the acclaimed This Savage Garden. This garnered the trio an invitation from BigO magazine to contribute to their New School Rock III CD in 1993. The Watchmen contributed two songs, "Please Believe Me" and "Orchard Road", which went on to become a radio favourite. New School Rock III was nominated by 987FM for the Best Local Album of 1993.
In May 1993, The Watchmen contributed the song "The High Cost Of Living" to BigO's Death Valley 92328 CD. This protest song gained attention for its local content and topical issues, which led music critic Chris Ho to describe Mathews as "the first protest singer to be recognized as such in Singaporean pop this decade."
Odyssey Music, a local distributor, decided to sign The Watchmen to a two-year contract, and in August 1993, The Watchmen released their debut album Democracy. A track from the album, "My One and Only", became a radio hit, garnering pole position on the Radio Heart Top Ten and the number three spot on the 987FM Perfect Ten.Democracy sold more than 1,000 copies, and BigO readers voted for it as the Best Local Album of 1993.
To cash in on the public's apparent infatuation with Mathews' balladeering, Odyssey Music persuaded Mathews to rush-release an EP of songs about love – called Love – in time for Valentine's Day. A track from the EP, "I Love Singapore", was later included on the Mee Pok Man movie soundtrack, with Mathews going under the nom de plume of "The Crowd".
In April 1994, Mathews' Watchmen bandmates Tony and James Makarome wrote an open letter to the press accusing him of failing to acknowledge their contributions. In particular, they were especially disappointed with his public remark that he had "got rid" of his bandmates, saying he had "accidentally dropped them into the Indian Ocean". Mathews denied this and the band broke up soon after, with Mathews announcing that he was going solo.
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