Eric Matthews

The Profile

Eric Matthews is an American songwriter, trumpeter, and multi-instrumentalist known for ornate baroque/chamber pop. After co-founding Cardinal with Richard Davies, he released solo albums including It’s Heavy in Here (1995) and The Lateness of the Hour (1997), followed by later records and EPs.

Conservatory graduate; trumpeter and multi-instrumentalist; co-author/arranger of Cardinal’s 1994 debut with Richard Davies; recognized for breathy vocals and meticulous, orchestral arrangements.

One glowing review praises Eric Matthews’s The Lateness of the Hour and frames him as a cult, arrangement-savvy songwriter with a breathy voice and orchestral flair. The piece highlights his Cardinal origins, key solo records, and meticulous, chamber-pop sensibility. It emphasizes variety, craft, and under-the-radar status.