Beren Matthews is a UK guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and producer. Having grown up musically on a diet of nu-metal and punk, he earned his professional spurs playing in covers bands, finally forming a power trio playing all original material in 2011. That band evolved into Grip-Like Vice, a dynamic four-piece who play high energy, original art pop.
Beren’s musical influences include XTC, They Might Be Giants, The Beatles, Prince, Everything Everything, Elliot Smith and Elvis Costello. His guitar skills can be heard on the album Star Clocks by UK 'intelligent pop' wizards Dave Stewart & Barbara Gaskin (www.davebarb.com), with whom he played concerts in Tokyo and London (the latter with Gavin Harrison on drums) in autumn 2018. Beren rejoined Dave & Barbara for Tokyo gigs in 2019 and is set to appear at the duo's Kings Place London concert in July 2021. In addition to writing, performing and feverishly studying the frets at the upper end of his guitar neck, Beren operates The Cave Rehearsal & Recording Studio in SE Cornwall, a creative hub which offers a friendly welcome and affordable recording facilities to musicians.
Dave Stewart & Barbara Gaskin's stellar album Star Clocks features Barbara on vocals, Dave on keyboards, Beren Matthews on guitar and master drummer Gavin Harrison.
Grip-Like Vice's new album Place//Circumstance is due for release later this year.