Throughout the past couple of months, the UK album charts were dominated by the latest release by folk punk singer Frank Turner, whose album ‘FTHC’ went straight to the top of the pile and stayed there for nearly 10 weeks.

Not only was the album, written and recorded during the lock down, a personal triumph for the man behind the songs, it was also a highly significant feather in the cap for the Derbyshire-based music producer Matt Taylor who helped record and craft the album into the finished product.

Matt was born in Douglas and left, aged just 16, to attend various colleges in the UK, studying first BTEC in music technology at Glossopdale Community College, followed by studying for a BA (Hons) degree from the prestigious Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts, before settling down and working as the in-house engineer at the ARC Studios where, to the quirk of fate that was Covid, he ended up recording Frank’s album and liaising with US producer Rich Costey.

However, as Matt himself said, if it hadn’t been for the help and support and, more importantly, the belief shown in him by certain people in his younger teenage years on the Isle of Man, the only place he was destined to end up was in jail.

Matt grew up in the Manx care home system and frequently found himself on the wrong side of the law, running a little wild on the streets of Douglas.

‘However, he said that he was encouraged to follow up his love of music and try to turn it into a career, something which he did successfully.

‘When I was 15 or so, and growing up in a care home, I was fortunate to have a really wonderful social worker, called Julie Mellor, working with me,’ said Matt.

‘I have to say, I wasn’t a saint and was always running against the police for one reason or another.

‘I had just picked up the guitar and started to learn how to play, and Julie really encouraged me to find out more about possibly finding a career in music. She helped me find out about opportunities and courses, and ultimately helped me enrol in my BTEC course, which really set me on my way.

‘She was a wonderful odd-ball social worker who looked at things a little differently and had the ability to see things from different perspectives.

‘Also, I was very lucky to have certain people around me who were able to see things in me that were worth something, that maybe I couldn’t see myself.

‘I went to St Ninian’s School, but was excluded when I was 14. Thankfully, a teacher allowed me back in to do my GCSEs.

‘He’s another person who gave me that bit of belief when others wouldn’t, that helped make the difference in my life.

‘I carried on playing and was helped by a great guy called Jimmy Gillespie, who was a care worker at the time. He was also a musician and gave me a lot of help and advice about working in the music industry.

‘I played on stage a few times around 2008, at events like the Laxey Blues festival, and was I was also put on the bill at the 2008 Guitarfest, in the gardens of the Villa Marina by the late Jonno Gollow.

‘From there I have been very fortunate to find opportunities and been able to progress.

‘I started as a studio assistant at a local studio, making people cups of tea and helping to set up mic stands, help with setting up instruments and things like that, and gradually people get to know you and chances come your way.’

Matt is now a sought-after producer, and his work on Frank Turner’s ‘FTHC’ album will add to his impressive CV.

The opportunity to work with Frank Turner came about after he hugely popular punk folk singer was forced to alter his plans to record his highly anticipated latest album in America.

Rather than travel across the Atlantic to record in New York, Covid restrictions meant that Frank was forced to stay and work in the UK.

‘He was ready and booked to work with Rich Costey, a pretty big American music producer, who was going to record his album with him in the States.

‘Rich has worked will loads of different , big bands, including people like the Foo Fighters, Biffy Clyro, Sigur Ros and many more.

‘However, he just wasn’t allowed to travel, so he ended up in our studios working with me. So I recorded the music and we sent them over to Rich to work on in the States. He also was always chatting and working with us over Zoom, to the point where it actually felt like he was in the room with us.

‘Frank was great to work with as well, and it’s pretty special to have been part of the team behind such a successful album. It’s definitely the biggest thing I have ever worked on.’

Matt was recently named as one of the five directors of the Music Producer’s Guild, and was this week named on the shortlist for the ‘Rising Star’ award in the Guild’s annual awards.

‘People see you working hard, which is how I got noticed,’ he said.

‘I’m very open about my back ground in the care homes, especially as the industry I work in is quite middle class, and I want to make sure that others can have the same chances I had.

‘Not everyone will get straight As at school but, in all honesty, no one cares about your past, they care about how good you are now and what kind of person you are.’