Volume 68: Honouring Our Grandmas with David R. Elliott and Abigail!

In this episode of Strange Grooves, we sit down with chef and musician Matthew Elliott, also known by his recording name, David R. Elliott, and our dear friend and returning guest, Abigail Smith!

Our chat starts off a little differently than most episodes. Instead of diving right away into music, we talk about the next best thing…FOOD! Matt is the chef and owner of Ethel & Mary’s, a new restaurant opening in uptown Saint John before the end of the year. Abigail just so happens to be the restaurant’s manager. Ethel & Mary’s offers dishes described as “somewhat refined nostalgia.” Elliott talks about how he sources his recipes from all New Brunswick/Maritime cookbooks and of course, his grandmothers, Ethel and Mary.

We discuss the role nostalgia plays in the food we eat, as well as the music we like. We also dive into how the hospitality/restaurant industry plays an often forgotten role in support local musicians, in more ways than one. Who would have thought food and music have so much in common?

As we mention on the show, Ethel and Mary’s has an Indigogo campaign happening right now where you can get some really awesome perks! Including Matt writing and composing your very own country song (Strange Grooves got one, so you’ll be hearing that on a future episode). If you would like to get involved and show your support, you can donate here!

We dive into how Matt started playing music (you’re going to want to hear this story!) as well as his songwriting process. In a Strange Grooves exclusive, he also reveals the release date of his new album! Matt and Abigail also talk about the albums they brought for show-and-tell.

Listen to full episode :