UB40 may be approaching its 50th year as a band, but vocalist Matt Doyle says the thrill hasn’t faded — especially when the crowd takes over.
“We want to hear people singing back,” said Doyle, who has been with the band since 2021. “We want to see people dancing. That’s just what makes a great show — when the audience and the band become one thing, really.”
That sense of unity is what Doyle is looking forward to bringing back to Arizona. UB40 performs Friday, Oct. 30, at We-Ko-Pa Casino Resort in Fort McDowell and Tuesday, Nov. 3, at the Fox Tucson Theatre.
The upcoming shows arrive just ahead of a new UB40 album, due early next year. Doyle said fans will hear a few of the new tracks early — including a cover that surprised even him.
“Robin said, ‘What would you think about a cover of ‘Still the One’ by Shania Twain?’ At first, I thought he was just having a little bit of a joke,” Doyle said. “And then I said, ‘Oh, actually, no. That’d be really good.’”
The band has already tested the song at festivals, where it’s gone over better than expected.
“We’re really, really happy with it,” Doyle said. “I think the U.S. audience is going to absolutely love it.”
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He added that Twain has heard the track and “she’s enjoying it.”
The new album will feature 10 original songs and a couple of covers, with the band considering a bonus release that pairs the new material with re-recorded classics.
“All the original guys … are saying that it’s the most eclectic album they’ve done,” Doyle said. “Everyone’s really excited. All the original guys who’ve been in the band for nearly 50 years are saying that it’s the most eclectic album they’ve done.”
Writing, he admitted, comes in cycles.
“Sometimes you can go weeks, maybe even months, and just not really think about music or a song,” he said.
“Then one little thing can spark an idea, and then that’s it — you’re on.”
He laughed about the moments of doubt.
“There have been times in my life where I’ve sat there wondering, am I ever going to write another song? Is this it for me? Am I done?”
But inspiration always returns. So does the shock of hearing fans sing his words back to him.
“I’ve seen people singing back songs that I had a part in writing,” he said. “They’re younger than I am, in their 20s, singing lyrics that I’ve written with the band. It blows my mind every time.”
Doyle grew up in Birmingham, England, like the rest of UB40.
“I’m a ‘Brummie,’ born and bred,” he said with a laugh.
His first concert was by the English pop-punk band Busted, followed by years of rock shows, including Bruce Springsteen. However, reggae always felt like home.
“I’ve always played rock, but reggae has always been my calling,” he said.
One of his early shows was The Beat, and years later, he found himself supporting them.
“It’s just crazy how things work, really.”
What keeps him passionate is the way music dissolves boundaries.
“Personally, I think music is quite a healing thing,” he said. “Thousands or tens of thousands of people will get together, all singing the same chorus, all singing the same thing, moving together.
“I find it quite spiritual. That’s the one thing that can really connect people. People can come from different backgrounds and hold different opinions. It doesn’t matter who they are or what their opinions are. They might hear a song they both love. Then they’re arm in arm, singing together. I think you see that with UB40. We’ve carried that around the world and spoken to so many people. We’ve brought them together.”
