by Glen Screeton
I had the pleasure of speaking to Matt Grainger – the man behind the many faceless posters across town and in the music world of Paul Weller, Ocean Colour Scene, James, Starsailor and UB40 to name a few.
Now, as AI threatens to reshape the creative industries, his focus remains on something technology can’t replicate: the human touch.
Growing up in Warrington, Matt was drawn to the kind of art that felt accessible rather than classically intimidating. Watching Tony Hart on television and studying the work of L.S. Lowry gave him an early understanding that art didn’t need to be complicated to have an emotional impact…….and then came Star Wars. Matt would draw battered, worn-down Star Wars figures, gradually developing an appreciation for characters whose identity could be communicated without elaborate detail. Years later, that idea would become central to his own visual language and the result is what has become his trademark “faceless” style.
“But how did you go from drawing Start Wars figures to Vinyl Soul?” After graduating from Salford University with a Fine Art and Graphic Design degree in 2000, Matt spent roughly two decades working in corporate graphic design. His career took him into architectural environments, where he eventually specialised in wall graphics for hospitals, offices and exhibitions. It was successful work – but music was always calling, so in 2016 Matt decided to leave the security of corporate design behind and launch Vinyl Soul. (www.vinylysoul.co.uk)
“It was a leap of faith” is how he describes the decision, yet here he is, a decade later, and to me it looked less like a gamble and more like the beginning of a second career! From these new beginnings Matt always made something instantly recognisable with a Vinyl Soul illustration – the faces are blank. The characters are stripped back to their simplest forms. “You don’t need a detailed face to know who it is” mentioned Matt, the characters might not have eyes, noses or mouths, however they’re anything but anonymous. Posture, hairstyle, clothing and silhouette become the clues. A familiar jacket or a particular stance can be enough to identify a musician instantly – for myself its quite uncanny and I liken it to the way the human brain can identify a word with essential vowels missing!
Personally, I love art and was a college graphics student myself but quickly realised I was just…..ok, so I was very interested to see the ‘work up’ process for an artist working in 2026. It’s perhaps surprising to hear how much of Matts ideas remain analogue and he kindly allowed me to see his sketch books, it’s still the creative process of a piece of paper and a pencil and Matt refuses to begin a new piece by drawing directly onto an iPad. For him, that’s not nostalgia for nostalgia’s sake. The imperfections and decisions that happen while working on paper are part of what gives the finished illustration its personality, although Matt is not shy in mentioning that Adobe Illustrator is used to prepare the final artwork with its variation of colours over his own pre- drawn templates.
One of Vinyl Soul’s most high-profile projects came through singer Paul Weller and his 2024 tour, Matt created artwork for 36 dates, as well as pieces connected to the release of the ‘66’ album. Another commission came from the world tour of the band James in 2025 when Matt produced graphics for the UK T-shirts, this graphic was subsequently used on the V.I.P tour passes in America – Quite a coup I would say!
Further work followed in 2026 for Weller’s new tour where rather than simply reproducing his likeness, Matt built illustrations around the places where the 12 shows were taking place and the artist appears above city skylines, with local landmarks and pieces of history woven into the compositions. In Belfast for example, that meant incorporating the iconic Harland & Wolff cranes, then it becomes a memorable piece of merchandise for a local fan. Matt has recently completed artwork for UB40’s forthcoming 50-date world tour, spanning North America, Australia and New Zealand. and I spotted several other notable works in his studio. For Vinyl Soul’s 10th anniversary there is also a book in development (order placed of course)
Frankly we could have talked for a very long time but moving on for a quick pint at The King & Queen, the worrying subject of AI raised its ugly head. For Matt, the distinction is clear -the value of creative work isn’t simply in the finished image. It’s in the person who made it – their experiences, mistakes and reasons for making it in the first place. That’s the “soul” he believes technology can’t manufacture and, in an industry obsessed with speed, Matt (like myself) remains committed to taking his time.
Watch out for ‘The Tone’ piece by Matt coming soon – but we aren’t in a rush!
