*The Junkyard Days (Live 2007) — Live Session Album -Released  13th March 2026  



* The Good Old Days (A Rock 'n' Roll Story)  17 Track Concept Album  - Released 5th November 2025 

Matthew Douglas Whittenham (aka Douglas & The World) is a singer-songwriter rooted in chaos, creativity, and DIY culture—best known as the driving force behind Cool Banana, a festival-style band born from the Portsmouth underground music scene. He launched a series of mini festivals and club nights called The Junkyard, building a scene around constant gigs, parties, and a growing music community. That momentum led him into running a pub and live music venue—an era that was exciting, chaotic, fast-paced… pure rock ’n’ roll.

Plenty of stories came from those days and Matt was on a roll creatively. However, eventually the good times became too good. Music took a back seat, and what he calls The Good Old Days—a 17-track concept album originally written in 2006—faded into the background. A live recording captured in the middle of a chaotic weekend of gigging and partying preserved the spirit of those Junkyard parties. That recording is now available as The Junkyard Days (Live 2007).

After a ten-year break, everything changed. One ordinary day, Matt picked up his guitar again—and the spark was still there. That moment reignited a mission to finish what he started. The result was The Good Old Days – A Rock ’n’ Roll Story, a concept album blending late ’60s and ’70s influences with a modern perspective. Originally written in the noughties, recorded at Portsmouth’s award-winning Casemates Studio, and completed in 2025, the album feels both nostalgic and surprisingly relevant today.

Momentum hasn’t slowed. The second studio album, A Day Out of Time, is out now, marking the next chapter in the Douglas & The World story. Vinyl editions of the album will be released monthly through Elastic Stage from September 2026 into 2027.

Matt is already looking ahead. He is currently working on the third studio album, with the studio booked for November to begin recording. The new material continues to push the sound forward while drawing on the raw energy, indie, grunge, and punk influences that have shaped the project.