Independent music originally from the Portsmouth underground — past, present and still moving forward. Douglas & The World is the ongoing musical project of singer-songwriter Matthew Douglas Whittenham, rooted in the DIY spirit, chaos and creativity of the Portsmouth underground music scene 2006 - 2015.

​

Matt first became known through Cool Banana, a festival-style band that grew out of Portsmouth's underground scene. From there came The Junkyard — a series of DIY festivals, club nights and live events built around music, parties and a growing community.

​

The story eventually moved into running a pub and live music venue, bringing years of bands, late nights, characters, chaos and rock 'n' roll into the mix. That period became part of the material. Songs written in the noughties were put aside as life moved on. Then, after a ten-year break from music, Matt picked up the guitar again. The spark was still there. Douglas & The World was born from the decision to finish what had been started.

​

THE MUSIC

The first major chapter of the project was The Good Old Days (A Rock 'N' Roll Story), a 17-track concept album originally written in 2006 and finally completed and released in 2025. The album looks backwards without simply trying to recreate the past — drawing on late-'60s and '70s rock influences while telling its own story through a modern lens. Recorded at Portsmouth's Casemates Studio and completed in 2025, the album became the starting point for a much bigger return to music. Alongside it came a piece of lost history.

​

The Junkyard Days (Live 2007) captures a live performance from the middle of the original Junkyard period. Released in March 2026, the seven-track live recording features Douglas & The World with Cool Banana, preserving a snapshot of the atmosphere and energy of those years. The recording includes songs such as “The Pink Burger Bar,” “I Think Therefore I Am,” “Choo Choo,” “They're at the Door” and “C'mon Let's Go.”

​

A NEW CHAPTER

2026 has seen Douglas & The World continuing to move forward with a new sound. The second studio album, A Day Out of Time, was released on 28 August 2026, following a run of singles including “Win or Lose,” “When Mandy Comes,” “Death by Stereo” and “One Too Many.” The new material pushes the sound into a rawer and more energetic direction, bringing together elements of indie, grunge, punk and alternative rock. Where the first album looked back at a story that had been waiting to be finished, the second album is about moving forward.

​

FROM THE JUNKYARD TO NOW

The history behind Douglas & The World is important to the music. Cool Banana and The Junkyard weren't simply previous bands or events. They were part of a period of constant gigs, parties, experimentation and community around the Portsmouth underground scene. Some of that history survives through recordings. Some survives through photographs and footage. And some survives in the songs.

​

The Junkyard Days (Live 2007) provides a direct musical link between that period and the current Douglas & The World project, while the studio albums take those experiences somewhere new.

​

WHAT'S NEXT

The project is not being built around a single album cycle. With A Day Out of Time now released, the next phase is about continuing to build the catalogue, bring the music back to the stage and keep developing the sound. Physical releases are also an important part of the project, with vinyl releases planned through 2027. A third studio album has already been written and arranged, with recording planned for later in 2026. The idea remains simple, make the records. Release them. Play them live. Keep moving.

​

CURRENT RELEASES

 

A Day Out of Time

Studio album — 2026

The second Douglas & The World studio album.

 

Released 28 August 2026.

The Junkyard Days (Live 2007)

Live album — 2026

Seven tracks recorded during the original Junkyard / Cool Banana period and released in 2026.

 

The Good Old Days (A Rock 'N' Roll Story)

Studio album — 2025

17-track concept album originally written in 2006 and completed and released in 2025.

​

FOR PRESS & MEDIA

Douglas & The World is available for:

• Interviews
• Album and single reviews
• Radio interviews and sessions
• Podcasts
• Music features
• Festival and live music coverage
• Independent music features
• Portsmouth / South Coast music history features
• Photography and video projects