Wikipedia

Matt Sharp

This article is about the musician. For Sharp's self-titled album, seeMatt Sharp(album).For the television producer, seeMatt Sharp (producer).

Matthew Kelly Sharp(born September 22, 1969) is an American songwriter and musician. Until 1998, he was the bassist for therockbandWeezer,which he co-founded in 1992. He appears on their first two albums, theBlue Album(1994) andPinkerton(1996). In 1994, Sharp foundedRentals,who have released five albums. Sharp has also released an EP and an album as a solo artist.

Matt Sharp
Matt Sharp after a solo tour show at the W.O.W. Hall in Eugene, Oregon, in 2004
Matt Sharp after a solo tour show at theW.O.W. HallinEugene, Oregon,in 2004
Background information
Birth nameMatthew Kelly Sharp
Born(1969-09-22)September 22, 1969(age 55)
Bangkok,Thailand
OriginArlington County, Virginia,U.S.
Genres
Occupations
  • Musician
  • songwriter
Instruments
  • Bass guitar
  • vocals
  • guitar
  • synthesizer
  • drums
  • Rubab
Years active1985–present
Labels
Member ofThe Rentals
Formerly ofWeezer

Early life

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Matt Sharp was born inBangkok,Thailand, to American parents on September 22, 1969. The family moved toArlington,Virginia, when he was one year old. At the age of nine, he made his first musical purchase, a45 rpm singleof the song "Le Freak"byChic.[1] At sixteen, he moved toSan Diego.[2]

In 1989, Sharp started fronting agothband, the Clique, which lasted less than a year.[2]A few months after the Clique disbanded, Sharp befriended the drummerPatrick Wilson,with whom he created the band 60 Wrong Sausages.[2]The guitaristJason Croppersoon joined.[3]Around this time, Wilson was also in another band, Fuzz, with the guitarist and vocalistRivers Cuomo.For a brief period, Cuomo, Wilson and Sharp shared an apartment.[4]During this time, Sharp worked as atelemarketer.[4]

Career

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1991–1999: Weezer and the Rentals

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In mid-1991, Sharp moved north toBerkeley, California,to pursue what the Weezer collaboratorKarl Kochdescribed as "some sorta symphonic keyboard sequencing music".[5]In January 1992, Wilson showed Sharp material he and Cuomo had been working on. Impressed, Sharp returned to Los Angeles to join the band.[6]Sharp became the group's bassist and de facto manager.[7]

Cuomo, Wilson, Sharp and Cropper formedWeezeron February 14, 1992. Their first show was on March 19, 1992, closing forKeanu Reeves' bandDogstar.[7]Cuomo gave Sharp one year to get the band a record deal before Cuomo accepted a scholarship at theUniversity of California, Berkeley.[7]In November, Weezer recorded a demo,The Kitchen Tape,including a version of the future Weezer single "Say It Ain't So".[7]The demo was heard by Todd Sullivan, anA&Rman atGeffen Records,who signed Weezer in June 1993.[7]

Weezer released theirself-titled debut albumin May 1994. It wascertifiedplatinum in January 1995.[8]In early 1994, Sharp founded theRentals.[9]They released their debut album,Return of the Rentals,the following year, which featured the radio hit "Friends of P".[10]Weezer's second album,Pinkerton,was released in September 1996. With a darker, more abrasive sound,Pinkertonwas a commercial and critical failure, but attained critical acclaim later.[11]Following the mixed response toPinkerton,Weezer went on a five-year hiatus.[12]

In 1998, Sharp left Weezer due to differences with the band members.[13]In 2016, he said of his departure: "I don't really know how to speak on this because I don't know what should be kept private and what should be shared. I certainly have my view of it, as I'm sure everybody else has their sort of foggy things. When you have a group that doesn't communicate, you're going to have a whole lot of different stories."[14]

In 1999, the Rentals released their second album,Seven More Minutes.Among its contributors wereDamon Albarn(ofBlurandGorillaz),Donna Matthews(ofElastica),Miki Berenyi(ofLush), andTim Wheeler(ofAsh).[15]Maya Rudolph(later ofSaturday Night Live) was a member of the touring band during this time. The track "My Head is in the Sun" was co-written with Cuomo.[16]The album sold considerably less thanReturn of the Rentals,and the Rentals went on hiatus in late 1999.[17]

2000–2003: Solo records and Weezer lawsuit

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Sharp moved[when?]to the town ofLeiper's Fork,Tennessee, and began recording. In an interview withMTV News,Sharp said he was trying to cut ties to the music world.[18][19]Sharp went on an acoustic tour in 2002 with formerCakeguitaristGreg Brown.[20]In 2003, after a four-year hiatus,[18]Sharp returned with an EP,Puckett's Versus the Country Boy.[21]

On April 19, 2002, Sharp filed a five-count federal lawsuit against Weezer.[22]He alleged he was owed royalties for co-writing Weezer's first hit, "Undone – The Sweater Song",and that he owned a 25% interest in the first nine tracks ofPinkerton,which had been credited solely to Cuomo despite all four band members working on the album. Sharp also said he had handled most of Weezer's business affairs during their early success, including the hiring of accountants and attorneys and securing their record deal.[22][23]The lawsuit also stated that Cuomo was going to ask Sharp to appear in the music video for their 2001 song "Island in the Sun".[23]Finally, Sharp additionally charged his former bandmatesPatrick WilsonandBrian Bellwith breach of fiduciary duty, legal malpractice, dissolution of partnership, and declaratory relief.[24]The lawsuit was settled out of court.[25]

2003–present: Reunion with Cuomo, re-formation of the Rentals

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People come up to me and say, "By the way, the last two Weezer records really sucked," and they're always saying it to get in good with me. And I haven't heard them. But if they were bad, they'd probably be just as bad if I was there.

– Sharp in 2006[26]

In 2003, Sharp released a solo EP, followed by aself-titled solo albumin 2004. He continued to tour in 2004–2005 with the bandGoldenboy.On February 12, 2004, Cuomo sat in during a solo performance by Sharp atCalifornia State University, Fullerton.They played four songs together: the Sharp/Cuomo collaborations "Mrs. Young" and "Time Song", and the Weezer songs "Say It Ain't So"and" Undone ".[27]Sharp announced at the show that he and Cuomo had reunited and would be working on a record together.[28]Later in 2004, Sharp announced on his website that although he and Cuomo had come up with "15 or 16 new song ideas", their "special brand of dysfunctionality" might keep them from finishing the project.[29]

Sharp performing withthe Rentalsin 2007
Sharp performing inBilbaowithBerri Txarrakin 2019

In March 2004, Sharp recorded synthesizer onSo Jealousby Canadian indie pop bandTegan and Sara.[29]After a slow period in 2005, Sharp contemplated what to do next, considering either a new solo album or starting a new collaborative partnership. The possibility of him rejoining Weezer was also an option;[30]although this did not happen, in a 2006 interview, Sharp credited these conversations with Cuomo as giving him the idea to return to writing pop music, which eventually led him to re-form the Rentals.[31]These ideas particularly strengthened after meetingSara Radle.[32][33]In 2005, six years after 1999'sSeven More Minutes,the Rentals re-formed; the new lineup included original backup vocalistRachel Haden,Sara Radle, Ben Pringle ofNerf Herder,Lauren Chipman, and Dan Joeright. Sharp and the Rentals toured North America in the summers of 2006 and 2007.

The Rentals releasedThe Last Little Life EPon August 14, 2007. Between Rentals tours, Sharp returned to work in early 2007 with Tegan and Sara on their next album,The Con,later appearing at their concerts in 2008 to play bass in a cover of Weezer's "Tired of Sex".[34]

After the three releases in theSongs About Timeseries in April, July, and October 2009, Sharp and the Rentals went on hiatus. In October 2010, Sharp sold most of his equipment from his Weezer and Rentals days oneBay.HisOrangeMatamp Lead 200 was purchased by Greg Veerman, bassist of Canadian rock bandSan Sebastian.[citation needed]In November 2010, Cuomo mentioned in an interview withSpinthat "the idea came up" of having Sharp rejoin the band for their "Memories Tour", in which they playThe Blue AlbumandPinkerton.Cuomo said: "I think we left that idea behind pretty early on. I don't remember. I wasn't involved in the discussion so I don't know what the issues were."[35]

In 2011, Sharp provided guest vocals on the song "FAQ" byBerri Txarrak,a Basque band whose live albumZertarako Amestu(2007) had significant influence onSongs About Time.[36]

Discography

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Weezer

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The Rentals

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Solo

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With Homie

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With Tegan and Sara

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With Berri Txarrak

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  • 2011 – "FAQ"

References

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  1. ^Luerssen D., John, 2004 p. 50
  2. ^abcLuerssen D., John, 2004 p. 51
  3. ^Luerssen D., John, 2004 p. 53
  4. ^abLuerssen D., John, 2004 p. 55
  5. ^Luerssen D., John, 2004 p. 56
  6. ^Luerssen D., John, 2004 p. 62
  7. ^abcdeHiatt, Brian (August 28, 2019)."The Strange Birth and Near Death of Weezer".Rolling Stone.RetrievedAugust 29,2019.
  8. ^"Gold and Platinum: Searchable Database".RIAA.RetrievedAugust 30,2007.
  9. ^Luerssen D., John, 2004 p. 150
  10. ^"The Rentals: Artist Chart History".Billboard.RetrievedOctober 15,2007.
  11. ^Erlewine, Stephen Thomas."Pinkerton– Weezer: Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards: AllMusic ".AllMusic.AllRovi.RetrievedJune 4,2013.
  12. ^"Student With a Past".The New York Times.February 16, 2006.ISSN0362-4331.RetrievedJuly 20,2015.
  13. ^"Former Weezer Bassist Matt Sharp Sues Band Over Royalties".MTV.April 24, 2002. Archived fromthe originalon October 3, 2003.RetrievedJune 26,2009.
  14. ^Braun, Laura Marie (September 23, 2016)."How Weezer's 'Pinkerton' Went From Embarrassing to Essential".Rolling Stone.RetrievedMay 20,2019.
  15. ^Seven More Minutesbooklet andliner notes
  16. ^Luerssen D., John, 2004 p. 257
  17. ^Luerssen D., John, 2004 p. 273
  18. ^abLuerssen D., John, 2004 p. 470
  19. ^Montgomery, James (September 24, 2004)."Matt Sharp Says LP With Rivers Cuomo May Never Come Out".MTV News.Archived fromthe originalon October 11, 2004.RetrievedOctober 10,2007.
  20. ^Luerssen D., John, 2004 p. 469
  21. ^Luerssen D., John, 2004 p. 472
  22. ^abYago, Gideon (April 24, 2002)."Former Weezer Bassist Matt Sharp Sues Band Over Royalties".MTV News.Archived fromthe originalon October 3, 2003.RetrievedOctober 10,2007.
  23. ^abLuerssen D., John, 2004 p. 423
  24. ^Luerssen D., John, 2004 p. 424
  25. ^Hyden, Steven (October 7, 2014)."Overrated, Underrated, or Properly Rated: Weezer".Grantland.RetrievedMay 23,2019.
  26. ^Hargreaves, Trevor (November 8, 2006)."Matt Sharp Talks About Rivers Cuomo's Etiquette Fetish And Tegan And Sara".Chart Attack.Archived from the original on May 5, 2010.RetrievedApril 2,2009.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  27. ^Sharp, Matt (February 12, 2004)."Matt Sharp and Rivers Cuomo - Mrs Young (Live)".YouTube.Archivedfrom the original on December 12, 2021.RetrievedMay 20,2019.
  28. ^Sharp, Matt (February 12, 2004)."Matt Sharp and RiversCuomo - Time Song (Live)".YouTube.Archivedfrom the original on December 12, 2021.RetrievedMay 20,2019.
  29. ^abSharp, Matt (August 4, 2004)."Note To Fans From Matt Sharp".In Music We Trust.RetrievedOctober 10,2007.
  30. ^Sharp, Matt (October 24, 2005)."Diary: Day One 10-24-05".TheRentals.com. Archived fromthe originalon July 6, 2007.RetrievedOctober 12,2009.
  31. ^Phillips, Amy (May 12, 2006)."Exclusive: Matt Sharp Talks Rentals' Return".Archived fromthe originalon May 21, 2006.RetrievedMay 20,2019.
  32. ^Machkovech, Sam (May 18, 2006)."The New Friend of P".Dallas Observer.RetrievedMay 20,2019.
  33. ^Parker, Chris (September 12, 2007)."Back in residence".San Antonio Current.RetrievedMay 20,2019.
  34. ^Tegan and Sara (October 18, 2008)."Tired Of Sex w/ Matt Sharp + Sexy Time Please".YouTube.wojo4hitz.The Fonda Theatre,Los Angeles, CA.Archivedfrom the original on December 12, 2021.RetrievedMay 20,2019.Last night was one of the scariest moments of my life when we play this song, and I feel considerably stronger and more confident tonight... I said it last night, but seriously, it's even better tonight
  35. ^O'Donnell, Kevin (November 2, 2010)."Rivers Cuomo: 'There's So Much Pain in My Voice'".Spin.RetrievedMay 20,2019.
  36. ^Sharp, Matt (September 15, 2009)."From the Desk of the Rentals' Matt Sharp: Berri Txarra".Magnet Magazine.RetrievedSeptember 19,2022.

Bibliography

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