Matt Sharp facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Matt Sharp
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Matt Sharp after a solo tour show at the W.O.W. Hall in Eugene, Oregon, in 2004
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Matthew Kelly Sharp |
| Born | September 22, 1969 Bangkok, Thailand |
| Origin | Arlington County, Virginia, U.S. |
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| Years active | 1985–present |
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Matthew Kelly Sharp (born September 22, 1969) is an American musician and songwriter. He is best known as the original bassist and a co-founder of the rock band Weezer. He played on their first two popular albums, The Blue Album (1994) and Pinkerton (1996). In 1994, Matt Sharp also started his own band, The Rentals, which has released several albums. He has also made music as a solo artist.
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Early Life and First Bands
Matt Sharp was born in Bangkok, Thailand, on September 22, 1969. His parents were American. When he was one year old, his family moved to Arlington, Virginia. At nine, he bought his first music record, a song called "Le Freak" by the band Chic. When he was sixteen, he moved to San Diego.
In 1989, Sharp led a band called the Clique, but it only lasted less than a year. After that band ended, Sharp became friends with Patrick Wilson, who would later become Weezer's drummer. They started a band together. Soon, Jason Cropper, another future Weezer member, joined them. Wilson was also in a band with Rivers Cuomo, who would become Weezer's lead singer. Wilson convinced Cuomo to move into the apartment he shared with Sharp.
Music Career
Starting Weezer and The Rentals
In 1991, Matt Sharp moved to Berkeley, California. In January 1992, Patrick Wilson showed Sharp some songs he and Rivers Cuomo had been working on. Sharp was impressed and decided to move back to Los Angeles to join their band. Sharp became the bassist and helped manage the group.
Cuomo, Wilson, Sharp, and Cropper officially formed Weezer on February 14, 1992. Their first show was on March 19, 1992. Rivers Cuomo told Sharp that they had one year to get a record deal. If not, Cuomo would go to college. In November, Weezer recorded a demo tape called The Kitchen Tape. This tape included an early version of their future hit song "Say It Ain't So". A music executive from Geffen Records heard the demo and signed Weezer in June 1993.
Weezer released their first album, The Blue Album, in May 1994. It quickly became very popular. In early 1994, Sharp also started his own band, The Rentals. Their first album, Return of the Rentals, came out the next year and featured the radio hit "Friends of P". Weezer's second album, Pinkerton, was released in September 1996. This album had a different, more intense sound. After Pinkerton, Weezer took a break for five years.
In 1998, Matt Sharp left Weezer due to creative differences with the other band members. In 1999, The Rentals released their second album, Seven More Minutes. Many other musicians helped with this album, including Damon Albarn from Blur and Gorillaz. The Rentals then took a break in late 1999.
Solo Music and Reunions
Sharp moved to Leiper's Fork, Tennessee, and started recording his own music. In 2002, he went on an acoustic tour. In 2003, he released an EP (a short album) called Puckett's Versus the Country Boy.
In 2003, Sharp released his solo EP, followed by a self-titled solo album in 2004. He continued to tour in 2004 and 2005. On February 12, 2004, Rivers Cuomo joined Sharp during a solo show. They played four songs together, including Weezer's "Say It Ain't So" and "Undone". Sharp announced that he and Cuomo were working on new music together. However, they later decided not to finish the project.
In 2004, Sharp also played synthesizer on the album So Jealous by the band Tegan and Sara. In 2005, The Rentals got back together. The new lineup included original singer Rachel Haden. The Rentals toured North America in 2006 and 2007.
The Rentals released The Last Little Life EP in 2007. Sharp also worked with Tegan and Sara again on their album The Con. After releasing a series of albums called Songs About Time in 2009, Sharp and The Rentals took another break. In 2011, Sharp sang on a song called "FAQ" by the Basque band Berri Txarrak.
Discography
Weezer
- 1994 – Weezer (The Blue Album)
- 1996 – Pinkerton
The Rentals
- 1995 – Return of the Rentals
- 1999 – Seven More Minutes
- 2007 – The Last Little Life EP
- 2009 – Songs About Time
- 2011 – Resilience: A Benefit Album for the Relief Effort in Japan
- 2014 – Lost in Alphaville
- 2020 – Q36
- 2022 – The Rentals Present: The Midnight Society Soundtrack (A Matt Sharp / Nick Zinner Score)
Solo
- 2003 – Puckett's Versus the Country Boy
- 2004 – Matt Sharp
With Homie
- 1998 – "American Girls" from the Meet the Deedles Soundtrack
With Tegan and Sara
- 2004 – So Jealous
- 2007 – The Con
With Berri Txarrak
- 2011 – "FAQ"
