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. He is best known as the original bass player for the rock band Weezer. He helped start Weezer in 1992 and played on their first two popular albums. These albums were the Blue Album (1994) and Pinkerton (1996). In 1994, Sharp also started his own band called The Rentals. The Rentals have released five albums. Matt Sharp has also put out music as a solo artist.
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Early Life and Music Beginnings
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 years old, he bought his first music record. It was a song called "Le Freak" by the band Chic. When he was sixteen, he moved to San Diego.
In 1989, Sharp was the lead singer for a rock band called the Clique. This band lasted for less than a year. After the Clique ended, Sharp became friends with drummer Patrick Wilson. They formed a band together called 60 Wrong Sausages. Soon after, guitarist Jason Cropper joined them. Around this time, Patrick Wilson was also in another band with guitarist and singer Rivers Cuomo. For a short time, Cuomo, Wilson, and Sharp lived in the same apartment. During this period, Sharp worked selling things over the phone.
Music Career
Starting Weezer and The Rentals
In mid-1991, Sharp moved to Berkeley, California. He wanted to work on a type of music that used keyboards and sounded like an orchestra. In January 1992, Patrick Wilson showed Sharp some songs he and Rivers Cuomo had been writing. Sharp was impressed. He moved back to Los Angeles to join their band. Sharp became the bass player and helped manage the group.
Cuomo, Wilson, Sharp, and Cropper officially formed Weezer in 1992. Their first concert was on March 19, 1992. They played before Keanu Reeves' band Dogstar. Rivers Cuomo told Sharp that the band needed a record deal within a year. 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 person from Geffen Records heard the demo. Weezer signed with Geffen Records in June 1993.
Weezer released their first album, Weezer (The Blue Album), in May 1994. It became a very popular album. In early 1994, Sharp started his other band, the Rentals. They released their first album, Return of the Rentals, the next year. This album had a popular song called "Friends of P". Weezer's second album, Pinkerton, came out in September 1996. This album had a different, more intense sound. It was not as popular at first, but later became highly praised by critics. After Pinkerton, Weezer took a break for five years.
In 1998, Matt Sharp left Weezer. He had different ideas from the other band members. In 2016, he said that it was hard to talk about why he left. He mentioned that when a group doesn't talk well, everyone has their own different memories of what happened.
In 1999, the Rentals released their second album, Seven More Minutes. Many famous musicians helped with this album. These included Damon Albarn from Blur and Gorillaz, and Miki Berenyi from Lush. Maya Rudolph, who later became famous on Saturday Night Live, was part of the touring band. The song "My Head is in the Sun" was written by Sharp and Rivers Cuomo. This album did not sell as well as the first Rentals album. The Rentals then took a break in late 1999.
Solo Music and Later Projects
Around 2000, Sharp moved to Leiper's Fork, Tennessee. He started recording music by himself. He told MTV News that he wanted to step away from the music business for a while. In 2002, Sharp went on a tour playing acoustic music. He toured with Greg Brown, who used to be the guitarist for the band Cake. In 2003, after four years, Sharp released a short album called Puckett's Versus the Country Boy.
In 2002, Matt Sharp filed a lawsuit against Weezer. He said he was owed money for helping write "Undone – The Sweater Song". He also said he should own part of the songs on Pinkerton, even though Rivers Cuomo was listed as the only writer. Sharp also said he handled many of Weezer's early business deals. The lawsuit was settled outside of court.
In 2003, Sharp released his solo album, Matt Sharp. He continued to tour in 2004 and 2005 with a band called Goldenboy. On February 12, 2004, Rivers Cuomo joined Sharp on stage at a show. They played four songs together, including "Say It Ain't So" and "Undone". Sharp announced that he and Cuomo were working on new music together. Later in 2004, Sharp said that they had many new song ideas. However, they had some challenges working together, so they might not finish the project.
In March 2004, Sharp played synthesizer on the album So Jealous by the band Tegan and Sara. After a quiet period in 2005, Sharp thought about what to do next. He considered making a new solo album or starting a new band. He also thought about rejoining Weezer. While he didn't rejoin, talking with Cuomo gave him the idea to start writing pop music again. This led him to bring back the Rentals. He was especially inspired after meeting Sara Radle. In 2005, six years after their last album, the Rentals started up again. The new band included original singer Rachel Haden, Sara Radle, Ben Pringle, Lauren Chipman, and Dan Joeright. Sharp and the Rentals toured North America in 2006 and 2007.
The Rentals released The Last Little Life EP in August 2007. Between tours with the Rentals, Sharp worked with Tegan and Sara again in 2007. He helped with their album The Con. He also played bass with them at concerts in 2008, covering a Weezer song.
After releasing three parts of the Songs About Time series in 2009, Sharp and the Rentals took a break. In October 2010, Sharp sold most of his old music equipment from his Weezer and Rentals days online. In November 2010, Rivers Cuomo said that the idea of Sharp rejoining Weezer for a tour came up. However, they decided not to do it.
In 2011, Sharp sang on the song "FAQ" by Berri Txarrak. This is a band from the Basque Country.
Discography
This is a list of the albums and EPs Matt Sharp has been a part of.
With Weezer
- 1994 – Weezer (The Blue Album)
- 1996 – Pinkerton
With 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 Albums
- 2003 – Puckett's Versus the Country Boy (EP)
- 2004 – Matt Sharp
Other Collaborations
- 1998 – "American Girls" from the Meet the Deedles Soundtrack (with Homie)
- 2004 – So Jealous (with Tegan and Sara)
- 2007 – The Con (with Tegan and Sara)
- 2011 – "FAQ" (with Berri Txarrak)
See also
In Spanish: Matt Sharp para niños
