Matt Sweeney | |
|---|---|
 Sweeney performing with Chavez in 2011 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | July 2, 1969 New Jersey, United States |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, record producer |
| Instrument | Guitar |
| Years active | 1989–present |
| Labels | |
Matt Sweeney (born July 2, 1969) is an American musician and record producer best known as a guitarist of Skunk, Chavez, and supergroup Zwan. [1]
Sweeney was born in New Jersey. His father was John D. Sweeney, a professor of Medieval English at Seton Hall University who was also an avid musician. [2] [3] His mother, Katharine Sweeney Hayden, is a federal judge. [4] Sweeney's parents divorced after 20 years of marriage. [5] He has an older brother, Gregory Sweeney, who is a musician who works on the TV show Kitchen Nightmares. [2] [4]
He grew up in Maplewood and South Orange, New Jersey. He attended Northwestern University before dropping out. [4]
Sweeney's high school band Skunk released two albums on Twin/Tone records ("Last American Virgin" in 1989 and the posthumous "Laid", both out of print). In the nineties he recorded and performed as a singer and guitarist with math rock band Chavez, releasing a seven-inch ("Repeat the Ending" b/w "Hack the Sides Away") two albums (1995's Gone Glimmering and 1996's Ride the Fader ) and one EP (1995"s Pentagram Ring) on the Matador label. Chavez did several short tours in the United States and Europe between 1994 and 1997. [6] When Chavez slowed down Sweeney filled in on bass guitar for Guided By Voices on the "Under the Bushes, Under the Stars" tour. He also provided vocals on the song "Quicksilver" on Guided By Voices leader Robert Pollard's first solo album Not in My Airforce LP. The late '90s found him continuing to work a day job and touring with Bonnie 'Prince' Billy as a guitarist.
Sweeney's work has taken him across a variety of musical genres. Starting in 2000 he turned up on Cat Power's The Covers Record , playing guitar on "Salty Dog", and a couple of Bonnie "Prince" Billy singles (percussion on "A Whorehouse Is Any House" and guitar and vocals on "Little Boy Blue"). In 2001 he started playing and writing with Billy Corgan and Jimmy Chamberlin in what was to become Zwan. He collaborated with Billy Corgan on the soundtrack to the movie Spun , singing the movie's opening song, a cover of Iron Maiden's "Number of the Beast". He was also featured as a guitarist and backing vocalist on Bonnie "Prince" Billy's Ease Down The Road album. He lent a helping hand to Dave Grohl in assembling the all-star heavy metal album Probot, tracking down the legendary singers and providing some guitar work (the Probot album was not released until 2004, on Southern Lord records). Sweeney recorded and toured with Zwan from late 2001–2003. He is credited as providing guitar, vocal, and some songwriting on Zwan's album Mary Star of the Sea .
After Zwan's breakup, Sweeney played guitar with Bonnie "Prince" Billy for several tours in 2004. January 2005 saw the release of their collaboration Superwolf on Drag City. [7] [8] Sweeney and Bonnie toured behind the Superwolf record in the U.S. and Europe. 2005 also saw Sweeney producing heavy metal band Early Man's debut album, Closing In . The following year found Sweeney working in both the country music and hip-hop scenes, providing guitar work, along with Mike Campbell and Smokey Hormel, on the Johnny Cash album American V: A Hundred Highways and appearing with Yo La Tengo bass player James McNew and Def Jux founder El-P, as guest artists on the first track of rapper Cage's album Hell's Winter . He also played guitar on the Dixie Chicks' Taking the Long Way album. In addition, he became a member of apocalyptic Christian folk legends Current 93's touring group, playing shows in Europe in support of the Black Ships Ate The Sky album. He also recorded with longtime friend Andrew W.K. for W.K.'s Close Calls With Brick Walls album.
In 2007 Sweeney again collaborated with El-P, this time alongside Omar Rodríguez-López and Cedric Bixler-Zavala of Mars Volta, on El-P's 2007 album, I'll Sleep When You're Dead .
In early 2009 Sweeney formed The Brill Sisters with Andrew W.K. and producer Don Fleming. They played their first show (without Fleming) at Santos Party House on April 2, 2009. [9] [10] The entire group performed on April 21. [11]
In 2016, Sweeney toured with Iggy Pop, Josh Homme as well as Matt Helders to support their album Post Pop Depression . [12]
In 2024, Sweeney founded the band Hard Quartet. [13]
Sweeney produced Dax Riggs' album We Sing of Only Blood or Love in 2007 for Fat Possum records. In late 2007, along with Bonnie 'Prince" Billy, Sweeney produced Baby Dee's debut album for Drag City Records, Safe Inside the Day. The album was released in January 2008.
Sweeney is credited for "wry guitar licks" on an album for NYC heavy blues rockers Endless Boogie, called "Focus Level." It is rumored he produced the album as well. He also turned up on the Six Organs of Admittance's LP Shelter from the Ash . In addition, Sweeney has songwriting credit on certain pressings of Cat Power's Jukebox album, for "Song to Bobby." He is also credited as an additional guitarist on that album.
In tune with his many collaborations, an unlikely combination of Sweeney and Neil Diamond was proposed by seminal producer Rick Rubin in 2008 to follow up Diamond's Rubin-produced 2005 album 12 Songs . [14] The 2008 album Home Before Dark , released on May 12, features Sweeney on all songs.
Sweeney also plays guitar on Kid Rock's 2010 album Born Free .
Matt Sweeney is also the host of the web series Guitar Moves created in 2013 in which he interviews many popular guitarists with a focus on showing and teaching their guitar techniques. Sweeney has interviewed prominent guitarists such as Keith Richards (The Rolling Stones), Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top), Dan Auerbach (The Black Keys), Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age) and many others. The series was produced by Vice's music channel Noisey from 2013 until 2017. [15] Guitar Moves is now run independently of VICE with new episodes being uploaded to YouTube and the Guitar Moves website as of December, 2023.
Zwan was an American alternative rock supergroup formed in 2001 by lead singer and guitarist Billy Corgan and drummer Jimmy Chamberlin, from The Smashing Pumpkins. Other members included bassist Paz Lenchantin of A Perfect Circle, and guitarists David Pajo of Slint, and Matt Sweeney. The band released only one album, Mary Star of the Sea (2003), before breaking up acrimoniously that year during their world tour to promote the album.
William Patrick Corgan Jr. is an American musician, guitarist, songwriter, and professional wrestling promoter. He is best known as the co-founder, lead guitarist, primary songwriter, singer, and only constant member of alternative rock band The Smashing Pumpkins. Corgan is credited with helping popularize the alt rock genre. He has also been the owner and promoter of the National Wrestling Alliance since 2017.
Joseph Will Oldham is an American singer-songwriter and actor. From 1993 to 1997, he performed and recorded in collaboration with dozens of other musicians under variations of Palace. After briefly publishing music under his own name, in 1998 he adopted Bonnie "Prince" Billy as the name for most of his work.
Probot was a heavy metal side project of former Nirvana drummer and Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl. Described by Grohl as "a death metal Supernatural", the album mixes instrumentals recorded by Grohl himself with various metal singers whom the musician admired. The album was released in February 2004 by Southern Lord Records. It featured one single entitled "Centuries of Sin"/"The Emerald Law".
Paz Lenchantin is an Argentine-American musician. She is best known as the bass guitarist and backing vocalist of the alternative rock band Pixies. Lenchantin joined the band in 2014, following the departure of founding member Kim Deal, and recorded three studio albums before leaving in 2024.
Come is an American alternative rock band, formed in Boston by Thalia Zedek, Chris Brokaw, Arthur Johnson (drums), and Sean O'Brien (bass).
Superwolf is a 2005 collaborative studio album by Bonnie 'Prince' Billy and Matt Sweeney. It was released on Drag City.
Chavez is an American band from New York City, formed in 1993. After a period of inactivity, the band re-formed in 2006. They released two independent non-charting albums in the mid-1990s.
Ease Down the Road is the seventh studio album by American musician Will Oldham, and the second under his moniker Bonnie 'Prince' Billy. It was released on Palace Records on March 19, 2001.
Mick Turner is an Australian musician and artist. He is the founding mainstay guitarist for Dirty Three and has had art exhibitions around Australia and internationally. Previously he was a member of the Sick Things, the Moodists (1983–84) and Venom P. Stinger. He has released four solo studio albums, Tren Phantasma (1997), Marlan Rosa (1999), Moth (2003) and Don't tell the Driver (2013).
Record Collection is an independent Los Angeles, California-based music company founded by filmmaker and music manager Jordan Tappis. Record Collection is home to a diverse roster which includes music from current Red Hot Chili Peppers' guitarist John Frusciante, The Walkmen, Blake Mills, Dawes, Murs, Black Knights and management clients Blake Mills, Matt Sweeney and Fiona Apple.
This is a list of recordings by American singer and actor Will Oldham.
Richard Bishop is an American composer, guitarist and singer best known for his work with the Sun City Girls. He styles himself Sir Richard Bishop.
Safe Inside the Day is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Baby Dee. Released on January 21, 2008, it was her debut album on the Drag City label. It was Dee's first album to feature collaborators. It was produced by and features Will Oldham and Matt Sweeney. It also features friend and future producer Andrew WK on bass and drums.
Emmett Kelly is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. He is the primary songwriter and recording artist of The Cairo Gang, one half of The Double alongside drummer Jim White, one third of The CIA and a founding member of Clinamen. He has contributed vocal and instrumental work to a variety of international musical projects, appearing on recordings by the likes of Bonnie "Prince" Billy, Ty Segall, Angel Olsen, Azita, Joan of Arc, Edith Frost, Women and Children, John Webster Johns, Jeff Harms, Chicago poet/singer Marvin Tate, Matteah Baim, Japanese musician Takuma Watanabe, Earth Girl Helen Brown, Joshua Abrams and Rob Mazurek. Kelly has toured in several of the aforementioned acts in addition to with Baby Dee, CFM, Mikal Cronin, Sonny Smith, Beth Orton, and Terry Reid; and in other instances, performed live with Chan Marshall, Scott Tuma, Joan of Arc, and Pillars and Tongues. He is also one half of the band The Surf, The Sundried, and a founding member of Chicago's Psychojail.
Blake Mathew Simon Mills is an American songwriter, guitarist, producer, and composer based in California. He is known for production and guitar work on albums and singles by many artists, including Fiona Apple, Perfume Genius, Bob Dylan, Feist, Jack Johnson, Marcus Mumford, Laura Marling, Weyes Blood, John Legend, Alabama Shakes, Beck, The Killers, Conor Oberst, and Bruce Hornsby; as a touring musician with artists such as Lucinda Williams, Band of Horses and Jenny Lewis; and his four solo albums.
Skunk was an American alternative rock band formed in 1986 in Maplewood, New Jersey. During the group's existence Skunk released two albums on Twin/Tone Records; 1989's Last American Virgin and 1991's Laid.
What the Brothers Sang is an album by Dawn McCarthy and Bonnie 'Prince' Billy. The album was released on February 19, 2013. The album features covers of songs that appeared on albums by The Everly Brothers. The duo preceded this album with the "Christmas Eve Can Kill You" 7" single in late 2012, also featuring two covers of songs earlier performed by the Everlys. What the Brothers Sang was the first of three major albums released in 2013 to feature Everly Brothers covers in their entirety, the second being A Date with the Everly Brothers by the Chapin Sisters and the third being Foreverly by Billie Joe Armstrong and Norah Jones.
Bill MacKay is an American composer, guitarist and singer based in Chicago. He grew up in Pittsburgh, PA where he studied with guitarist Joe Negri, and in Rochester, NY. He also studied for a year at Berklee College of Music.
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