Matt Sharp
Encyclopedia
Matthew Kelly Sharp is a founding member and former bassist
for the band Weezer
. In 1994, he started a band called The Rentals
and released their debut album shortly after Weezer's first release, their second album in 1999, and an EP in 2007. In addition, he has released one full length album and one EP as a solo artist.
During his time with Weezer he was known for his warm and fuzzy tone of his bass guitar and his falsetto
background vocal abilities. During live performances he was the one that usually moved around the stage the most, performing jumps, dances and slides. Sharp is left handed but plays bass right handed (strumming with right hand).
, Thailand
. He remained in Thailand for the first year of his life until his family moved to Arlington
, Virginia
. At the age of nine, he made his first musical purchase, which was a 45 single of the song "Le Freak
" by Chic
. When he was fourteen, he found himself being drawn to thrash bands such as Suicidal Tendencies
and D.R.I.
Becoming tired of the classic rock radio format in Arlington, Sharp moved to California
at age sixteen, ending up in San Diego.
In 1989, Sharp found himself fronting a goth band called the Clique. This band lasted less than one year. About six months later, he befriended future Weezer
drummer
Patrick Wilson
. They created the band, The Wrong Sausage, later acquiring future Weezer guitarist
Jason Cropper
to join the band. Wilson was also in a band with future Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo
called Fuzz. In need of an 8-track player, Wilson convinced Cuomo to move into the same apartment that Wilson and Sharp were sharing. During this time, Sharp was also working as a telemarketer.
In the summer of 1991, Sharp moved north to Berkeley
to pursue what Karl Koch called, "some sorta symphonic keyboard sequencing music." Other members of the band moved to separate apartments during this time. In January 1992, Sharp reconnected with his former bandmates; Cuomo, Wilson and Cropper, when Wilson showed him material from his and Cuomo's "50 song project." Sharp was pleased with the material and returned to Los Angeles to join the band, consisting of Rivers Cuomo, Patrick Wilson and Jason Cropper, now under the name Weezer.
Weezer and
Sharp was a founding member of Weezer, which was formed on Valentine's Day
in 1980. After the success of Weezer's first album The Blue Album, he founded The Rentals in the spring of 1994, who released their debut Return of the Rentals the following year, which featured the radio hit "Friends of P and please let that be you
." He left Weezer in February 1998 two years after the release of the band's second album, Pinkerton
.
The Rentals released their second album, Seven More Minutes
, in 1999. Among the record's more notable contributors were Damon Albarn
(of Blur
), Donna Matthews
(of Elastica
), Miki Berenyi
(of Lush
), and Tim Wheeler
(of Ash
). Maya Rudolph
(later of Saturday Night Live
fame) was a member of the touring version of the band during this time. The track "My Head is in the Sun" was co-written with Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo
. The album sold considerably less than Return of the Rentals, and the band eventually went on hiatus in 1999.
, Tennessee
, about an hour outside of Nashville
, Tennessee
. Matt began recording while living there. In an interview with MTV News
Matt told the reporter he was trying to disconnect and cut all ties to the music world.
After a four year hiatus from the public eye, Sharp returned to the music scene with an EP entitled Puckett's Versus the Country Boy
in late 2003. Puckett's and Country Boy were the 2 restaurants that Sharp ate at while living in Tennessee, and the name comes from having to choose one. Sharp also went on an acoustic tour in the fall of 2002, touring with former Cake
guitarist Greg Brown.
Sharp filed a five-count federal lawsuit against Weezer on April 19, 2002. He alleged he was owed money for co-writing Weezer's first hit song, "Undone – The Sweater Song
," and that he owned a 25% interest in the first nine tracks of Pinkerton (which had been credited solely to Rivers Cuomo
). Sharp also claimed he had handled most of Weezer's business affairs during their early success, such as hiring accountants and attorneys, and also had helped the band land their record deal. According to the Weezer biography Rivers' Edge: The Weezer Story by John D. Luerssen the lawsuit also stated that Weezer front man Rivers Cuomo was going to ask him to appear in the music video for the song "Island in the Sun." Finally, Sharp charged his former bandmates with breach of fiduciary duty, legal malpractice, dissolution of partnership, and declaratory relief. The lawsuit was later settled out of court. As a follow-up of sorts, when Sharp was asked about his future with Weezer, he brought up the fact that he hadn't heard any of their music since he left and that "if they (the albums) were bad, they'd probably be just as bad if I was there."
and Matt Sharp ended their public separation when they reunited onstage. Rivers sat in during a Sharp solo show at Cal State Fullerton
. Sharp and Cuomo played four songs together: the Sharp/Cuomo collaborations "Mrs. Young" and "Time Song," and the Weezer tunes "Say It Ain't So
" and "Undone." At the show, Sharp announced that he and Cuomo would be working on a collaborative record together. Yet later that year, he announced on his website that although they had come up with "15 or 16 new song ideas" for their new album, their "special brand of dysfunctionality" might keep them from finishing the project any time soon.
Sharp released a solo EP in 2003, a solo full-length
in 2004 and continued to tour in 2004-2005 with the band Goldenboy
.
In 2004, Sharp recorded synthesizer on So Jealous
by Canadian indie pop band Tegan and Sara
. Sharp continued to work with the band on their next album, The Con
, later appearing at a Tegan and Sara concert in 2008 to play bass in a cover of Weezer's "Tired of Sex."
After a slow period in 2005, Sharp contemplated what to do next, considering either a new solo album or starting a new collaborative partnership (although he didn't state with whom). The possibility of him rejoining Weezer
was also an option. Thus he decided to re-form The Rentals
after a six year absence. Work has begun on a third LP and they released an EP entitled The Last Little Life EP
on August 14, 2007. The lineup of the reformed band is different from the original, including original backup vocalist Rachel Haden
on bass/vocals, Sara Radle
on vocals/multiple instruments, Ben Pringle of Nerf Herder
on synths, Lauren Chipman on viola/synth/vocals and Dan Joeright on drums. Sara Radle tells the story of when she first became aware of Matt Sharp's idea to reform The Rentals on her myspace profile in her blog. The Rentals toured in North America in the summers of 2006 and 2007; these tours were notable for featuring a version of "I Just Threw Out the Love of My Dreams," a Weezer b-side that Haden sang lead on and Sharp played bass on, the latter still being in the band at that time.
After the release of "Songs About Time" in 2010, Matt and The Rentals went on hiatus.
In October 2010, Matt Sharp sold most of his equipment from his Weezer and The Rentals days on eBay
.
His famously used Orange Matamp Lead 200 was purchased by Greg Veerman, Bass player of Canadian rock band San Sebastian
In November 2010, Cuomo mentioned in an interview with Spin Magazine that "the idea came up" of having Sharp rejoin the band for their "Memories Tour," in which they play The Blue Album and Pinkerton. Cuomo stated "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." http://www.spin.com/articles/rivers-cuomo-theres-so-much-pain-my-voice
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
for the band Weezer
Weezer
Weezer is an American alternative rock band. The band currently consists of Rivers Cuomo , Patrick Wilson , Brian Bell , and Scott Shriner . The band has changed lineups three times since its formation in 1992...
. In 1994, he started a band called The Rentals
The Rentals
The Rentals are an American rock band fronted by vocalist Matt Sharp, best known as the former bass player for rock group Weezer. The band is best known for their mid-1990s hit single, "Friends of P.". The group has released two albums, Return of the Rentals and Seven More Minutes on Maverick...
and released their debut album shortly after Weezer's first release, their second album in 1999, and an EP in 2007. In addition, he has released one full length album and one EP as a solo artist.
During his time with Weezer he was known for his warm and fuzzy tone of his bass guitar and his falsetto
Falsetto
Falsetto is the vocal register occupying the frequency range just above the modal voice register and overlapping with it by approximately one octave. It is produced by the vibration of the ligamentous edges of the vocal folds, in whole or in part...
background vocal abilities. During live performances he was the one that usually moved around the stage the most, performing jumps, dances and slides. Sharp is left handed but plays bass right handed (strumming with right hand).
Early life
Matt Sharp was born in BangkokBangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
. He remained in Thailand for the first year of his life until his family moved to Arlington
Arlington County, Virginia
Arlington County is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The land that became Arlington was originally donated by Virginia to the United States government to form part of the new federal capital district. On February 27, 1801, the United States Congress organized the area as a subdivision of...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. At the age of nine, he made his first musical purchase, which was a 45 single of the song "Le Freak
Le Freak
"Le Freak" is a successful 1978 disco song by the disco band Chic. It was the band's third single album and first Billboard Hot 100 and soul music number-one song. Along with the tracks, "I Want Your Love" and "Chic Cheer", "Le Freak" scored number one on the disco charts for seven weeks...
" by Chic
Chic (band)
Chic was an African American disco and R&B band that was organized during 1976 by guitarist Nile Rodgers and bassist Bernard Edwards. It is known best for its commercially successful disco songs, including "Dance, Dance, Dance " , "Everybody Dance" , "Le Freak" , "I Want Your Love" , "Good Times"...
. When he was fourteen, he found himself being drawn to thrash bands such as Suicidal Tendencies
Suicidal Tendencies
Suicidal Tendencies is a U.S. crossover thrash band founded in 1981 in Venice, Los Angeles, California by Mike Muir, its leader and only permanent member. The band is sometimes credited as one of "the fathers of crossover thrash"...
and D.R.I.
Dirty Rotten Imbeciles
Dirty Rotten Imbeciles is a thrash metal/crossover thrash band from the United States that formed in Houston, in 1982. The band currently comprises founding members, vocalist Kurt Brecht and guitarist Spike Cassidy, as well as drummer Rob Rampy and bassist Harald Oimoen.D.R.I...
Becoming tired of the classic rock radio format in Arlington, Sharp moved to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
at age sixteen, ending up in San Diego.
In 1989, Sharp found himself fronting a goth band called the Clique. This band lasted less than one year. About six months later, he befriended future Weezer
Weezer
Weezer is an American alternative rock band. The band currently consists of Rivers Cuomo , Patrick Wilson , Brian Bell , and Scott Shriner . The band has changed lineups three times since its formation in 1992...
drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
Patrick Wilson
Patrick Wilson (musician)
Patrick "Pat" George Wilson is an American musician, best known as the drummer for the alternative rock band Weezer. He joined the band in 1992. In addition to his work in Weezer, he also fronts his own band, The Special Goodness....
. They created the band, The Wrong Sausage, later acquiring future Weezer guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
Jason Cropper
Jason Cropper
Jason Cropper is a musician best known as an original member of the band Weezer.-Early years:Cropper claimed to have picked up the guitar at age 16. His mother reports that he first "rocked" to a small 45 rpm record in his bedroom where he played "Let's Go To The Hop" by Danny and the Juniors. He...
to join the band. Wilson was also in a band with future Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo
Rivers Cuomo
Rivers Cuomo is an American musician, best known as the lead singer, lead guitarist, and principal songwriter of the alternative rock band Weezer. Raised in an Ashram in Connecticut, Cuomo moved to Los Angeles at age 19, where he participated in a number of rock bands before founding Weezer in 1992...
called Fuzz. In need of an 8-track player, Wilson convinced Cuomo to move into the same apartment that Wilson and Sharp were sharing. During this time, Sharp was also working as a telemarketer.
In the summer of 1991, Sharp moved north to Berkeley
Berkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
to pursue what Karl Koch called, "some sorta symphonic keyboard sequencing music." Other members of the band moved to separate apartments during this time. In January 1992, Sharp reconnected with his former bandmates; Cuomo, Wilson and Cropper, when Wilson showed him material from his and Cuomo's "50 song project." Sharp was pleased with the material and returned to Los Angeles to join the band, consisting of Rivers Cuomo, Patrick Wilson and Jason Cropper, now under the name Weezer.
Weezer and
The Rentals
Sharp was a founding member of Weezer, which was formed on Valentine's DayValentine's Day
Saint Valentine's Day, commonly shortened to Valentine's Day, is an annual commemoration held on February 14 celebrating love and affection between intimate companions. The day is named after one or more early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine, and was established by Pope Gelasius I in 496...
in 1980. After the success of Weezer's first album The Blue Album, he founded The Rentals in the spring of 1994, who released their debut Return of the Rentals the following year, which featured the radio hit "Friends of P and please let that be you
." He left Weezer in February 1998 two years after the release of the band's second album, Pinkerton
Pinkerton (album)
Pinkerton is the second studio album by American alternative rock band Weezer, released on September 24, 1996. After finishing tours in promotion of their 1994 album Weezer, the band originally planned to record a space-themed rock opera entitled Songs from the Black Hole...
.
The Rentals released their second album, Seven More Minutes
Seven More Minutes
Seven More Minutes, the second album by The Rentals, was released on April 13, 1999 and features numerous guests such as: Petra Haden , Donna Matthews , Miki Berenyi , Tim Wheeler , Kevin March, and Damon Albarn .-Theme:A good amount of Seven More Minutes was written by Matt Sharp...
, in 1999. Among the record's more notable contributors were Damon Albarn
Damon Albarn
Damon Albarn is an English singer-songwriter and record producer who has been involved in many high profile projects, coming to prominence as the frontman and primary songwriter of Britpop band Blur...
(of Blur
Blur (band)
Blur is an English alternative rock band. Formed in London in 1989 as Seymour, the group consists of singer Damon Albarn, guitarist Graham Coxon, bassist Alex James and drummer Dave Rowntree. Blur's debut album Leisure incorporated the sounds of Madchester and shoegazing...
), Donna Matthews
Donna Matthews
Donna Matthews was the lead guitarist of the Britpop band, Elastica.Matthews left Elastica in 1999. In May 2004, Matthews' new band, Klang, released their debut album, No Sound is Heard...
(of Elastica
Elastica
Elastica were an English alternative rock band that played punk rock-influenced music. They were best known for their 1995 album Elastica, which produced singles that charted in the US and the UK.-History:...
), Miki Berenyi
Miki Berenyi
Miki Berenyi is an English musician, singer, songwriter and guitarist.- Music :At the age of 14, Berenyi met her friend and future bandmate, Emma Anderson. They became interested in music and together wrote the music fanzine Alphabet Soup...
(of Lush
Lush (band)
Lush were an English alternative rock band, formed in 1987 and disbanded in 1998. They were one of the first bands to attract the "shoegazing" label...
), and Tim Wheeler
Tim Wheeler
Tim Wheeler is the Northern Irish guitarist, songwriter and vocalist for the rock band, Ash. He formed the band with Mark Hamilton and they were originally called Vietnam. Wheeler can be seen playing a Korina Gibson Flying V in almost all of Ash's music videos...
(of Ash
Ash (band)
Ash are an alternative rock band that formed in Downpatrick, Northern Ireland in 1992. The band has sold 8 million albums worldwide.-Band beginning, Trailer and 1977 :...
). Maya Rudolph
Maya Rudolph
Maya Khabira Rudolph is an American actress, comedienne and singer known for her comedic roles as a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 2000 to 2007, and for appearing in films such as Away We Go, Bridesmaids, Grown Ups, A Prairie Home Companion and MacGruber...
(later of Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
fame) was a member of the touring version of the band during this time. The track "My Head is in the Sun" was co-written with Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo
Rivers Cuomo
Rivers Cuomo is an American musician, best known as the lead singer, lead guitarist, and principal songwriter of the alternative rock band Weezer. Raised in an Ashram in Connecticut, Cuomo moved to Los Angeles at age 19, where he participated in a number of rock bands before founding Weezer in 1992...
. The album sold considerably less than Return of the Rentals, and the band eventually went on hiatus in 1999.
Solo records and legal battles
Sharp moved to the small town of Leiper's ForkLeiper's Fork, Tennessee
Leiper's Fork is an unincorporated village in Williamson County, Tennessee, United States. It is located at .The village, located on the Natchez Trace Parkway, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a historic district containing examples of late 19th century architecture.The area...
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, about an hour outside of Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
. Matt began recording while living there. In an interview with MTV News
MTV News
MTV News is the news division of MTV, one of the first and most popular music television network in the U.S., as well as some of MTV's related channels around the world. MTV News began in the late 1980s with the program The Week In Rock, hosted by Kurt Loder, the first official MTV News correspondent...
Matt told the reporter he was trying to disconnect and cut all ties to the music world.
After a four year hiatus from the public eye, Sharp returned to the music scene with an EP entitled Puckett's Versus the Country Boy
Puckett's Versus the Country Boy
Puckett's Versus the Country Boy is the debut solo EP from former Weezer bassist and The Rentals front man Matt Sharp. The album features no electric guitar, synths, or percussion. Instead lap steel, acoustic guitar, piano, and organ are the only accompaniment to Sharp's vocals...
in late 2003. Puckett's and Country Boy were the 2 restaurants that Sharp ate at while living in Tennessee, and the name comes from having to choose one. Sharp also went on an acoustic tour in the fall of 2002, touring with former Cake
Cake (band)
Cake is an American alternative rock band from Sacramento, California. Consisting of singer John McCrea, trumpeter Vince DiFiore, guitarist Xan McCurdy, bassist Gabe Nelson and drummer Paulo Baldi, the band has been noted for McCrea's sarcastic lyrics and deadpan voice, DiFiore's trumpet parts, and...
guitarist Greg Brown.
Sharp filed a five-count federal lawsuit against Weezer on April 19, 2002. He alleged he was owed money for co-writing Weezer's first hit song, "Undone – The Sweater Song
Undone – The Sweater Song
"Undone – The Sweater Song" is a song by the American alternative rock band Weezer, released on their self-titled 1994 debut album. It was released as their debut single in 1994...
," and that he owned a 25% interest in the first nine tracks of Pinkerton (which had been credited solely to Rivers Cuomo
Rivers Cuomo
Rivers Cuomo is an American musician, best known as the lead singer, lead guitarist, and principal songwriter of the alternative rock band Weezer. Raised in an Ashram in Connecticut, Cuomo moved to Los Angeles at age 19, where he participated in a number of rock bands before founding Weezer in 1992...
). Sharp also claimed he had handled most of Weezer's business affairs during their early success, such as hiring accountants and attorneys, and also had helped the band land their record deal. According to the Weezer biography Rivers' Edge: The Weezer Story by John D. Luerssen the lawsuit also stated that Weezer front man Rivers Cuomo was going to ask him to appear in the music video for the song "Island in the Sun." Finally, Sharp charged his former bandmates with breach of fiduciary duty, legal malpractice, dissolution of partnership, and declaratory relief. The lawsuit was later settled out of court. As a follow-up of sorts, when Sharp was asked about his future with Weezer, he brought up the fact that he hadn't heard any of their music since he left and that "if they (the albums) were bad, they'd probably be just as bad if I was there."
Reunion with Cuomo, re-formation of The Rentals
On February 12, 2004, just two days before Weezer's twelfth anniversary, Rivers CuomoRivers Cuomo
Rivers Cuomo is an American musician, best known as the lead singer, lead guitarist, and principal songwriter of the alternative rock band Weezer. Raised in an Ashram in Connecticut, Cuomo moved to Los Angeles at age 19, where he participated in a number of rock bands before founding Weezer in 1992...
and Matt Sharp ended their public separation when they reunited onstage. Rivers sat in during a Sharp solo show at Cal State Fullerton
California State University, Fullerton
California State University, Fullerton is a public university located in Fullerton, California. It is the largest institution in the CSU System by enrollment, it offers long-distance education and adult-degree programs...
. Sharp and Cuomo played four songs together: the Sharp/Cuomo collaborations "Mrs. Young" and "Time Song," and the Weezer tunes "Say It Ain't So
Say It Ain't So
"Say It Ain't So" is a song by the American rock band Weezer. It was released as the third single from their self-titled 1994 debut album.Written by frontman Rivers Cuomo, the song came to be after he had all the music finished and one line, "Say it ain't so"...
" and "Undone." At the show, Sharp announced that he and Cuomo would be working on a collaborative record together. Yet later that year, he announced on his website that although they had come up with "15 or 16 new song ideas" for their new album, their "special brand of dysfunctionality" might keep them from finishing the project any time soon.
Sharp released a solo EP in 2003, a solo full-length
Matt Sharp (album)
Matt Sharp is a self titled debut from former Weezer bassist and former The Rentals frontman Matt Sharp. The album is notable for featuring no electric guitar, synths, or percussion. Instead lap steel, acoustic guitar, piano, and organ are the only accompaniment to Sharp's vocals...
in 2004 and continued to tour in 2004-2005 with the band Goldenboy
Goldenboy
Goldenboy is an indie rock band from Diamond Bar, California that has collaborated with Weezer's former bassist, Matt Sharp. Their second album "Underneath the Radio" was released in October of 2006...
.
In 2004, Sharp recorded synthesizer on So Jealous
So Jealous
So Jealous is a studio album by Canadian band Tegan and Sara, released on September 14, 2004. It is their third album on Vapor Records, and their fourth overall. One track on the album, "Walking with a Ghost", was later covered by The White Stripes and became the title song of their EP Walking with...
by Canadian indie pop band Tegan and Sara
Tegan and Sara
Tegan and Sara are a Canadian indie band composed of identical twin sisters Tegan Rain Quin and Sara Keirsten Quin . Both Tegan and Sara play guitar and keyboard and write songs.-History:...
. Sharp continued to work with the band on their next album, The Con
The Con (album)
The Con is the fifth studio album by Canadian rock duo Tegan and Sara, released on July 24, 2007...
, later appearing at a Tegan and Sara concert in 2008 to play bass in a cover of Weezer's "Tired of Sex."
After a slow period in 2005, Sharp contemplated what to do next, considering either a new solo album or starting a new collaborative partnership (although he didn't state with whom). The possibility of him rejoining Weezer
Weezer
Weezer is an American alternative rock band. The band currently consists of Rivers Cuomo , Patrick Wilson , Brian Bell , and Scott Shriner . The band has changed lineups three times since its formation in 1992...
was also an option. Thus he decided to re-form The Rentals
The Rentals
The Rentals are an American rock band fronted by vocalist Matt Sharp, best known as the former bass player for rock group Weezer. The band is best known for their mid-1990s hit single, "Friends of P.". The group has released two albums, Return of the Rentals and Seven More Minutes on Maverick...
after a six year absence. Work has begun on a third LP and they released an EP entitled The Last Little Life EP
The Last Little Life EP
The Last Little Life EP is the first collection of new material from The Rentals in more than 8 years, released August 14, 2007. It is also the first release to feature the current line-up of the band since the 2006 reunion...
on August 14, 2007. The lineup of the reformed band is different from the original, including original backup vocalist Rachel Haden
Rachel Haden
Rachel Haden is the current bass guitarist for Todd Rundgren on his "Arena Rock" tour, and one of the triplet daughters of jazz bassist Charlie Haden....
on bass/vocals, Sara Radle
Sara Radle
Sara I. Radle is an American musician and former member of the band The Rentals, fronted by ex-Weezer bassist Matt Sharp.Radle was a member of the Rentals for three years, starting in 2005. Most recently, she formed her own Los Angeles-based band, Calamity Magnet.Sara Radle’s music career began in...
on vocals/multiple instruments, Ben Pringle of Nerf Herder
Nerf Herder
Nerf Herder is a punk rock band from Santa Barbara formed in 1994 by Parry Gripp , Charlie Dennis and Steve Sherlock . They describe themselves as a "geek rock" band, and are known for simplistic modern punk-style songs with frequently humorous, juvenile and pop-culture-referencing lyrics...
on synths, Lauren Chipman on viola/synth/vocals and Dan Joeright on drums. Sara Radle tells the story of when she first became aware of Matt Sharp's idea to reform The Rentals on her myspace profile in her blog. The Rentals toured in North America in the summers of 2006 and 2007; these tours were notable for featuring a version of "I Just Threw Out the Love of My Dreams," a Weezer b-side that Haden sang lead on and Sharp played bass on, the latter still being in the band at that time.
After the release of "Songs About Time" in 2010, Matt and The Rentals went on hiatus.
In October 2010, Matt Sharp sold most of his equipment from his Weezer and The Rentals days on eBay
EBay
eBay Inc. is an American internet consumer-to-consumer corporation that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide...
.
His famously used Orange Matamp Lead 200 was purchased by Greg Veerman, Bass player of Canadian rock band San Sebastian
San Sebastian (band)
San Sebastian is an indie pop rock band from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Formerly known as Pumps, they broke out on to the scene after appearing on the MuchMusic original series, disBAND.-Biography:...
In November 2010, Cuomo mentioned in an interview with Spin Magazine that "the idea came up" of having Sharp rejoin the band for their "Memories Tour," in which they play The Blue Album and Pinkerton. Cuomo stated "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." http://www.spin.com/articles/rivers-cuomo-theres-so-much-pain-my-voice
Film Appearances
- Matt Sharp plays the part of God in a surreal sequence in the unreleased 2003 film SlashedSlashedSlashed is a low budget independent horror film, financed and directed by Ash and written by Jed Shepherd. The film was shot in 2002, purely on a video camcorder when Ash were on tour in the United States supporting Coldplay - who subsequently appeared in the movie as detectives, along with various...
.
With Weezer
- 1994 - Weezer (The Blue Album)
- 1996 - PinkertonPinkerton (album)Pinkerton is the second studio album by American alternative rock band Weezer, released on September 24, 1996. After finishing tours in promotion of their 1994 album Weezer, the band originally planned to record a space-themed rock opera entitled Songs from the Black Hole...
With The Rentals
- 1995 - Return of the Rentals
- 1999 - Seven More MinutesSeven More MinutesSeven More Minutes, the second album by The Rentals, was released on April 13, 1999 and features numerous guests such as: Petra Haden , Donna Matthews , Miki Berenyi , Tim Wheeler , Kevin March, and Damon Albarn .-Theme:A good amount of Seven More Minutes was written by Matt Sharp...
- 2007 - The Last Little Life EPThe Last Little Life EPThe Last Little Life EP is the first collection of new material from The Rentals in more than 8 years, released August 14, 2007. It is also the first release to feature the current line-up of the band since the 2006 reunion...
- 2009 - Songs About TimeSongs About TimeSongs About Time is a multimedia project released by The Rentals throughout 2009. It consists of Songs About Time, three mini-albums released every three months; Films About Weeks, 52 black and white short films scored and arranged by The Rentals and released every Tuesday; and Photographs About...
- 2011 - Resilience
Solo
- 2003 - Puckett's Versus the Country BoyPuckett's Versus the Country BoyPuckett's Versus the Country Boy is the debut solo EP from former Weezer bassist and The Rentals front man Matt Sharp. The album features no electric guitar, synths, or percussion. Instead lap steel, acoustic guitar, piano, and organ are the only accompaniment to Sharp's vocals...
- 2004 - Matt SharpMatt Sharp (album)Matt Sharp is a self titled debut from former Weezer bassist and former The Rentals frontman Matt Sharp. The album is notable for featuring no electric guitar, synths, or percussion. Instead lap steel, acoustic guitar, piano, and organ are the only accompaniment to Sharp's vocals...
With Homie
- 1998 - Meet the DeedlesMeet the DeedlesMeet the Deedles is a 1998 American comedy film directed by Steve Boyum and starring Paul Walker and Steve Van Wormer. It was the first theatrically released film to be produced by DIC Entertainment since 1986 . Its name is a play on the Beatles album Meet The Beatles...
Soundtrack (co-producer and background vocals on "American Girls")