Matthew Kelly Sharp (born September 22, 1969 in Bangkok, Thailand) 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 2007. In addition, he has released one full length album and one EP as a solo artist.

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Biography

Early life

Matt Sharp was born in Bangkok, Thailand. He remained in Thailand for the first year of his life until his family moved to Arlington, Virginia. ^[1] At the age of nine, he made his first musical purchase, which was a 45 single of the song "Le Freak" by Chic. ^[2] When he was fourteen, he found himself being drawn to thrash bands such as Suicidal Tendencies and D.R.I. ^[1] Becoming tired of the classic rock radio format in Arlington, Sharp moved to California at age sixteen, ending up in San Diego. ^[4]

In 1989, Sharp found himself fronting a goth band called the Clique. This band lasted just two weeks. ^[4] About six months later, he befriended future Weezer drummer Patrick Wilson. They created the band, The Wrong Sausage, ^[4] later acquiring future Weezer guitarist Jason Cropper to join the band. ^[7] 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. ^[8] During this time, Sharp was also working as a telemarketer. ^[8]

In the summer of 1991, Sharp moved north to Berkeley to pursue what Karl Koch called, "some sorta symphonic keyboard sequencing music." ^[10] Other members of the band moved to separate apartments during this time. ^[11] 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. ^[12]

Weezer and the original version of The Rentals

Sharp was a founding member of Weezer, which was formed on Valentines Day in 1992. ^[13] After the success of Weezer's first album The Blue Album , he founded The Rentals in the spring of 1994, ^[14] who released their debut Return of the Rentals the following year, which featured the radio hit "Friends Of P." ^[15] He left Weezer in February 1998 two years after the release of the band's second album, Pinkerton . ^[16]

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). ^[17] 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. ^[16] The album sold considerably less than Return of the Rentals , and the band eventually went on hiatus in 1999. ^[19]

Solo records and legal battles

Sharp moved to the small town of Leiper's Fork, 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. ^{[20] [21]}

After a four year hiatus from the public eye, ^[20] Sharp returned to the music scene with an EP entitled Puckett's Versus the Country Boy in late 2003. ^[23] 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. ^[24]

Sharp filed a five-count federal lawsuit against Weezer on April 19, 2002. ^[25] 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. ^{[26] [25]} 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." ^[26] Finally, Sharp charged his former bandmates with breach of fiduciary duty, legal malpractice, dissolution of partnership, and declaratory relief. ^[29] 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." ^[30]

Reunion with Cuomo, re-formation of The Rentals

On February 12, 2004, just two days before Weezer's twelfth anniversary, Rivers Cuomo 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 disfunctionality" might keep them from finishing the project any time soon. ^[31]

Sharp released a solo EP in 2003, a solo full-length in 2004 and continued to tour in 2004-2005 with the band Goldenboy.

After a slow period in 2005, Sharp contemplated what to do next, considering either a new solo album, starting a new collaborative partnership (although he didn't state with whom). The possibility of him rejoining Weezer was also an option. ^[32] 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 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.

Film Appearances

• Matt Sharp plays the part of God in a surreal sequence in the 2003 film Slashed .

Discography

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

Solo

• 2003 - Puckett's Versus the Country Boy
• 2004 - Matt Sharp

With Homie

• 1998 - Meet the Deedles Soundtrack (co-producer and background vocals on "American Girls")

With Tegan and Sara

• 2004 - So Jealous
• 2007 - The Con

Notes

1. Luerssen D., John. ''Rivers' Edge: The Weezer Story''. ECW Press, 2004, ISBN 1-55022-619-3 p. 50
2. Luerssen D., John, 2004 p. 50
3. Luerssen D., John. ''Rivers' Edge: The Weezer Story''. ECW Press, 2004, ISBN 1-55022-619-3 p. 50
4. Luerssen D., John, 2004 p. 51
5. Luerssen D., John, 2004 p. 51
6. Luerssen D., John, 2004 p. 51
7. Luerssen D., John, 2004 p. 53
8. Luerssen D., John, 2004 p. 55
9. Luerssen D., John, 2004 p. 55
10. Luerssen D., John, 2004 p. 56
11. Luerssen D., John, 2004 p. 58
12. Luerssen D., John, 2004 p. 62
13. Official Weezer Biography Page at last.fm;retrieved on 2007-10-15
14. Luerssen D., John, 2004 p. 150
15. The Rentals: Artist Chart History
16. Luerssen D., John, 2004 p. 257
17. ''Seven More Minutes'' booklet and liner notes
18. Luerssen D., John, 2004 p. 257
19. Luerssen D., John, 2004 p. 273
20. Luerssen D., John, 2004 p. 470
21. Matt Sharp Says LP With Rivers Cuomo May Never Come Out
22. Luerssen D., John, 2004 p. 470
23. Luerssen D., John, 2004 p. 472
24. Luerssen D., John, 2004 p. 469
25. Former Weezer Bassist Matt Sharp Sues Band Over Royalties
26. Luerssen D., John, 2004 p. 423
27. Former Weezer Bassist Matt Sharp Sues Band Over Royalties
28. Luerssen D., John, 2004 p. 423
29. Luerssen D., John, 2004 p. 424
30. Matt Sharp Talks About Rivers Cuomo's Etiquette Fetish And Tegan And Sara
31. Note To Fans From Matt Sharp
32. Diary: Day One 10-24-05