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]
Early life and education
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]
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.
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]
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.
Session work
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.
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.
False, True, Love – 2014 Whitney Biennial short film with Emily Sundblad, Sweeney, and Mariko Munro that features a cover version of the Shirley Collins song "False True Love"[17]
