Biography
Born September 20, 1969, in Arlington, Virginia, Matt Sharp first rose to attention as Weezer’s founding bassist yet also issued recordings under the Rentals name. In early 1992 he assembled the Los Angeles quartet alongside Rivers Cuomo on vocals and guitar, Jason Cropper on guitar, and Pat Wilson on drums. Blending the pop-punk of Nirvana and the Pixies with the new-wave approach of the Cars and Cheap Trick, the group swiftly attracted local support and signed with Geffen. Ric Ocasek, ex-leader of the Cars, produced the debut, for which Brian Bell replaced Cropper just prior to tracking. Weezer’s self-titled album appeared in spring 1994 and reached certified-hit status by autumn on the strength of videos and singles such as “Undone (The Sweater Song)” and “Buddy Holly.” After the year-long tour ended, Sharp launched the Rentals in 1995 to explore early-1980s synth styles typified by Gary Numan. He enlisted Wilson, that dog. violinist Petra Haden, vocalist-keyboardist Cherielynn Westrich, guitarist Rod Cervera, and handled bass, synth, and vocals himself; the ten Sharp originals were captured in three days, yielding Return of the Rentals that fall. The quirky single “Friends of P.” drove unexpected commercial success. Speculation about a permanent split proved unfounded when Sharp rejoined Weezer for the 1996 release Pinkerton. Its weak sales led Cuomo to place the band on hiatus, prompting Sharp’s departure in 1998 so he could revive the Rentals. Kevin March took over drums, and the resulting Seven More Minutes of 1999 tempered the debut’s eccentricities in favor of wider stylistic variety. Modest sales again triggered a breakup. While Cuomo revived Weezer, Sharp completed a stark solo album of guitar, voice, and minimal organ in summer 2002 and began West Coast performances with former Cake guitarist Greg Brown. That same year he filed suit against Weezer, asserting co-writing credit on “Undone (The Sweater Song),” most of Pinkerton, assorted B-sides, and soundtrack material. Returning to the studio in 2002, Sharp, Brown, and Josh Hager worked in seclusion in Leipers Fork, Tennessee; the outcome, Puckett’s Versus the Country Boy, surfaced on In Music We Trust in summer 2003, followed by his self-titled full-length in May 2004.
Albums
