60 min listen
Ep. 120 - MATTHEW SWEET ("Sick of Myself")
Ep. 120 - MATTHEW SWEET ("Sick of Myself")
ratings:
Length:
59 minutes
Released:
Jul 23, 2019
Format:
Podcast episode
Description
Matthew Sweet joins us to unpack his process of writing power pop gems like "Girlfriend," "The Ugly Truth," "Sick of Myself" and many others. EPISODE DETAILS: PART ONE Scott and Paul analyze mix tapes, cool bands, and "older brother rock." PART TWO - 5:29 mark Paul and Scott jump on the phone with Matthew Sweet, one of the nicest rock stars on the planet, to get the lowdown on how a postcard from Michael Stipe altered his musical future; why he says being a solo artist is lonely; the reason he describes the drums on "Girlfriend" as "odd." why a paralyzing fear of flying kept him off airplanes for nearly a decade; what he really thinks of being labeled "power pop;" why he was conflicted about making The Thorns album; what happened when he suggested that he and Susanna Hoffs write an album together; and the song he collaborated on with a Saturday Night Live legend that led to another SNL legend covering one of his very earliest recordings. ABOUT MATTHEW SWEET Best known for hits such as “Girlfriend” and “Sick of Myself,” Matthew Sweet is a melodically-oriented rock tunesmith who was at the center of the 1990s power pop revival. After befriending R.E.M., the native Nebraskan relocated to Georgia, where he joined Michael Stipe’s sister Lynda’s band, Oh-OK and launched his own group Buzz of Delight. Sweet eventually launched his solo career from New York and then Los Angeles, earning gold certification for his albums Girlfriend and 100% Fun. The latter was named one of the year’s best by Entertainment Weekly, and he has gone on to release a dozen more critically-acclaimed solo albums. Additionally, he has collaborated on a series of cover song projects with Susana Hoffs, as well as on an album of original material in collaboration with Shawn Mullins and Pete Droge under the name The Thorns. As a songwriter, Matthew has collaborated with The Jayhawks, Hanson, Michael Stipe, Chris Stamey, and Jules Shear, with whom he wrote the title track for ‘Til Tuesday’s album Everything’s Different Now. His most recent album is titled Wicked System of Things. American Songwriter Podcast Network
Released:
Jul 23, 2019
Format:
Podcast episode
Titles in the series (100)
Ep. 6 - MELISSA MANCHESTER ("Midnight Blue"): Grammy winner Melissa Manchester signed her first publishing deal at the age of 17, before going on to work as a backup singer for Bette Midler. She first came to prominence as an artist with the 1975 single “Midnight Blue,” which climbed to #6 on Billboard’s Pop chart and hit the #1 spot on the Adult Contemporary rankings. Co-written with Carole Bayer Sager, it was the first of nine Manchester-penned compositions to hit the Top 40. Of those, a half dozen reached the Top 10 on the Adult Contemporary chart. In addition to writing her own hits as a performer - including “Just Too Many People” and “Just You And I” - she also found success writing for other artists, including the Top 10 hit “Come In From the Rain” for Captain & Tennille and “Whenever I Call You Friend,” which was a Top 5 Pop hit for Kenny Loggins and Stevie Nicks in 1978. Her songs have been recorded by Roberta Flack, Dusty Springfield, Alison Krauss, and Barbra Streisand. by Songcraft: Spotlight on Songwriters