Matt Kean (musician)
Matt Kean | |
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![]() Kean in 2019 | |
Background information | |
Birth name | Matthew Kean[1] |
Born | [2] Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England | 2 June 1986
Genres | |
Occupation(s) | Musician |
Instrument | Bass guitar |
Years active | 2004–present |
Member of | Bring Me the Horizon |
Matthew Kean (born 2 June 1986) is a British musician, best known as the bassist of the British rock band Bring Me the Horizon. Kean has been credited on all seven of the band's studio releases.
Early life
[edit]Kean was born on 2 June 1986 and was raised in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England.[2] Growing up, Kean wanted to be a footballer, but figured "that was never going to happen." He went to college studying biology, physics and chemistry A Levels.[3] On his days off from college wondering what to do apart from playing on his computer, he decided to buy a bass guitar. He used to print tabs off the internet and play along to stuff like Blink-182 and Green Day.[3] Before joining Bring Me the Horizon, he would watch bandmate Lee Malia perform in his Metallica tribute band.[3] He ended up joining the band in 2004, after he finished college and leaving local bands he previously played for.[3][4]
Career
[edit]Bring Me the Horizon formed in 2004, and they released their debut EP, This Is What the Edge of Your Seat Was Made For, later that year.[4] The group released their debut studio album Count Your Blessings, on 30 October 2006.[5] The album peaked at number 93 on the UK Albums Chart.[6] Their second studio album, Suicide Season was released on 29 September 2008.[7] The album reached number 47 on the UK Albums Chart.[6] Their third studio album, There Is a Hell Believe Me I've Seen It. There Is a Heaven Let's Keep It a Secret was released on 4 October 2010.[8] The album debuted at number 13 on the UK Albums Chart.[6] Their fourth studio album, Sempiternal was released on 1 April 2013.[9] It peaked at number three on the UK Albums Chart.[6] The group's fifth studio album, That's the Spirit was released on 11 September 2015.[10] The album peaked at number two on the UK Albums Chart,[6] as well as number two on the Billboard 200, making it the band's first top ten in the US.[11] Their sixth studio album, Amo was released on 25 January 2019.[12] The album topped the UK Albums Chart.[13]
Kean along with Oli Sykes' mother Carol Sykes, also served as the de facto managers of the band during the group's early years until 2008.[4] On 12 December 2016, Kean was selected for the front cover on the 138th edition of Bass Guitar magazine, featuring an exclusive interview with the bassist.[14]
Equipment
[edit]The first bass guitar Kean owned was a Peavey starter pack. He later bought an Ibanez bass and used it on tour during the band's early years.[3] He also has an Ibanez five-string bass that he doesn't use often. Additionally, Kean owns a few Fenders and Sandbergs, as well as an endorsement through Gibson.[3] The brand suggested him try their EB14, which he "immediately liked" because of its sound.[15] On tour, Kean uses four basses, one of them he notes, his Gibson Ernie Ball bass.[3] He also has a blue non-reverse Gibson Thunderbird bass, which is based on a 1965 model.[15] His amp setup consists of an 8x10' cabinet, an Ashdown head and an Ampeg SVT-VR reissue.[15][3] Kean also uses an EMG Ja Set Pickups.[16] He likes to keep his style simple and doesn't use any effects,[3] however he has a Tube Screamer pedal and used a plugin from SansAmp on recording "What You Need" from the band's fifth studio album, That's the Spirit.[15] He also used an Empress compressor effects pedal on the album.[3]
Musical style and technique
[edit]According to Kean, he was far behind in his playing technique when he first joined Bring Me the Horizon but was able to catch up.[3] Kean is a self-taught bassist, as he never took lessons or learned any theory. On writing bass lines, Kean usually follows along with Malia's guitar parts.[3] Kean also stated that he was never influenced by any bass players though he appreciated technical bassists like Billy Sheehan and Matt Freeman from Rancid who stood out to him.[15]
Personal life
[edit]He is a vegan.[2] He moved to Manchester in his early 20s.[17] During the recording of Sempiternal, Kean didn't have a place to live along with former bandmate Jona Weinhofen, so they stayed in a hotel together during that time.[18] Kean is an avid football watcher and is a fan of Manchester City.[17] He is currently dating American singer Tillie.[19]
Discography
[edit]Bring Me the Horizon
[edit]Studio albums
- Count Your Blessings (2006)
- Suicide Season (2008)
- There Is a Hell Believe Me I've Seen It. There Is a Heaven Let's Keep It a Secret. (2010)
- Sempiternal (2013)
- That's the Spirit (2015)
- Amo (2019)
- Post Human: Nex Gen (2024)
References
[edit]- ^ "Matthew Kean Songs, Albums, Reviews - AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
- ^ a b c Tony Banh (25 March 2023). "Bring Me The Horizon Brochure". Issuu. p. 18-19. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Joel McIver (21 March 2017). "Bring Me The Horizon's Matt Kean on his bass history and the band's unstoppable rise". Music Radar. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
- ^ a b c Patashnik, Ben (October 2012). Patashnik, B. (ed.). "We Were So Clueless". Rock Sound (166). London, United Kingdom: Freeway Press. ISSN 1465-0185.
- ^ Welch, Ben (6 April 2016). Bring Me the Horizon: Heavy Sounds from the Steel City. John Blake Publishing. ISBN 978-1784189860.
- ^ a b c d e "Bring Me the Horizon - Official Charts Company". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
- ^ "Bring Me The Horizon Signs With Epitaph". Epitaph Records. 11 September 2008. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
- ^ "Bring Me the Horizon: New Album Details Revealed". Blabbermouth.net. 12 August 2010. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
- ^ Martin Kielty (1 March 2013). "Hear The Whole New Bring Me The Horizon Album Sempiternal". Metal Hammer. Archived from the original on 6 March 2013. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
- ^ "Bring Me the Horizon To Release 'That's The Spirit' Album In September". Blabbermouth.net. 21 July 2015. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
- ^ Keith Caulfield (20 September 2015). "The Weeknd Earns Third Week at No. 1 on Billboard 200 Albums Chart". Billboard. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
- ^ Connick, Tom (22 August 2018). "Bring Me The Horizon's new album – release date, tour dates and everything we know so far". NME. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
- ^ "Bring Me The Horizon score first No. 1 album with 'amo'". Alternative Press. 1 February 2019. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
- ^ "Bass Guitar 138 (Sampler)". Issuu. Future PLC. 12 December 2016. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
- ^ a b c d e Olivier Ducruix (1 April 2016). "Matt Kean (Bring Me the Horizon) - Team Spirit". Guitar Part (in French). Retrieved 30 March 2024.
- ^ "Matt Kean / Bring Me the Horizon". EMG Pickups. EMG, Inc. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
- ^ a b "Premier League predictions: Lawro v rock band Bring Me The Horizon". BBC. 2 November 2018. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
- ^ Mary Varvaris (25 May 2023). "Jona Weinhofen Talks About Leaving Bring Me The Horizon". The Music. Kill Your Stereo. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
- ^ @matt__kean (April 6, 2019). "2 years and I've still not perfected my body slam !" – via Instagram.