You can edit almost every page by Creating an account. Otherwise, see the FAQ.

Matt Pless

From EverybodyWiki Bios & Wiki

Matt Pless
File:Matt Pless.jpg
Background information
Birth nameMatthew Garrett Pless
BornCatonsville, Maryland, U.S. July 11, 1980 (age 39)
Genres
Occupation(s)Singer-songwriter, guitarist
InstrumentsVocals, guitar
Years active1998–present
Labels
  • Paper + Plastick
  • Driftwood Records
  • Shibby Pictures
Associated acts3 Prong Outlet
Websitemattpless.com

Matt Pless (born July 11, 1980) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist from Catonsville, Maryland, in Baltimore County. He is known for his solo career, as well as his now disbanded pop punk band 3 Prong Outlet. Since the disbandment of his punk band, he focused on folk music, with an emphasis on protest music and political songwriting.[1]

In 2012, he was featured on Occupy This Album, a compilation album who's proceeds went directly towards the needs of sustaining the Occupy Movement. The album features artists such as Loudon Wainwright III, Debbie Harry, Yoko Ono, and Tom Morello. Matt's song, "Somethings Got to Give" was the feature track on this album.[2][3]

To date, Matt Pless has released 5 solo albums. He is known for his relentless tour schedule, often playing shows on the road for several months at a time. He spent the entirety of 2012-2017 on tour, playing over 800 shows during that time.[4] His latest studio album, 'Catch Me If You Can', was released on June 2, 2017.[5]

In 2019, he released his 'Nero' EP with Paper + Plastick Records, a label run by Vinnie Fiorello of famed ska punk band Less Than Jake.

Matt was featured in an independent film documenting folk music in New York City called “Renegade Dreamers” directed by filmmaker Karen Kramer. The film included footage of Matt performing in NYC coffee houses and open mics during his busking days, as well as several interview clips addressing his thoughts on songwriting and socio-political themes. [6]

Career[edit]

Early career and 3 Prong Outlet 1998 - 2004[edit]

Matt Pless began his music career at the age of 8 when he started writing songs and performing them for his 3rd grade class. This followed his exposure to ‘60s pop-rock groups, such as The Monkees and The Beatles, the musicality of Billy Joel, and various children’s show songs from Disney films and Jim Henson’s Muppet Show.

He started his first band in 1998 with the formation of a pop punk trio, 3 Prong Outlet. The group included bassist Steve Smeal, and AJ Russo on drums. As the lead singer and songwriter/guitarist for the band, Matt proved early on to have a knack for composing songs that featured catchy hooks and memorably clever lyrics layered over distorted guitar chords and galloping drum beats in the vein of punk bands such as Green Day, Blink 182 and The Mr. T Experience.

3 Prong Outlet released their first cassette tape demo E.P. titled "How the Grinch Stole My Virginity" in the winter of 1998 and set about playing a string of shows in their hometown of Baltimore, Maryland. The band followed up their first E.P. with the full-length album "Sanford Avenue" in 1999. In 2000, they made their underground breakthrough with a 2nd full-length album, "Unlucky Strike" featuring the song ‘Christina', an ode to songstress Christina Aguilera, which generated airplay on local Baltimore radio stations WHFS and 98 Rock. 3 Prong Outlet was subsequently selected as one of seven local bands competing to perform at the WHFStival, the largest concert in the mid-Atlantic area. 3 Prong Outlet began to generate a large fan base in the Baltimore area through constant performing, catchy gritty pop punk songs and rowdy live shows that included spraying the crowd with squirt guns filled with beer and tossing out scarecrows stuffed with pornography.

Following the departure of drummer AJ Russo, the band recruited drummer #2, Mike Milligan and took off on their first tour of the Midwest. Mike’s short stint in the band ended in early 2001 when he was replaced by Graham Molinaro, rounding out the line up most fans remember best.

They caught the ear of Sony music artist, Mitch Allen who fronted the band SR71. He signed on to produce and record 3 Prong Outlet's four-song E.P. known forever as the " Star Demo". The release included the band’s biggest hit, "Novocaine" which earned them a spot on the Washington DC stop of The Vans Warped tour in 2002. 3 Prong Outlet continued to tour up and down the east coast before releasing their final album in 2003 called " Now, or Never". That year they found themselves playing shows opening for bands like Fallout Boy, Allister, Our Lady Peace, Maroon 5, Rilo Kiley and others. In 2004 Steve Smeal left the band siting creative differences and was replaced briefly by Ryan Kibby who played bass on the band’s final recorded song, "The Freak Show" for the complication cd "East Coast vs the World"

Matt broke up 3 Prong Outlet in the fall of 2004 and began his solo career.

Solo Career 2004 - 2009[edit]

He recorded his first solo venture, the full-length "Requiems for Wishing Wells”, swapping his electric guitar for an acoustic and immersing himself in the music of Bob Dylan and Bright Eyes. Matt promoted "Requiems" on his first solo tour of the U.S. playing coffee shops, bars and basements and showcasing his new style of aggressive, yet still catchy, acoustic music which would eventually fall under the category of folk punk/anti folk/riot folk.

Upon returning to the East coast, Matt moved to New York City where he honed his songwriting skills playing weekly open mic nights at venues such as The Sidewalk Cafe and Cafe Vivaldi, as well as busking for money in Washington Square Park and the New York City subway system This trajectory eventually landed him inclusion in the book “The Noise Beneath the Apple: A Celebration of the Spirit of Busking in New York City”. In addition, Matt also earned a much-coveted spot as a member of the licensed subway performer organization "MUNY" (Music Under New York). He became one of only 25 performers selected from an audition pool of over 200 artists.

Matt released his 2nd full length solo album "Alarm Clock, Time Bomb" in 2008, an 11-track effort focusing more on lyrics that explored socio-political themes. It was followed by another full U.S tour that circled the country for 3 months. His next full-length album, "Ballerina", was released in 2009.

Occupy NY and Breakthrough 2010 - present[edit]

During the fall of 2011, Matt participated in the outdoor protest in New York City that would become known as Occupy Wall Street. His live performances in Zuccotti Park garnered him the attention of Sony Music who included his song "Something's Got to Give" as the opening track to the Occupy Wall Street benefit compilation titled, Occupy This Album. This album also included tracks from Willie Nelson, Joan Baez, Ani DiFranco, David Crosby, Blondie, Jackson Browne, Yoko Ono and many other high-profile artists. With the release of his 4th solo effort, 2012's "Tumbleweed" Matt left New York City and spent the following three years constantly touring the United States.

"Tumbleweed" soared in popularity among the audience of the growing DIY Folk Punk scene. During this time, Matt participated in tours with Irish folk duo 'Heathers', and New Jersey garage-rock artist, Melissa Luciola (a.k.a. Francie Moon) with whom he shared one side of a split 7-inch vinyl that featured his songs "Dirty Needles" and "Of Love and Loss" that was released in 2013 on the defunct 'Fake Art Records'.

He shared the stage numerous times with notable underground folk punk groups such as Days ‘n Daze, Ramshackle Glory, Pat the Bunny, AJJ, and The Taxpayers. During these years, Matt played nearly 500 shows, released 2 E.P.s, 2013's "The Bus Stop E.P." and 2014's "Songs in the Key of Blue" on the defunct 'Old Grey Cat' record label and became somewhat of an underground celebrity himself in the folk punk genre. Matt's album 'Tumbleweed ' album is now known as a " folk punk classic " and receives vinyl and limited cassette releases through both 'You Look Like Shit Records ' and 'Driftwood Records'.

2015 saw Matt release "Call it Art", a departure from his usual roots-y, quirky, acoustic signature sound and an exploration into blues and psychedelic folk. It was followed by 2017's "Catch Me if You Can" which featured one of Matt's most popular songs " When the Frayed Wind Blows" Matt continued to tour the country in support of this release for the bulk of 2017 and embarked on a two-month tour of the U.K and Europe in the fall of 2018

In 2019, he released his 'Nero' EP with Paper + Plastick Records. Matt was featured in an independent film documenting folk music in New York City called “Renegade Dreamers” directed by filmmaker Karen Kramer. The title song of the film was his single, "When the Frayed Wind Blows."

Discography[edit]

Studio albums[edit]

  • Requiems for Wishing Wells (2005)[7]
  • Alarm Clock Time Bomb (2008)[8]
  • Ballerina (2009)
  • Short Tales and Tall Stories (2011)[9]
  • Tumbleweed (2012)[10]
  • Call It Art (2015)[11]
  • Catch Me If You Can (2017)[12]

EPs[edit]

  • Dirty Needles/Of Love and Loss (2013)[13]
  • The Bus Stop EP (2014)[14]
  • Songs in the Key of Blue (2014)[15]
  • Nero (2019)[16]

Compilation Appearances[edit]

Music videos[edit]

References[edit]

  1. Reesman, Bryan (2 December 2014). "Bruce Springsteen Flies The Social Flags". Retrieved 16 Sep 2019.
  2. [Occupy Wall Street Album to Feature Tom Morello, Crosby & Nash, Yoko Ono "Bruce Springsteen Flies The Social Flags"] Check |url= value (help). 23 January 2012. Retrieved 16 Sep 2019.
  3. Coyle, Caryn (3 February 2012). "Baltimore Native Shines on Occupy This Album". Retrieved 16 Sep 2019.
  4. Sendejas Jr., Jesse (19 May 2017). "The Long Trails and Tall Tales of Matt Pless". Retrieved 16 Sep 2019.
  5. Moya, Jesse (22 August 2017). "Matt Pless Invokes Some Folk". Retrieved 16 Sep 2019.
  6. https://www.thevillager.com/2019/05/times-they-are-a-changinfor-protest-artists/
  7. "Requiems for Wishing Wells - Matt Pless".
  8. "Alarm Clock Time Bomb - Matt Pless".
  9. "Short Tales and Tall Stories - Matt Pless".
  10. "Tumbleweed - Matt Pless". 10 February 2012. Retrieved 16 September 2019.
  11. "Call It Art - Matt Pless". 10 May 2015. Retrieved 16 September 2019.
  12. "Catch Me If You Can - Matt Pless". 2 June 2017. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
  13. "Dirty Needles/Of Love and Loss - Matt Pless". Retrieved 19 September 2019.
  14. "The Bus Stop EP - Matt Pless". Retrieved 19 September 2019.
  15. "Songs in the Key of Blue - Matt Pless". Retrieved 19 September 2019.
  16. "Nero - Matt Pless". Retrieved 19 September 2019.
  17. https://open.spotify.com/album/2hLJZaLWq5w0JhIFx97aVO. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  18. "Erik Petersen Tribute Comp - Various Artists".

External links[edit]


This article "Matt Pless" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Matt Pless. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.