Matt Kean (musician)
British bassist From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Matthew Kean (born 2 June 1986) is a British musician, best known as the bassist of the rock band Bring Me the Horizon. He has been credited on all seven of the band's studio releases.
Matt Kean | |
|---|---|
Kean in 2019 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Matthew Kean[1] |
| Born | 2 June 1986[2] Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England |
| Genres | |
| Occupation | Musician |
| Instrument | Bass guitar |
| Years active | 2004–present |
| Member of | Bring Me the Horizon |
Early life
Kean was born on 2 June 1986 and was raised in Sheffield, South Yorkshire.[2] Growing up, he 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
Summarize
Perspective
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] Their seventh studio album, Post Human: Nex Gen was released on 24 May 2024.[14]
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.[15]
Equipment
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.[16] 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.[16] His amp setup consists of an 8x10' cabinet, an Ashdown head and an Ampeg SVT-VR reissue.[16][3] Kean also uses an EMG Ja Set Pickups.[17] He uses an Ernie Ball Hybrid Coated bass strings with an individual 135.[18] 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.[16] He also used an Empress compressor effects pedal on the album.[3]
Musical style and technique
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.[16] He also weaned on Metallica bassists Cliff Burton and Jason Newsted.[19]
Personal life
He is a vegan.[2] He moved to Manchester in his early 20s.[20] 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.[21] Kean is an avid football watcher and is a fan of Manchester City.[20] He is currently dating American singer Tillie.[22]
Discography
Bring Me the Horizon
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
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