WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.540 So here's a question for you. How does one musician, 00:00:02.779 --> 00:00:05.059 right, someone known for that really angular, 00:00:05.200 --> 00:00:08.839 precise kind of 90s math rock guitar sound, how 00:00:08.839 --> 00:00:11.039 does that guy end up playing on literally every 00:00:11.039 --> 00:00:13.519 single track of a Neil Diamond album? You know, 00:00:13.539 --> 00:00:16.100 the one Rick Rubin produced. And not just that, 00:00:16.179 --> 00:00:19.019 but also recording with legends like Johnny Cash, 00:00:19.280 --> 00:00:22.500 Iggy Pop, and somehow being this key piece of 00:00:22.500 --> 00:00:24.620 Run the Jewels. It really does sound like someone 00:00:24.620 --> 00:00:27.019 just like fantasy booked a festival lineup, doesn't 00:00:27.019 --> 00:00:29.460 it? Just designed to be confusing. But there 00:00:29.460 --> 00:00:31.879 is a common thread. There's this impossibly flexible 00:00:31.879 --> 00:00:34.719 connection point where all these genres, all 00:00:34.719 --> 00:00:37.100 these sounds meet. And that's Matt Sweeney. He's 00:00:37.100 --> 00:00:38.799 arguably, you know, the most ubiquitous, most 00:00:38.799 --> 00:00:41.399 trusted and maybe most genre defying American 00:00:41.399 --> 00:00:43.979 musician and producer. of what the last 30 years 00:00:43.979 --> 00:00:46.420 easily yeah welcome to the deep dive our mission 00:00:46.420 --> 00:00:50.070 today really is to get past just listing off 00:00:50.070 --> 00:00:52.090 all these amazing collaborators. We want to unpack 00:00:52.090 --> 00:00:55.390 the honestly extraordinary scope of Matt Sweeney's 00:00:55.390 --> 00:00:57.750 career. We need to go beyond the resume, figure 00:00:57.750 --> 00:01:00.189 out how he became one of music's most reliable, 00:01:00.450 --> 00:01:03.329 most prolific collaborators. We're looking for 00:01:03.329 --> 00:01:05.590 that super glue. You know, what's that foundational 00:01:05.590 --> 00:01:08.709 thing that lets him connect heavy metal, noise 00:01:08.709 --> 00:01:11.590 rock, the sharp edges of math rock, but also 00:01:11.590 --> 00:01:14.189 have the precision needed for hip hop, for country, 00:01:14.329 --> 00:01:16.870 even experimental folk. And for you listening, 00:01:17.010 --> 00:01:19.450 the value here is, I think, pretty significant. 00:01:19.549 --> 00:01:21.150 You'll quickly get a sense of the sheer scale 00:01:21.150 --> 00:01:23.310 of his influence, sure. But more importantly, 00:01:23.409 --> 00:01:25.409 you'll understand the principle behind that success. 00:01:26.269 --> 00:01:28.629 Sweeney's story, it's like a master class in 00:01:28.629 --> 00:01:30.829 how incredible technical skill, when you combine 00:01:30.829 --> 00:01:33.469 it with a pretty unassuming personality, how 00:01:33.469 --> 00:01:35.269 that translates into cross -genre credibility. 00:01:35.650 --> 00:01:38.010 His key relationships, especially the one with 00:01:38.010 --> 00:01:39.930 Will Oldham, Bonnie Prince Billy, they really 00:01:39.930 --> 00:01:42.650 defined the shape of indie and rock music from 00:01:42.650 --> 00:01:45.230 the early 90s right up to, well, right now. Okay. 00:01:45.390 --> 00:01:46.909 Let's unpack this then. Let's start at the beginning. 00:01:47.049 --> 00:01:49.670 Yeah. Because before he was even in a proper 00:01:49.670 --> 00:01:53.909 touring band, Sweeney's background. It's maybe 00:01:53.909 --> 00:01:56.129 the most unlikely starting point for a future 00:01:56.129 --> 00:01:59.609 indie rock legend. He was born July 2nd, 1969 00:01:59.609 --> 00:02:04.510 in New Jersey. But his upbringing, it seems defined 00:02:04.510 --> 00:02:08.460 by really rigorous. intellectual stuff, not necessarily 00:02:08.460 --> 00:02:11.099 like basement noise jams. Yeah. What's fascinating 00:02:11.099 --> 00:02:13.599 is this almost contradictory mix, right? You've 00:02:13.599 --> 00:02:16.419 got serious intellectual horsepower, but also 00:02:16.419 --> 00:02:19.379 this artistic discipline around him. His father 00:02:19.379 --> 00:02:21.659 was John D. Sweeney. He was a professor of medieval 00:02:21.659 --> 00:02:23.919 English at Seton Hall University. Wow. Okay. 00:02:24.000 --> 00:02:26.900 Yeah. So highly academic world, structure, precision, 00:02:27.219 --> 00:02:30.539 historical rigor, all that. But crucially, his 00:02:30.539 --> 00:02:32.539 dad was also an avid musician. So there was an 00:02:32.539 --> 00:02:34.699 artistic outlet right there within that. you 00:02:34.699 --> 00:02:36.460 know, structured environment. And that kind of 00:02:36.460 --> 00:02:39.240 DNA for high achievement, for precision, it didn't 00:02:39.240 --> 00:02:41.460 stop there, did it? No, not at all. His mother, 00:02:41.580 --> 00:02:43.419 Catherine Sweeney Hayden, is a federal judge. 00:02:43.580 --> 00:02:46.340 Federal judge. OK. Yeah. So just to be clear, 00:02:46.439 --> 00:02:48.500 we're talking about two parents operating at 00:02:48.500 --> 00:02:51.080 the absolute peak of academia and law. That's 00:02:51.080 --> 00:02:53.840 a seriously high bar set by careers that demand 00:02:53.840 --> 00:02:57.159 precision. And that background, you have to think 00:02:57.159 --> 00:02:59.840 that understanding of structure, of execution. 00:03:00.590 --> 00:03:02.610 That's crucial, isn't it? Oh, absolutely. It 00:03:02.610 --> 00:03:04.569 feels like it allows him to approach music maybe 00:03:04.569 --> 00:03:07.710 less like just free expression and more like... 00:03:08.240 --> 00:03:10.360 Like architecture, maybe? We should probably 00:03:10.360 --> 00:03:12.419 give a quick mention to his older brother, too, 00:03:12.460 --> 00:03:15.139 Gregory Sweeney. Also a musician, but maybe more 00:03:15.139 --> 00:03:17.699 widely known for working on that TV show, Kitchen 00:03:17.699 --> 00:03:20.240 Nightmares. Oh, interesting. So, yeah. While 00:03:20.240 --> 00:03:22.900 the parents were deep in law and historical studies, 00:03:23.180 --> 00:03:25.539 the sons kind of channeled that inherent rigor 00:03:25.539 --> 00:03:28.520 into the arts. Sweeney himself, he grew up in 00:03:28.520 --> 00:03:30.979 Makelewood in South Orange, New Jersey. He did 00:03:30.979 --> 00:03:33.740 briefly attend Northwestern University before 00:03:33.740 --> 00:03:35.860 making that very definite choice to drop out. 00:03:35.919 --> 00:03:43.520 Which suggests, you know, a real... Okay, so 00:03:43.520 --> 00:03:45.719 that pivot lands him right in the middle of the 00:03:45.719 --> 00:03:48.599 New York and New Jersey sort of noise and underground 00:03:48.599 --> 00:03:51.180 scene. Right. Exactly. And his earliest projects, 00:03:51.280 --> 00:03:53.460 they didn't just showcase technical skill. They 00:03:53.460 --> 00:03:55.699 absolutely demanded it. His high school band, 00:03:55.900 --> 00:03:58.960 Skunk, they put out two albums on Twin Tone Records. 00:03:59.139 --> 00:04:01.879 Oh, Twin Tone, yeah. Who's Could Do? The Replacements. 00:04:02.539 --> 00:04:05.099 That label. That's the one. Last American Virgin 00:04:05.099 --> 00:04:07.800 in 89 and then Laid, which came out posthumously 00:04:07.800 --> 00:04:10.800 in 1990. Both of them are now, you know, frustratingly 00:04:10.800 --> 00:04:13.099 out of print, which just gives them that instant 00:04:13.099 --> 00:04:15.400 legendary scarcity thing for collectors, right? 00:04:15.479 --> 00:04:17.519 Definitely. But the really defining project from 00:04:17.519 --> 00:04:20.879 that early period has to be Chavez in the 90s. 00:04:20.920 --> 00:04:23.459 Oh, absolutely. Chavez is where the world really 00:04:23.459 --> 00:04:26.079 sat up and noticed him as this foundational figure 00:04:26.079 --> 00:04:28.870 in what people started calling math rock. Can 00:04:28.870 --> 00:04:30.790 you maybe unpack math rock a little for folks 00:04:30.790 --> 00:04:33.069 who aren't as familiar? Sure. So math rock, it's 00:04:33.069 --> 00:04:36.290 basically a highly technical kind of post -rock 00:04:36.290 --> 00:04:38.990 subgenre. It's less about your standard melodies 00:04:38.990 --> 00:04:41.850 and more about complex, nonstandard time signatures. 00:04:42.029 --> 00:04:45.170 You know, think playing in 78 or 118 time instead 00:04:45.170 --> 00:04:48.050 of the usual 44. It demands extreme technical 00:04:48.050 --> 00:04:51.730 precision and a real structural complexity from 00:04:51.730 --> 00:04:54.160 the musicians. It's not easy stuff to play. And 00:04:54.160 --> 00:04:56.319 Chavez sounds like it was the perfect place for 00:04:56.319 --> 00:04:58.500 him to flex those muscles. Wow. They were on 00:04:58.500 --> 00:05:01.160 Matador, right? Yeah, the super influential Matador 00:05:01.160 --> 00:05:03.860 label. They put out a seven -inch repeat the 00:05:03.860 --> 00:05:06.379 ending with Hack the Sides Away on the B -side. 00:05:06.740 --> 00:05:09.980 And then their two full albums, Gone Glimmering 00:05:09.980 --> 00:05:13.319 in 1995 and Ride the Fader in 1996. And that 00:05:13.319 --> 00:05:16.720 music, it really required an almost, like you 00:05:16.720 --> 00:05:19.019 said, academic understanding of rhythm. Yeah. 00:05:19.319 --> 00:05:22.699 It perfectly mirrors that precision may be instilled 00:05:22.699 --> 00:05:24.839 by his upbringing. Totally. And Chavez wasn't 00:05:24.839 --> 00:05:26.620 just the studio thing either. They were actively 00:05:26.620 --> 00:05:30.100 touring U .S. and Europe between 94 and 97. So 00:05:30.100 --> 00:05:32.680 that really established Sweeney as a guitarist 00:05:32.680 --> 00:05:35.540 who could execute these incredibly complex structures, 00:05:35.639 --> 00:05:38.120 structures that went way beyond typical rock 00:05:38.120 --> 00:05:39.920 conventions under the pressure of playing live 00:05:39.920 --> 00:05:42.000 every night. Right. That technical reliability, 00:05:42.339 --> 00:05:44.300 you know, the ability to hit that complex mark 00:05:44.300 --> 00:05:46.540 every single time. That's really the first piece 00:05:46.540 --> 00:05:48.480 of our superglue puzzle, I think. And you can 00:05:48.480 --> 00:05:50.410 see. how that reliability would make him instantly 00:05:50.410 --> 00:05:53.089 valuable as a sideman when Chavez eventually 00:05:53.089 --> 00:05:56.470 sort of wound down. Exactly. The late 90s, he 00:05:56.470 --> 00:05:58.709 just immediately gets absorbed into the wider 00:05:58.709 --> 00:06:02.170 indie scene. He famously filled in on bass guitar. 00:06:02.430 --> 00:06:05.129 Bass, right. Not even his main instrument. Not 00:06:05.129 --> 00:06:07.329 even his main instrument for Guided by Voices 00:06:07.329 --> 00:06:10.290 on their... Under the Bushes, Under the Stars 00:06:10.290 --> 00:06:12.850 tour. And he also did some vocals on the track 00:06:12.850 --> 00:06:15.050 Quicksilver on Robert Pollard's, you know, the 00:06:15.050 --> 00:06:19.029 GBV leaders first solo album, Not in My Air Force. 00:06:19.290 --> 00:06:22.089 So already he's proving he can move around the 00:06:22.089 --> 00:06:24.769 musical map, contribute in different ways. And 00:06:24.769 --> 00:06:27.290 this is also when that really crucial partnership 00:06:27.290 --> 00:06:30.389 starts to form, isn't it? quietly at first. Yeah. 00:06:30.490 --> 00:06:32.889 This is exactly when the seed gets planted for 00:06:32.889 --> 00:06:34.829 his most important, longest running collaboration, 00:06:35.209 --> 00:06:37.129 even while he was still holding down a day job, 00:06:37.230 --> 00:06:40.189 apparently. Yeah. The late 90s found him starting 00:06:40.189 --> 00:06:43.069 that incredibly long association with Will Oldham, 00:06:43.230 --> 00:06:45.430 who, of course, records as Bonnie Prince Billy. 00:06:45.790 --> 00:06:47.949 Initially, it was just as his touring guitarist. 00:06:47.990 --> 00:06:49.810 That transition is fascinating, though. He's 00:06:49.810 --> 00:06:52.790 shifting from the noisy, angular, aggressive 00:06:52.790 --> 00:06:57.220 complexity of Chavez to the acoustic. often really 00:06:57.220 --> 00:06:59.759 melancholic but always uniquely structured world 00:06:59.759 --> 00:07:02.199 of Bonnie Prince Billy. It's an immediate demonstration 00:07:02.199 --> 00:07:04.860 of technical range serving these vastly different 00:07:04.860 --> 00:07:07.639 emotional needs, right? Exactly. And that foundation 00:07:07.639 --> 00:07:11.740 of trust, that versatility, you can see how it 00:07:11.740 --> 00:07:13.519 would end up defining the entire rest of his 00:07:13.519 --> 00:07:16.379 career. Okay, so now... Now the story takes this 00:07:16.379 --> 00:07:19.339 huge leap, really, into the, well, not quite 00:07:19.339 --> 00:07:21.339 the mainstream maybe, but definitely higher profile 00:07:21.339 --> 00:07:24.959 stuff. The year 2000 kicks off this sort of supergroup 00:07:24.959 --> 00:07:29.000 era for him. And Sweeney's profile just explodes 00:07:29.000 --> 00:07:31.939 as he starts working with some absolutely massive 00:07:31.939 --> 00:07:35.079 names in both underground and, yeah, mainstream 00:07:35.079 --> 00:07:36.839 rock. Let's start with the Billy Corgan connection. 00:07:37.339 --> 00:07:39.500 That must have turned some heads. Oh, big time. 00:07:39.579 --> 00:07:42.560 In 2001, Sweeney starts playing and writing with 00:07:42.560 --> 00:07:44.899 Corgan and Jimmy Chamberlain. Most Smashing Pumpkins, 00:07:45.040 --> 00:07:47.480 yeah. Exactly. So given the Pumpkins legacy, 00:07:47.699 --> 00:07:50.360 this was a massive deal in the post -crunch rock 00:07:50.360 --> 00:07:53.220 world. And it evolved pretty quickly into that 00:07:53.220 --> 00:07:56.000 supergroup, Swan. What did Sweeney bring to that 00:07:56.000 --> 00:07:58.540 dynamic? Because Corgan's guitar style is so 00:07:58.540 --> 00:08:01.639 distinctive, that layered kind of melodic bombast. 00:08:01.939 --> 00:08:03.699 Well, Swan needed something different, right? 00:08:04.350 --> 00:08:06.850 Bringing in Sweeney with his background in that 00:08:06.850 --> 00:08:09.829 dissonant, angular precision, it fundamentally 00:08:09.829 --> 00:08:12.529 changed the band's architecture, I think. He's 00:08:12.529 --> 00:08:15.050 credited on Zeron's only album, Mary Star of 00:08:15.050 --> 00:08:18.430 the Sea, with guitar, vocals, and even some songwriting. 00:08:18.629 --> 00:08:20.930 That's a huge jump, isn't it? From niche math 00:08:20.930 --> 00:08:24.339 rock to a major label rock machine. It really 00:08:24.339 --> 00:08:26.420 is. It feels like he was providing this kind 00:08:26.420 --> 00:08:28.720 of structural integrity that maybe was needed 00:08:28.720 --> 00:08:31.160 for a project that seemed, you know, inherently 00:08:31.160 --> 00:08:33.240 a bit unstable from the outside. But the side 00:08:33.240 --> 00:08:35.259 project from that era is almost more telling 00:08:35.259 --> 00:08:38.419 in a weird way. The Spun soundtrack. Yeah. He 00:08:38.419 --> 00:08:40.419 collaborated with Corgan on the soundtrack for 00:08:40.419 --> 00:08:43.139 that movie Spun, which is, you know, an extremely 00:08:43.139 --> 00:08:46.019 dark comedy about drug culture. And the song 00:08:46.019 --> 00:08:49.039 he sings lead vocals on a cover of Iron Maiden's 00:08:49.039 --> 00:08:52.580 Number of the Beast. Ha! Talk about an emotional 00:08:52.580 --> 00:08:55.240 left hook right in the middle of a session, right? 00:08:55.379 --> 00:08:58.379 It just perfectly sums up his ethos around that 00:08:58.379 --> 00:09:01.559 time, the early 2000s. He can apply his talents, 00:09:01.759 --> 00:09:04.179 whether it's his super technical guitar playing 00:09:04.179 --> 00:09:07.700 or apparently unexpected metal vocals to these 00:09:07.700 --> 00:09:10.480 incredibly high profile, but also really unexpected 00:09:10.480 --> 00:09:12.940 projects, projects that require both authenticity 00:09:12.940 --> 00:09:16.879 and grit. And his role as a facilitator, somebody 00:09:16.879 --> 00:09:19.659 who connects people, it wasn't just limited to 00:09:19.659 --> 00:09:22.549 that world of... like super melodic rock right 00:09:22.549 --> 00:09:25.210 he was also crucial to dave grohl's big metal 00:09:25.210 --> 00:09:28.830 project pro bop yes This is a huge credibility 00:09:28.830 --> 00:09:31.509 marker for Sweeney. Grohl had this vision, right? 00:09:32.230 --> 00:09:34.190 Collaborate with metal singers who were absolute 00:09:34.190 --> 00:09:36.570 legends in their specific subgenres. We're talking 00:09:36.570 --> 00:09:39.610 Kronos from Venom, King Diamond, Lemmy. Wow, 00:09:39.750 --> 00:09:41.909 the real deal. The real deal. But Grohl needed 00:09:41.909 --> 00:09:43.950 someone who could basically map the metal underground, 00:09:44.190 --> 00:09:45.669 someone who knew who was who and could maybe 00:09:45.669 --> 00:09:47.889 make the introductions. And he entrusted Sweeney 00:09:47.889 --> 00:09:49.929 with a really critical role there. Sweeney apparently 00:09:49.929 --> 00:09:52.490 lent a helping hand, as the story goes, to Grohl 00:09:52.490 --> 00:09:54.610 in actually tracking down those legendary singers. 00:09:54.809 --> 00:09:56.669 And he provided some guitar work on... the album, 00:09:56.750 --> 00:09:59.250 too. And when the ProBot album finally came out 00:09:59.250 --> 00:10:02.450 in 2004 on Southern Lord Records, Sweeney got 00:10:02.450 --> 00:10:04.730 a very specific credit, didn't he? He did. He 00:10:04.730 --> 00:10:06.990 was credited as the executive producer. Executive 00:10:06.990 --> 00:10:09.309 producer. That's significant. It really is. It 00:10:09.309 --> 00:10:11.590 shows he's not just a technical guitarist for 00:10:11.590 --> 00:10:13.929 hire. He's a curator. He's a connector of, you 00:10:13.929 --> 00:10:17.090 know, disparate talent and someone who clearly 00:10:17.090 --> 00:10:20.230 holds deep, deep credibility within the metal 00:10:20.230 --> 00:10:23.169 scene itself, which is a pretty far cry from 00:10:23.169 --> 00:10:26.299 his Matador Records math rock days. If you connect 00:10:26.299 --> 00:10:28.399 this to the bigger picture, then Probot really 00:10:28.399 --> 00:10:31.659 demonstrates that Sweeney had currency, not just 00:10:31.659 --> 00:10:34.340 in the Indian alternative scenes, but deep within 00:10:34.340 --> 00:10:36.419 the metal underground, too. Absolutely. He's 00:10:36.419 --> 00:10:38.320 operating like the ghost in the machine, you 00:10:38.320 --> 00:10:40.600 know, running the cables between the underground 00:10:40.600 --> 00:10:42.820 and the mainstream. He's essentially being the 00:10:42.820 --> 00:10:45.480 trusted bridge builder between these musical 00:10:45.480 --> 00:10:48.639 worlds that on the surface seem completely opposed. 00:10:49.000 --> 00:10:50.899 OK, so amidst all this, you know, heavy metal 00:10:50.899 --> 00:10:54.049 energy and big rock supergroups. The partnership 00:10:54.049 --> 00:10:56.769 that feels like the emotional anchor, the one 00:10:56.769 --> 00:11:00.549 that defines his acoustic, lyrical side, that's 00:11:00.549 --> 00:11:02.289 the ongoing collaboration with Bonnie Prince 00:11:02.289 --> 00:11:04.470 Billy. Totally. That feels like the spiritual 00:11:04.470 --> 00:11:07.250 centerpiece of his work. in a way. So after Swan 00:11:07.250 --> 00:11:09.710 broke up, which was around 2003. Yeah, 2003, 00:11:10.070 --> 00:11:12.250 Sweeney just kept touring with Oldham. And that 00:11:12.250 --> 00:11:14.830 collaboration really culminated in their defining 00:11:14.830 --> 00:11:18.110 joint album, Superwolf, which came out in January 00:11:18.110 --> 00:11:20.629 2005 on Drag City. And that was a huge critical 00:11:20.629 --> 00:11:22.950 success, wasn't it? Massive. And they toured 00:11:22.950 --> 00:11:25.850 it extensively US and Europe. It really solidified 00:11:25.850 --> 00:11:28.889 that partnership in the eyes of, you know, the 00:11:28.889 --> 00:11:31.470 indie music world. What is it about Superwolf 00:11:31.470 --> 00:11:33.090 that makes it so special? It's not just that 00:11:33.090 --> 00:11:35.090 they collaborated, it's the sound, the interplay 00:11:35.090 --> 00:11:38.509 between them. How does a guy who thrived in the 00:11:38.509 --> 00:11:42.490 tight, aggressive structure of Zwan shift so 00:11:42.490 --> 00:11:46.190 seamlessly into the delicate, acoustic, sometimes 00:11:46.190 --> 00:11:48.190 really strange world of Bonnie Prince Billy? 00:11:48.470 --> 00:11:50.409 Isn't that a kind of technical and emotional 00:11:50.409 --> 00:11:52.750 contradiction? You'd think so, but I don't think 00:11:52.750 --> 00:11:54.909 it is for Sweeney. Because that same technical 00:11:54.909 --> 00:11:56.870 rigor is actually what makes them so effective 00:11:56.870 --> 00:11:59.730 in both environments. Oldham's style, it's often 00:11:59.730 --> 00:12:02.230 raw, it's melancholic, it's based on these unique 00:12:02.230 --> 00:12:05.509 winding lyrical narratives. They require a guitar 00:12:05.509 --> 00:12:07.629 accompaniment that can really serve the song 00:12:07.629 --> 00:12:10.009 without dumbing it down. Right. And Sweeney's 00:12:10.009 --> 00:12:13.450 precision, that mastery of odd, sometimes dissonant 00:12:13.450 --> 00:12:16.509 little licks and unique chord voicings, it just 00:12:16.509 --> 00:12:18.850 perfectly complements Oldham's voice and storytelling. 00:12:19.110 --> 00:12:21.110 His guitar work on those records is often described 00:12:21.110 --> 00:12:25.789 as like dry. wry, precise. It adds tension and 00:12:25.789 --> 00:12:28.009 emotional complexity exactly where it's needed 00:12:28.009 --> 00:12:30.409 rather than just, you know, strumming basic chords. 00:12:30.590 --> 00:12:32.769 And crucially, this relationship wasn't just 00:12:32.769 --> 00:12:35.529 a one -off album. No, not at all. The partnership 00:12:35.529 --> 00:12:38.009 continued. They put out the I Gave You EP later 00:12:38.009 --> 00:12:40.950 in 2005. And then 16 years later, think about 00:12:40.950 --> 00:12:44.549 that, 16 years, they released the full follow 00:12:44.549 --> 00:12:48.110 -up album Superwolves in 2021. That sustained 00:12:48.110 --> 00:12:51.309 relationship. really highlights his comfort with 00:12:51.309 --> 00:12:54.049 this unique kind of experimental folk style, 00:12:54.289 --> 00:12:57.090 and it contrasts so sharply with the metal and 00:12:57.090 --> 00:12:58.669 the stadium rock he was doing around the same 00:12:58.669 --> 00:13:01.029 time. It really does. This feels like the perfect 00:13:01.029 --> 00:13:04.190 manifestation of that superglue idea we started 00:13:04.190 --> 00:13:06.629 with, discipline applied directly to emotion. 00:13:07.009 --> 00:13:09.490 It speaks to a level of deep trust, doesn't it? 00:13:09.509 --> 00:13:12.850 A unique, shared musical language between them. 00:13:12.990 --> 00:13:16.379 Absolutely. It feels like while he can contribute 00:13:16.379 --> 00:13:19.039 brilliantly to almost any genre, the Superwolf 00:13:19.039 --> 00:13:21.899 work is where his distinctive, highly nuanced 00:13:21.899 --> 00:13:24.779 guitar style really gets to shine the brightest. 00:13:24.980 --> 00:13:27.580 It marries that technical command he has with 00:13:27.580 --> 00:13:30.580 Oldham's complex sort of meandering narratives. 00:13:31.100 --> 00:13:33.700 OK, so now we move into the era that really cements 00:13:33.700 --> 00:13:36.080 him as the ultimate session chameleon. And to 00:13:36.080 --> 00:13:37.940 really hammer this point home, I think we have 00:13:37.940 --> 00:13:40.960 to focus on one specific year, 2006, because 00:13:40.960 --> 00:13:43.039 the resume just from that single 12 month period. 00:13:50.779 --> 00:13:53.139 It's honestly astonishing when you lay it out. 00:13:53.179 --> 00:13:54.799 Let's just look at his work in country and folk 00:13:54.799 --> 00:13:58.120 that year alone, 2006. He provides guitar work 00:13:58.120 --> 00:14:00.379 alongside huge players like Mike Campbell from 00:14:00.379 --> 00:14:02.960 the Heartbreakers and Smokey Hormel on Johnny 00:14:02.960 --> 00:14:05.500 Cash's final album, American Via 100 Highways. 00:14:05.659 --> 00:14:09.309 Wow. Talk about high stakes. Yeah, this is reverent 00:14:09.309 --> 00:14:11.470 high stakes acoustic work. It's a definitive 00:14:11.470 --> 00:14:14.110 final statement from an absolute legend. Okay. 00:14:14.309 --> 00:14:18.980 But in the exact same year. 2006. He also played 00:14:18.980 --> 00:14:20.759 guitar on the Dixie Chicks album, Taking the 00:14:20.759 --> 00:14:23.539 Long Way. Right, which was this polished, arena 00:14:23.539 --> 00:14:25.659 -ready country record. It went multi -platinum, 00:14:25.659 --> 00:14:27.899 won a bunch of Grammys. So he's simultaneously 00:14:27.899 --> 00:14:31.259 nailing the subtle acoustic gravitas needed for 00:14:31.259 --> 00:14:34.340 a posthumous Johnny Cash recording and the high 00:14:34.340 --> 00:14:37.559 -polish, massive commercial demands of arena 00:14:37.559 --> 00:14:39.539 country music. But wait, it gets even weirder. 00:14:40.029 --> 00:14:43.129 Because simultaneously in 2006, he dives into 00:14:43.129 --> 00:14:45.370 the world of underground hip hop. He appears 00:14:45.370 --> 00:14:48.090 as a guest artist on the very first track of 00:14:48.090 --> 00:14:50.830 rapper Cage's album, Hell's Winter. Okay. And 00:14:50.830 --> 00:14:52.830 critically, the other people on that track with 00:14:52.830 --> 00:14:55.330 him are Yola Tango's bass player, James McNew, 00:14:55.470 --> 00:14:58.250 and the founder of Def Jux Records, LP. Right, 00:14:58.330 --> 00:15:01.169 LP, Shimmy Mullane. A foundational figure in 00:15:01.169 --> 00:15:03.590 that influential underground hip hop label, Def 00:15:03.590 --> 00:15:06.230 Jux, known for its really dense, aggressive, 00:15:06.409 --> 00:15:09.350 almost industrial soundscape. The idea that one 00:15:09.350 --> 00:15:12.450 person can authentically contribute to both the 00:15:12.450 --> 00:15:14.909 definitive Johnny Cash closing statement and 00:15:14.909 --> 00:15:17.710 a gritty, abstract Def Jux release in the same 00:15:17.710 --> 00:15:21.269 year. It's just a testament to his musical neutrality 00:15:21.269 --> 00:15:23.450 or something. He's providing texture, maybe some 00:15:23.450 --> 00:15:26.190 aggression, that precise rock energy that LP 00:15:26.190 --> 00:15:28.370 clearly valued for that track. Okay, is there 00:15:28.370 --> 00:15:31.169 anything else from 2006? Oh, yeah. If we need 00:15:31.169 --> 00:15:33.490 to throw one more confounding genre into the 00:15:33.490 --> 00:15:35.830 mix for that year, he also became a member of 00:15:35.830 --> 00:15:38.769 the touring group for the seminal British apocalyptic 00:15:38.769 --> 00:15:41.750 folk band Current 93. Current 93, wow, okay. 00:15:42.350 --> 00:15:45.190 That's deep. Deep cuts, yeah. He played shows 00:15:45.190 --> 00:15:47.269 in Europe with them, supporting their album Black 00:15:47.269 --> 00:15:50.210 Ships Ate the Sky. And that style is, well, it's 00:15:50.210 --> 00:15:52.789 exactly as intense as it sounds. Often bleak, 00:15:52.789 --> 00:15:55.809 occult, or religious themes with highly experimental 00:15:55.809 --> 00:15:58.629 textural instrumentation. It just shows he's 00:15:58.629 --> 00:16:00.690 equally comfortable in the absolute darkest, 00:16:00.850 --> 00:16:03.309 most niche corners of experimental music, too. 00:16:03.529 --> 00:16:05.429 This just raises a huge question, doesn't it? 00:16:05.470 --> 00:16:07.210 What is the quality that allows you to pivot 00:16:07.210 --> 00:16:09.490 from playing guitar on a Dixie Chicks record 00:16:09.490 --> 00:16:12.230 one day to performing the dense noise? of current 00:16:12.230 --> 00:16:15.169 93 the next it has to speak to an authenticity 00:16:15.169 --> 00:16:17.830 that just transcends genre boundaries he's like 00:16:17.830 --> 00:16:20.210 the anti -gimmick hired gun yeah he brings a 00:16:20.210 --> 00:16:23.149 distinct technical sound absolutely but it's 00:16:23.149 --> 00:16:25.169 a sound that somehow adapts to serve whatever 00:16:25.169 --> 00:16:27.549 environment he's in without losing its own identity 00:16:27.549 --> 00:16:30.529 and this adaptability this credibility it leads 00:16:30.529 --> 00:16:32.990 us to maybe one of the biggest validation points 00:16:32.990 --> 00:16:36.129 of his entire career yeah the crucial rick rubin 00:16:36.129 --> 00:16:40.590 connection ah yes Rick Rubin, the legendary producer 00:16:40.590 --> 00:16:43.370 known for, among many things, putting together 00:16:43.370 --> 00:16:45.789 these unlikely combinations, right, and trusting 00:16:45.789 --> 00:16:47.769 musicians to find the absolute essential core 00:16:47.769 --> 00:16:51.350 of a song. So in 2008, Rubin had already successfully 00:16:51.350 --> 00:16:54.370 produced Neil Diamond's 2005 comeback album, 00:16:54.509 --> 00:16:57.759 12 Songs. For the follow up, Rubin proposes this, 00:16:57.820 --> 00:17:00.740 quote, unlikely combination of Matt Sweeney and 00:17:00.740 --> 00:17:02.600 Neil Diamond. Yeah. And Sweeney gets brought 00:17:02.600 --> 00:17:05.019 in and his contribution. It wasn't minimal. He 00:17:05.019 --> 00:17:06.880 ended up playing guitar on all the songs for 00:17:06.880 --> 00:17:09.440 Diamond's 2008 album, Home Before Dark. Every 00:17:09.440 --> 00:17:10.819 single track. Every track. That's incredible. 00:17:10.980 --> 00:17:14.259 That move just completely validated his technical 00:17:14.259 --> 00:17:16.480 command in the eyes of the mainstream music industry. 00:17:17.279 --> 00:17:20.200 To meet the demands of a major label, super high 00:17:20.200 --> 00:17:22.779 -profile project for a superstar like Neil Diamond, 00:17:22.980 --> 00:17:25.559 backed by a producer with Rubin's incredibly 00:17:25.559 --> 00:17:28.559 exacting standards, it proves he wasn't just 00:17:28.559 --> 00:17:30.940 some niche indie or math rock player anymore. 00:17:31.099 --> 00:17:34.059 His adaptability was bankable. And that quality, 00:17:34.079 --> 00:17:35.859 I think, was born directly from the discipline 00:17:35.859 --> 00:17:38.220 he honed way back in Chavez. And the session 00:17:38.220 --> 00:17:40.599 work just kept spanning this impossible gulf. 00:17:40.680 --> 00:17:42.559 You look at the list of other guitar appearances 00:17:42.559 --> 00:17:45.400 around this time. It's wild. He appears on Cat 00:17:45.400 --> 00:17:47.809 Power's The Covers record. back in 2000 playing 00:17:47.809 --> 00:17:50.990 on salty dog and then later on her 2008 album 00:17:50.990 --> 00:17:53.769 jukebox he gets an additional guitar credit and 00:17:53.769 --> 00:17:56.150 a songwriting credit for the track song to bobby 00:17:56.150 --> 00:17:58.630 he just fits effortlessly into that sensitive 00:17:58.630 --> 00:18:01.390 sometimes emotionally fragile world of chan marshall 00:18:01.390 --> 00:18:03.849 but then almost immediately he dies right back 00:18:03.849 --> 00:18:05.950 into hip -hop he solidifies that relationship 00:18:05.950 --> 00:18:09.950 with lp appearing on lp's 2007 solo album i'll 00:18:09.950 --> 00:18:12.220 sleep when you're dead Right. And that partnership, 00:18:12.400 --> 00:18:15.019 rooted in that aggressive industrial Def Jux 00:18:15.019 --> 00:18:17.700 production style, it eventually moves into the 00:18:17.700 --> 00:18:20.720 global mainstream when LP teams up with Killer 00:18:20.720 --> 00:18:24.779 Mike to form Run the Jewels, or RTJ. And Sweeney's 00:18:24.779 --> 00:18:27.180 there too. Yep. Sweeney provided additional guitar 00:18:27.180 --> 00:18:29.539 and sometimes vocals for multiple Run the Jewels 00:18:29.539 --> 00:18:32.140 albums, including the first one, Run the Jewels, 00:18:32.140 --> 00:18:35.039 Run the Jewels 2, and RTJ 4. It's incredible 00:18:35.039 --> 00:18:38.930 to me how his, like... Hard rock and math rock 00:18:38.930 --> 00:18:42.230 background translates so directly into the aggressive, 00:18:42.490 --> 00:18:45.390 really detailed electronic production style of 00:18:45.390 --> 00:18:48.130 LP. It is. It's like he's adding this layer of 00:18:48.130 --> 00:18:50.549 organic texture, maybe some rock aggression that 00:18:50.549 --> 00:18:52.809 enhances the beats without ever muddying them 00:18:52.809 --> 00:18:55.289 up. It's a really specific skill. And his session 00:18:55.289 --> 00:18:57.549 work in this period, it also hit some significant 00:18:57.549 --> 00:18:59.690 mainstream rock and pop releases too, right? 00:18:59.809 --> 00:19:02.410 Oh, yeah. He played guitar on Kid Rock's 2010 00:19:02.410 --> 00:19:05.750 album Born Free. He played bass guitar on Cold 00:19:05.750 --> 00:19:07.890 Cave's 2011 album. album cherish the light years 00:19:07.890 --> 00:19:09.910 which shows he could function perfectly well 00:19:09.910 --> 00:19:12.130 in a synth heavy kind of post -punk environment 00:19:12.130 --> 00:19:14.509 too and then there's that one credit that's just 00:19:14.509 --> 00:19:16.849 shocking purely because of the sheer global scale 00:19:16.849 --> 00:19:21.089 of the album adele's 2011 blockbuster 21 his 00:19:21.089 --> 00:19:22.769 name is right there in the credits list yeah 00:19:22.769 --> 00:19:25.710 now the exact nature of his contribution isn't 00:19:25.710 --> 00:19:28.529 specified it might be minor but the mere appearance 00:19:28.529 --> 00:19:30.809 on the credits of one of the absolute biggest 00:19:30.809 --> 00:19:34.250 selling albums of the 21st century It just speaks 00:19:34.250 --> 00:19:36.829 volumes about his reach and his quiet authority 00:19:36.829 --> 00:19:39.470 within that session musician community. You could 00:19:39.470 --> 00:19:41.230 keep listing these credits almost indefinitely, 00:19:41.309 --> 00:19:43.769 couldn't you? Pretty much. He provided rhythm 00:19:43.769 --> 00:19:45.930 guitar on all the tracks for Jake Bugg's 2013 00:19:45.930 --> 00:19:49.089 album Shangri -La. He played guitar on various 00:19:49.089 --> 00:19:52.190 tracks for the tour reg band Tanariwin, blending 00:19:52.190 --> 00:19:54.630 his technical rock background with desert blues. 00:19:54.950 --> 00:19:57.130 He even showed up on the Red Dead Redemption 00:19:57.130 --> 00:20:02.220 2 soundtrack EP in 2021. He is just... everywhere 00:20:02.220 --> 00:20:04.740 that music is being made at a really high, really 00:20:04.740 --> 00:20:06.839 demanding level. Which means he's not just a 00:20:06.839 --> 00:20:08.799 hired gun, right? He's more like a sonic architect. 00:20:09.259 --> 00:20:11.680 We need to look beyond just his playing and touch 00:20:11.680 --> 00:20:13.359 on his work behind the mixing board as well, 00:20:13.480 --> 00:20:16.099 because that shows his ability to shape and define 00:20:16.099 --> 00:20:18.319 diverse sounds as a producer. That's a great 00:20:18.319 --> 00:20:21.039 point. He uses that same versatility to shape 00:20:21.039 --> 00:20:23.480 projects right from the beginning. Absolutely. 00:20:23.539 --> 00:20:26.220 So back in 2005, he produced the heavy metal 00:20:26.220 --> 00:20:29.779 band Early Man's debut album, Closing In. Then 00:20:29.779 --> 00:20:33.539 in 2007, he produced Dax Riggs's record, We Sing 00:20:33.539 --> 00:20:36.509 of Only Blood or Love. In that heavier space, 00:20:36.690 --> 00:20:38.430 you can kind of assume he was probably emphasizing 00:20:38.430 --> 00:20:41.650 sharp dynamics, structural tightness, taking 00:20:41.650 --> 00:20:44.049 that math rock precision he has and applying 00:20:44.049 --> 00:20:46.930 it to metal production. But then showcasing that 00:20:46.930 --> 00:20:49.730 collaborative, maybe softer side again, he co 00:20:49.730 --> 00:20:52.349 -produced Baby D's debut album Safe Inside the 00:20:52.349 --> 00:20:55.069 Day in 2008. And who did he partner with on that? 00:20:55.170 --> 00:20:56.710 Bonnie and Prince Billy, of course. Back together 00:20:56.710 --> 00:20:58.710 again. And that's a vastly different environment, 00:20:58.829 --> 00:21:00.890 right? Baby D's music is highly experimental, 00:21:01.089 --> 00:21:04.029 really focused on narrative piano harp. Totally 00:21:04.029 --> 00:21:06.029 different. It's less about aggressive precision 00:21:06.029 --> 00:21:08.349 and much more about collaborative mood setting, 00:21:08.490 --> 00:21:10.670 finding the right atmosphere for those songs. 00:21:10.910 --> 00:21:12.809 So this contrast just proves his range isn't 00:21:12.809 --> 00:21:15.609 limited to just a guitar sound. It's whole philosophy 00:21:15.609 --> 00:21:18.819 of production he brings. Exactly. And his later 00:21:18.819 --> 00:21:20.779 notable production work continued that international 00:21:20.779 --> 00:21:24.420 flavor, too. He produced the Norwegian band Turbanegra's 00:21:24.420 --> 00:21:27.359 album Sexual Harassment in 2012 that required 00:21:27.359 --> 00:21:29.900 that tight, structured rock sensibility again. 00:21:30.079 --> 00:21:33.180 And then fast forward to 2020, he produced the 00:21:33.180 --> 00:21:36.759 Malian desert rock band Sanghoi Blues album Optimism. 00:21:36.880 --> 00:21:39.279 So he's shaping sounds across the whole global 00:21:39.279 --> 00:21:42.599 spectrum of rock, blues and metal. That versatility 00:21:42.599 --> 00:21:45.710 is just remarkable. But the pivot he made around 00:21:45.710 --> 00:21:49.190 2013 That might be his most lasting contribution 00:21:49.190 --> 00:21:51.609 to the broader public and especially to future 00:21:51.609 --> 00:21:54.130 musicians. I'm talking about his transition into 00:21:54.130 --> 00:21:56.470 being a digital mentor through the web series 00:21:56.470 --> 00:21:59.309 Guitar Moves. Ah, Guitar Moves. Yeah, that series 00:21:59.309 --> 00:22:01.690 is brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. Because it 00:22:01.690 --> 00:22:03.789 perfectly leverages his credibility, right? It's 00:22:03.789 --> 00:22:06.789 not some generic learn guitar fast show. Sweeney 00:22:06.789 --> 00:22:08.849 is the host and the entire focus is on showing 00:22:08.849 --> 00:22:11.029 and teaching guitar techniques, but also the 00:22:11.029 --> 00:22:13.230 philosophy behind the playing. Through these 00:22:13.230 --> 00:22:15.089 direct, really intimate interviews with some 00:22:15.089 --> 00:22:18.099 of the most prominent, most idiosyncratic He's 00:22:18.099 --> 00:22:20.420 basically extracting the secrets of the masters. 00:22:20.700 --> 00:22:23.680 Pretty much. And his own technical background 00:22:23.680 --> 00:22:26.140 gives him the vocabulary, the understanding to 00:22:26.140 --> 00:22:28.259 ask the right, really specific questions that 00:22:28.259 --> 00:22:31.059 get to the heart of how these people play. And 00:22:31.059 --> 00:22:33.059 the sheer stature of the people he interviewed 00:22:33.059 --> 00:22:35.380 that tells you everything you need to know about 00:22:35.380 --> 00:22:37.859 his standing in the guitar community. These are 00:22:37.859 --> 00:22:40.259 not easy interviews to get. No way. We're talking 00:22:40.259 --> 00:22:43.220 Keith Richards, the Rolling Stones, Billy Gibbons 00:22:43.220 --> 00:22:45.900 from ZZ Top. Dan Auerbach from The Black Keys. 00:22:46.220 --> 00:22:48.880 Josh Holm from Queens of the Stone Age. Legends. 00:22:49.220 --> 00:22:51.660 Absolute legends. These are figures who really 00:22:51.660 --> 00:22:54.779 only talk shop, talk specifics with people they 00:22:54.779 --> 00:22:57.579 genuinely respect as peers. So he became this 00:22:57.579 --> 00:22:59.720 kind of trusted chronicler of guitar technique 00:22:59.720 --> 00:23:02.559 and philosophy. He really did. The series was 00:23:02.559 --> 00:23:04.700 originally produced by Vice's music channel, 00:23:04.799 --> 00:23:08.420 Noisy, from about 2013 up until 2017. But he's 00:23:08.420 --> 00:23:10.960 maintained creative control and now Guitar Moves 00:23:10.960 --> 00:23:13.259 runs independently. He's still uploading new 00:23:13.259 --> 00:23:15.640 episodes. I think as recently as December 2023. 00:23:15.940 --> 00:23:17.900 That's fantastic. Yeah, he basically took his 00:23:17.900 --> 00:23:20.380 encyclopedic knowledge and his unparalleled contact 00:23:20.380 --> 00:23:23.299 list and turned it into this amazing educational 00:23:23.299 --> 00:23:25.960 platform for a whole new generation of technical 00:23:25.960 --> 00:23:28.529 players. So it's clear. His career is definitely 00:23:28.529 --> 00:23:30.950 not just a retrospective look at a finished legacy. 00:23:31.170 --> 00:23:34.190 He remains incredibly sought after and his relevance 00:23:34.190 --> 00:23:36.589 just continues today. Oh, absolutely. Just look 00:23:36.589 --> 00:23:38.630 at his high profile projects in the last decade 00:23:38.630 --> 00:23:42.009 or so. It reinforces that connection to rock 00:23:42.009 --> 00:23:45.369 royalty. In 2016, he was touring with this absolute 00:23:45.369 --> 00:23:48.750 elite lineup. Iggy Pop, Josh Holm and Matt Helders 00:23:48.750 --> 00:23:51.289 from Arctic Monkeys supporting Iggy's post -pop 00:23:51.289 --> 00:23:54.039 depression album. Wow. being part of that specific 00:23:54.039 --> 00:23:57.220 touring band. That's a huge statement about his 00:23:57.220 --> 00:23:59.599 sustained credibility at the very highest levels 00:23:59.599 --> 00:24:01.859 of alternative rock. And he kept up his high 00:24:01.859 --> 00:24:04.059 -level indie work, too. He collaborated with 00:24:04.059 --> 00:24:06.799 Stephen Malkmus on Malkmus's 2020 album, Traditional 00:24:06.799 --> 00:24:09.319 Techniques. He also contributed to Josh Holmes' 00:24:09.539 --> 00:24:11.660 long -running side project, The Desert Sessions, 00:24:11.880 --> 00:24:15.440 playing on Volumes 11 and 12 back in 2019. It 00:24:15.440 --> 00:24:17.299 just shows he's continually tapped by musicians 00:24:17.299 --> 00:24:20.079 who are specifically seeking technical dexterity 00:24:20.079 --> 00:24:22.890 and that distinctive kind of dry, knowing sound 00:24:22.890 --> 00:24:25.250 he has. And even more recently. Even more recently, 00:24:25.329 --> 00:24:29.509 yeah. In 2021, he was producing and playing bass 00:24:29.509 --> 00:24:32.069 and electric guitars with Iggy Pop again, this 00:24:32.069 --> 00:24:34.369 time on their cover of European Son for that 00:24:34.369 --> 00:24:36.910 big tribute album, I'll Be Your Mirror, a tribute 00:24:36.910 --> 00:24:39.289 to the Velvet Underground and Miko. Right. And 00:24:39.289 --> 00:24:42.309 of course, that same year, the sequel album Superwolves 00:24:42.309 --> 00:24:44.950 with Bonnie Prince Billy came out. He just never 00:24:44.950 --> 00:24:48.730 seems to stop generating new work. And now, in 00:24:48.730 --> 00:24:51.809 2024, he's even co -founded a brand new supergroup, 00:24:52.009 --> 00:24:54.930 The Hard Quartet. The Hard Quartet, yeah. Bringing 00:24:54.930 --> 00:24:58.009 together major indie players once again. Stephen 00:24:58.009 --> 00:25:00.369 Malkmus is in it. Emmett Kelly, who plays with 00:25:00.369 --> 00:25:02.910 Oldham a lot. And Jim White, the great drummer 00:25:02.910 --> 00:25:05.890 from Dirty 3. So Sweeney is always moving, always 00:25:05.890 --> 00:25:08.490 initiating these new, structurally sophisticated 00:25:08.490 --> 00:25:12.109 projects that demand really high -level musicianship. 00:25:12.210 --> 00:25:14.349 Which brings us right back to that central question, 00:25:14.549 --> 00:25:17.380 maybe. Why should this sprawling resume... matter 00:25:17.380 --> 00:25:20.359 to you listening right now. Sweeney's career, 00:25:20.500 --> 00:25:23.559 it isn't defined by just one genre. It's defined 00:25:23.559 --> 00:25:26.119 by this consistent ability to bring incredible 00:25:26.119 --> 00:25:29.900 technical skill and authentic, detailed musicianship 00:25:29.900 --> 00:25:32.539 to absolutely any project he touches. Whether 00:25:32.539 --> 00:25:35.920 it's math rock or pop music or industrial hip 00:25:35.920 --> 00:25:38.900 hop, he shows up with that distinctive, committed 00:25:38.900 --> 00:25:41.680 sound. He feels like the ultimate expression 00:25:41.680 --> 00:25:44.640 of the musician who serves the song, serves the 00:25:44.640 --> 00:25:47.890 project. with discipline and integrity. That 00:25:47.890 --> 00:25:50.009 credit from the band Endless Boogie mentioned 00:25:50.009 --> 00:25:53.670 his wry guitar licks, and that feels like a perfect... 00:25:54.029 --> 00:25:56.049 almost understated description of his legacy, 00:25:56.170 --> 00:25:57.869 doesn't it? It really does. He's the musician 00:25:57.869 --> 00:26:00.829 that other musicians trust implicitly to deliver 00:26:00.829 --> 00:26:03.430 structural precision and emotional weight. And 00:26:03.430 --> 00:26:05.390 it doesn't matter if they're global superstars 00:26:05.390 --> 00:26:08.250 or underground noisemakers from Brooklyn. He 00:26:08.250 --> 00:26:10.630 treats the work the same way. So if we were to 00:26:10.630 --> 00:26:12.950 try and summarize the key takeaways from this 00:26:12.950 --> 00:26:15.569 deep dive, we've definitely defined those key 00:26:15.569 --> 00:26:18.970 components. The incredible genre -defying collaborations 00:26:18.970 --> 00:26:22.710 that jump from Chavez's intense rigor to Neil 00:26:22.710 --> 00:26:25.470 Diamond's high polish demands is just mind -blowing. 00:26:25.730 --> 00:26:28.150 Then there's that central, almost spiritual partnership 00:26:28.150 --> 00:26:31.009 with Bonnie Prince Billy, which really showcases 00:26:31.009 --> 00:26:33.349 his emotional range and depth. Yeah, the heart 00:26:33.349 --> 00:26:36.490 of it, maybe. And then his current role as both 00:26:36.490 --> 00:26:39.730 this key player in new supergroups and a respected 00:26:39.730 --> 00:26:42.750 independent digital guitar mentor, passing on 00:26:42.750 --> 00:26:45.339 the knowledge. It's a career built entirely on 00:26:45.339 --> 00:26:48.000 technical mastery, coupled with this utter disregard 00:26:48.000 --> 00:26:50.759 for musical boundaries, a career that truly proves 00:26:50.759 --> 00:26:53.559 the value of disciplined, egoless collaboration. 00:26:54.079 --> 00:26:56.680 Exactly. And maybe that leaves us with a final 00:26:56.680 --> 00:26:58.400 thought for you to consider. Yeah. Considering 00:26:58.400 --> 00:27:00.440 the sheer volume of his work, right, and his 00:27:00.440 --> 00:27:03.319 unique position as this trusted collaborator 00:27:03.319 --> 00:27:06.200 across genres that seems completely opposed heavy 00:27:06.200 --> 00:27:09.539 metal, hip hop, country, experimental folk. Yeah. 00:27:09.920 --> 00:27:12.200 What does Matt Sweeney's career really tell us 00:27:12.200 --> 00:27:14.599 about the actual separation or maybe the lack 00:27:14.599 --> 00:27:16.940 of separation between all these different musical 00:27:16.940 --> 00:27:20.200 tribes in the 21st century? If the guy who helped 00:27:20.200 --> 00:27:23.160 define 90s math rock is the same guy playing 00:27:23.160 --> 00:27:25.400 guitar on the Adele record, maybe those sharp 00:27:25.400 --> 00:27:27.880 lines we like to draw on the map of music, maybe 00:27:27.880 --> 00:27:29.619 they're far more porous, far more artificial 00:27:29.619 --> 00:27:30.599 than we usually imagine.