W: Rachel June
Crashing onto the scene is the youthful and high-energy grunge band Matted. Picture this, it's a windy August evening on Brighton seafront, and no-one is prepared for the sound of Matted. They sent energetic shock waves into the night, with piercing guitar amongst the screams of metal. Mosh-pits ensued, whilst the band stood on stage in black clothes and black eyeliner. The night went up in flames, so ASBO simply had to grab them for an exclusive interview after their first ever headline show.
The band is fronted by witty and hilarious Max, who admits that "I'm a massive attention whore, and this gives me the outlet to go up on stage shouting at people. I get to say whatever I want and it's amplified". Jake leads the most insane guitar, having had experience alongside Jacob in previous band 'Chapter 13.' "We met Tom our drummer through that period of our life", saying he has "no regrets" and that it helped "build character and know what music I really enjoy". He now loves playing in Matted and teaches guitar on the side which is "quite wholesome". Drummer Tom comments on the transition, saying that "playing drums in Matted has been one of the most rewarding things I've ever done".
When you hear Matted, it has its own flavour. Think punk/rock/metal with a grunge/alternative edge. They are influenced by great bands such as Rage Against The Machine, Audioslave, Wu Tang Clan, Metallica, ACDC and Alice In Chains. Max also disclosed his recent listening habits which include a lot of 'Village People' that he's been "blasting recently", adding "I do like music...but half the time, I'm just listening to bollocks." They are fresh and exciting but with the nostalgia of the great musicians of the past.
Family, friends and fans all stood in awe at the band who despite being so early onto the scene, are clearly causing a ruckus. The joy for them is within the bandmates themselves, having beautifully real and funny friendships which translates to audiences. They are living their dreams of bringing people together and enjoying their time on stage. Guitarist Oscar said that he "loved every part of it, it's the most fun we've had so far." Jake the lead guitarist expressed that he's "doing something now that I have wanted to do since I can remember". What stood out for me was watching them interact with audiences, adlibs on stage brought to life their charisma and charm. Jacob, Matted's bassist, spoke about the amazing feeling they get when performing, saying that "the energy on stage was very good fun".
The band have no plans to slow down, having played in London for Halloween, and recently returned to Brighton to support Crashface. Matted are currently recording songs with Harry and Danny from McFly at their studio, their first single will be released in early 2025. Before the year is over they will play at Planet Rockstock and support Finland's epic rockers Von Hertzen Brothers in Wales and London. Keep your eye on this band as they are sure to tangle themselves into the music industry.