Meet The Matter. A Mesmerizing Mix of Stellar Songwriting and Inspired Live Performances
The Matter have their Genesis in the punk scene of the early 80s. Rick Gerardi and Dennis LeBlanc were part of the So Cal punk scene in a band called The Factory. Playing shows with bands like Saccharine Trust, they were socially connected to the San Pedro punk scene. The Factory put out a 45 single and sent a copy to Rodney Bingenheimer. “Years later, when Rodney sold off his punk rock record collection, a collector bought our single and tracked me down,” LeBlanc explains. “Other collectors reached out to us from all over the world, even as far away as Malaysia.”
After The Factory disbanded, Michael Hamilton joined Gerardi and LeBlanc in a band called The Cinematics. After two years, Hamilton departed and moved to New York City, working lighting and sound at The Bottom Line. He went on to do sound, provide guitar tech services, and tour manage for bands such as The Del Lords and The Smithereens. He also worked in the studio with The Smithereens, producing a number of B-sides and playing as a “guest” on other tracks, including some of their biggest chart successes and fan favorites. Hamilton has toured all over the world in some capacity, behind the scenes or onstage, with a number of acts. A highlight was playing with members of Crazy Horse, backing Ian McNabb (Icicle Works) at Glastonbury Festival in front of tens of thousands of fans.
Full Circle
Fast forward to Hamilton - back in Southern California - reconnecting with Gerardi and LeBlanc. Informal jams coalesced into new songs, which prompted more inspired songwriting, and The Matter was born. The present line up was locked in when Erikson replaced the original bassist, Eric Duke. Erikson performed in a number of bands in the Orange County area over the years, as well as wrote movie soundtracks. The personal and musical chemistry between Erikson and the band was undeniable.
While the collective creativity of the band brings a lot of synergy to their sound, LeBlanc and Hamilton do most of the writing and arranging for the band. They craft highly original songs built on an eclectic pastiche of familiar shared influences and past and current fever dreams and hallucinations. The inspired songwriting is the band’s strength and calling card.
Recording with a Legend
The band recently recorded basic tracks with legendary producer Ed Stasium (Ramones, Talking Heads, Living Color, Smithereens, etc...). “Ed has such a great ear and knows how to get the best sound and performance from a band. Even just the rough basic tracks sound phenomenal,” says Gerardi.
Guitar Interplay
The Matter feature the powerful guitar interplay of Hamilton and LeBlanc, backed by the solid rhythm section of Erikson and Gerardi. The songs range from the intricate and chiming Girl From the Sun to the sixties inspired power pop of Her First Rodeo to the surging and grinding sonic assault of Saw Love, a crowd favorite and often a set closer.
Making Their Mark Moving Forward
The Matter are grabbing the attention of audiences all over Southern California with their original songwriting and mesmerizing performances.
For booking, contact Erikson at eriksond@icloud.com or Dennis LeBlanc at dennis@dennisleblanc.com
You can find The Matter at http://www.theMatterBand.com or Facebook.com/RockTheMatter