Matthew Sweet Enjoys Pot(tery)

10/03/08 4:26pm

by James Tennant (CHARTattack)

To the mainstream world, Matthew Sweet probably seems like a one-hit wonder. "Sick Of Myself" was everywhere in 1995, but nothing before or since has grabbed the public's attention so firmly (though Guitar Hero II introduced his classic single "Girlfriend" to a whole new generation).

It's a shame, really, that the general public doesn't hear more of Sweet. Sunshine Lies, his 10th official solo album, is another gem in a long line of well-crafted pop/rock records. Heralded as a "return to form" (though he never really left said form), the album reunites Sweet with former band members Richard Lloyd and Greg Leisz.

"I loved just making my record how I wanted it, and it's exciting that it's come out and some people still care," Sweet says modestly.

After dispiriting adventures with major record companies, Sweet's now with Shout! Factory, a smaller label where he feels more comfortable.

"At Shout!, if I have an even modestly big success, I'd do really well and be able to put out another record," he says. "I think artists like me are more likely to do good work now because the business is just so different."

Sweet says he, too, has changed, thanks to various projects like his collaborations with Sean Mullins and Pete Droge in The Thorns and Susanna Hoffs (the Under The Covers Vol. 1 collection of '60s covers). He also credits a completely different artistic endeavour — pottery — with his feelings of artistic freedom.

"Doing pottery is like music. When I'm throwing on the wheel, it's so unlikely to do it well. It's like a needle in a haystack, but it's in your mind, kind of. In order to do it well, ever, you have to let go of so much and you have to kind of have a flow.

"Pottery... it's spinning this thing out of dirt. It just helps me feel like my feet are into the ground. It's a weird thing to say, I guess. I feel more free because I'm more comfortable."