Matt Walker (drummer)
Encyclopedia
Matt Walker is a musician and former drummer
for Filter
, The Smashing Pumpkins
and current drummer for Morrissey.
Matt Walker began his career in Chicago in the mid 80s, when Matt began playing drums for the already well known Scott Bennett of Scott Bennett & The Obvious and did double duty playing drums for Derrick "Suede" Stout's group The Clinic. It was in this group that Derrick Stout introduced Matt to Jim Dinou who would eventually be his writing partner in Impossible Recording Machine. At the same time Matt formed his own band with bassist from Scott Bennett and The Obvious, Mick Vaughn, and good friend Marshall Dawson to form his pet project Moron Tasty. Scott bennett & Derrick "Suede" Stout eventually formed t h e t u r n s t y l e s and again hired Matt to be the primary drummer. Matt then played with Peat Moss, (Brad Peterson's band), until joining the band Filter in 1994. Matt toured with Filter in support of the album, "Short Bus" until 1996. Filter toured with The Smashing Pumpkins in Europe and when Pumpkins drummer Jimmy Chamberlin was fired after a heroin overdose, Walker was hired to replace Chamberlin. He finished the Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
tour with the band (1996 - 1997) and all of their dates up until the beginning of the Adore tour; this includes their television
appearance on Late Night with Conan O'Brien
where they played the song "Muzzle
". Walker also recorded the song "The End Is the Beginning Is the End
" with the band on the official Batman & Robin movie soundtrack, as well as several tracks on The Smashing Pumpkins Adore. He also worked with Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan
on the soundtrack for the movie Ransom and with Pumpkins guitarist James Iha
on Iha's solo album Let It Come Down. In 1998, Walker was asked to tour with the Pumpkins throughout the band's Adore world tour, but he declined. Matt was replaced by John Mellencamp
's drummer, Kenny Aronoff
, for the following tour. Walker did, however, play with the Pumpkins again at their final show on 2 December 2000 when he played percussion on an alternate version of the song "Muzzle" and drums on "1979
", while the original drummer Jimmy Chamberlin played acoustic guitar. He once again rejoined the Pumpkins on percussion during the Chicago dates of their 20th anniversary tour in November and December 2008.
Matt went on to other collaborative efforts in The Cupcakes and Ashtar Command.
He co-created Impossible Recording Machine with Jim Dinou.
In 2002, Matt filled in for an ailing Butch Vig during Garbage's European tour. In 2005, he played on various songs on Garbage
's album, Bleed Like Me
, and toured with Billy Corgan
promoting TheFutureEmbrace
.
Walker is also a member of the band Most Dangerous Race, who appeared on the 2007 MySpace/SPIN Smashing Pumpkins tribute album performing "Signal to Noise," an unreleased Smashing Pumpkins song.
While on hiatus from Morrissey, Matt writes songs and performs under the name "of 1000faces" with various singers and musicians.
Walker has played drums and recorded with Morrissey
since 2006.
Walker has three children, Haley, Dylan, and Shane and is married to Char Walker.
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
for Filter
Filter (band)
Filter is a rock group formed in 1993 in Cleveland by singer Richard Patrick and guitarist/programmer Brian Liesegang. Filter has released five studio albums, the most recent being The Trouble with Angels, which was released on August 17, 2010....
, The Smashing Pumpkins
The Smashing Pumpkins
The Smashing Pumpkins are an American alternative rock band that formed in Chicago, Illinois in 1988. Formed by Billy Corgan frontman and James Iha , the band has included Jimmy Chamberlin , D'arcy Wretzky , and currently includes Jeff Schroeder Mike Byrne , and Nicole Fiorentino The Smashing...
and current drummer for Morrissey.
Matt Walker began his career in Chicago in the mid 80s, when Matt began playing drums for the already well known Scott Bennett of Scott Bennett & The Obvious and did double duty playing drums for Derrick "Suede" Stout's group The Clinic. It was in this group that Derrick Stout introduced Matt to Jim Dinou who would eventually be his writing partner in Impossible Recording Machine. At the same time Matt formed his own band with bassist from Scott Bennett and The Obvious, Mick Vaughn, and good friend Marshall Dawson to form his pet project Moron Tasty. Scott bennett & Derrick "Suede" Stout eventually formed t h e t u r n s t y l e s and again hired Matt to be the primary drummer. Matt then played with Peat Moss, (Brad Peterson's band), until joining the band Filter in 1994. Matt toured with Filter in support of the album, "Short Bus" until 1996. Filter toured with The Smashing Pumpkins in Europe and when Pumpkins drummer Jimmy Chamberlin was fired after a heroin overdose, Walker was hired to replace Chamberlin. He finished the Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness is the third album by American alternative rock band The Smashing Pumpkins, released October 24, 1995 on Virgin Records. Produced by frontman Billy Corgan with Flood and Alan Moulder, the twenty-eight-track album was released as a two-disc CD and triple LP...
tour with the band (1996 - 1997) and all of their dates up until the beginning of the Adore tour; this includes their television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
appearance on Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Conan O'Brien is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien that aired 2,725 episodes on NBC between 1993 and 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and musical and comedy performances. Late Night aired weeknights at 12:37 am...
where they played the song "Muzzle
Muzzle (song)
"Muzzle" is a song by American alternative rock band The Smashing Pumpkins from their third album, Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. It was one of the last songs written by Billy Corgan for Mellon Collie, with the song's lyrics referring to what Corgan thought the public's perception was of...
". Walker also recorded the song "The End Is the Beginning Is the End
The End Is the Beginning Is the End
"The End Is the Beginning Is the End" is a Grammy Award-winning song by American alternative rock band The Smashing Pumpkins. It is the first full-band song released as a single by the Smashing Pumpkins in the aftermath of their 1995 album, Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness...
" with the band on the official Batman & Robin movie soundtrack, as well as several tracks on The Smashing Pumpkins Adore. He also worked with Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan
Billy Corgan
William Patrick "Billy" Corgan, Jr. is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and occasional poet best known as the frontman and sole permanent member of The Smashing Pumpkins. Formed by Corgan and guitarist James Iha in Chicago, Illinois in 1987, the band quickly gained steam with the...
on the soundtrack for the movie Ransom and with Pumpkins guitarist James Iha
James Iha
James Yoshinobu Iha b. March 26, 1968 in Chicago, Illinois) is a Japanese American rock musician. He is best known as having been a guitarist and co-founder of the alternative rock band The Smashing Pumpkins and for his eclectic musical projects of recent years, most notably being a permanent...
on Iha's solo album Let It Come Down. In 1998, Walker was asked to tour with the Pumpkins throughout the band's Adore world tour, but he declined. Matt was replaced by John Mellencamp
John Mellencamp
John Mellencamp, previously known by the stage names Johnny Cougar, John Cougar, and John Cougar Mellencamp, is an American rock singer-songwriter, musician, painter and occasional actor known for his catchy, populist brand of heartland rock that eschews synthesizers and other artificial sounds...
's drummer, Kenny Aronoff
Kenny Aronoff
Kenny Aronoff is an American drummer. He has played drums for many musicians, including John Mellencamp, Bob Seger, Belinda Carlisle, Elton John, John Fogerty, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Meat Loaf, The BoDeans, Gregg Alexander, The Smashing Pumpkins, Tony Iommi, Jon Bon Jovi, Vasco Rossi, Cinderella and...
, for the following tour. Walker did, however, play with the Pumpkins again at their final show on 2 December 2000 when he played percussion on an alternate version of the song "Muzzle" and drums on "1979
1979 (song)
"1979" is a song by American alternative rock band The Smashing Pumpkins. Released in 1996 as the second single from their third studio album, Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, "1979" was written by frontman Billy Corgan, and features loops and samples that were uncharacteristic of previous...
", while the original drummer Jimmy Chamberlin played acoustic guitar. He once again rejoined the Pumpkins on percussion during the Chicago dates of their 20th anniversary tour in November and December 2008.
Matt went on to other collaborative efforts in The Cupcakes and Ashtar Command.
He co-created Impossible Recording Machine with Jim Dinou.
In 2002, Matt filled in for an ailing Butch Vig during Garbage's European tour. In 2005, he played on various songs on Garbage
Garbage (band)
Garbage are an alternative rock band formed in Madison, Wisconsin in 1994. The group consists of Scottish singer Shirley Manson and American musicians Duke Erikson , Steve Marker and Butch Vig . All four members are involved in songwriting and production...
's album, Bleed Like Me
Bleed Like Me
Bleed Like Me is the fourth studio album recorded and produced by alternative rock group Garbage. It was released in April 2005 by Warner Bros...
, and toured with Billy Corgan
Billy Corgan
William Patrick "Billy" Corgan, Jr. is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and occasional poet best known as the frontman and sole permanent member of The Smashing Pumpkins. Formed by Corgan and guitarist James Iha in Chicago, Illinois in 1987, the band quickly gained steam with the...
promoting TheFutureEmbrace
TheFutureEmbrace
TheFutureEmbrace is the only solo album by Billy Corgan, frontman of the alternative rock band The Smashing Pumpkins. Released in June 2005, the album's sound was markedly different than most of Corgan's earlier work, eschewing his characteristic "drums, bass, big-guitars sound" in favor of an...
.
Walker is also a member of the band Most Dangerous Race, who appeared on the 2007 MySpace/SPIN Smashing Pumpkins tribute album performing "Signal to Noise," an unreleased Smashing Pumpkins song.
While on hiatus from Morrissey, Matt writes songs and performs under the name "of 1000faces" with various singers and musicians.
Walker has played drums and recorded with Morrissey
Morrissey
Steven Patrick Morrissey , known as Morrissey, is an English singer and lyricist. He rose to prominence in the 1980s as the lyricist and vocalist of the alternative rock band The Smiths. The band was highly successful in the United Kingdom but broke up in 1987, and Morrissey began a solo career,...
since 2006.
Walker has three children, Haley, Dylan, and Shane and is married to Char Walker.
External links
- [ Matt Walker discography] at Allmusic
- true-to-you.net - A Morrissey Zine