Matthew Kean (born 2 June 1986) is a British musician, best known as the bassist of the rock band Bring Me the Horizon. He has been credited on all seven of the band's studio releases.
Early life
Kean was born on 2 June 1986 and was raised in Sheffield, South Yorkshire.[2] Growing up, he wanted to be a footballer, but figured "that was never going to happen." He went to college studying biology, physics and chemistry A Levels.[3] On his days off from college wondering what to do apart from playing on his computer, he decided to buy a bass guitar. He used to print tabs off the internet and play along to stuff like Blink-182 and Green Day.[3] Before joining Bring Me the Horizon, he would watch bandmate Lee Malia perform in his Metallica tribute band.[3] He ended up joining the band in 2004, after he finished college and leaving local bands he previously played for.[3][4]
Career
Kean performing in 2014
Bring Me the Horizon formed in 2004, and they released their debut EP, This Is What the Edge of Your Seat Was Made For, later that year.[4] The group released their debut studio album Count Your Blessings, on 30 October 2006.[5] The album peaked at number 93 on the UK Albums Chart.[6] Their second studio album, Suicide Season was released on 29 September 2008.[7] The album reached number 47 on the UK Albums Chart.[6] Their third studio album, There Is a Hell Believe Me I've Seen It. There Is a Heaven Let's Keep It a Secret was released on 4 October 2010.[8] The album debuted at number 13 on the UK Albums Chart.[6] Their fourth studio album, Sempiternal was released on 1 April 2013.[9] It peaked at number three on the UK Albums Chart.[6] The group's fifth studio album, That's the Spirit was released on 11 September 2015.[10] The album peaked at number two on the UK Albums Chart,[6] as well as number two on the Billboard 200, making it the band's first top ten in the US.[11] Their sixth studio album, Amo was released on 25 January 2019.[12] The album topped the UK Albums Chart.[13]
Kean along with Oli Sykes' mother Carol Sykes, also served as the de facto managers of the band during the group's early years until 2008.[4] On 12 December 2016, Kean was selected for the front cover on the 138th edition of Bass Guitar magazine, featuring an exclusive interview with the bassist.[14]
Equipment
The first bass guitar Kean owned was a Peavey starter pack. He later bought an Ibanez bass and used it on tour during the band's early years.[3] He also has an Ibanez five-string bass that he doesn't use often. Additionally, Kean owns a few Fenders and Sandbergs, as well as an endorsement through Gibson.[3] The brand suggested him try their EB14, which he "immediately liked" because of its sound.[15] On tour, Kean uses four basses, one of them he notes, his Gibson Ernie Ball bass.[3] He also has a blue non-reverse Gibson Thunderbird bass, which is based on a 1965 model.[15] His amp setup consists of an 8x10' cabinet, an Ashdown head and an Ampeg SVT-VR reissue.[15][3] Kean also uses an EMG Ja Set Pickups.[16] He uses an Ernie Ball Hybrid Coated bass strings with an individual 135.[17] He likes to keep his style simple and doesn't use any effects,[3] however he has a Tube Screamer pedal and used a plugin from SansAmp on recording "What You Need" from the band's fifth studio album, That's the Spirit.[15] He also used an Empress compressor effects pedal on the album.[3]
Musical style and technique
According to Kean, he was far behind in his playing technique when he first joined Bring Me the Horizon but was able to catch up.[3] Kean is a self-taught bassist, as he never took lessons or learned any theory. On writing bass lines, Kean usually follows along with Malia's guitar parts.[3] Kean also stated that he was never influenced by any bass players though he appreciated technical bassists like Billy Sheehan and Matt Freeman from Rancid who stood out to him.[15] He also weaned on Metallica bassists Cliff Burton and Jason Newsted.[18]
Personal life
He is a vegan.[2] He moved to Manchester in his early 20s.[19] During the recording of Sempiternal, Kean didn't have a place to live along with former bandmate Jona Weinhofen, so they stayed in a hotel together during that time.[20] Kean is an avid football watcher and is a fan of Manchester City.[19] He is currently dating American singer Tillie.[21]
^ abcPatashnik, Ben (October 2012). Patashnik, B. (ed.). "We Were So Clueless". Rock Sound (166). London, United Kingdom: Freeway Press. ISSN1465-0185.
