Treat yourself to a Sweet concert this month at SOPAC

SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — Matthew Sweet openly acknowledges that he is not as famous as he was in the 1990s, when hits like “Girlfriend” and “Sick of Myself” captured the world’s attention with their blend of catchy riffs and heartfelt lyrics. But that is more than OK with him. Gaining fame was never an objective for the power pop icon.

And while he might not be heard on the radio as often as back then, when his music was climbing the charts, Sweet has found something more meaningful than widespread popularity ever was: the knowledge that when he performs at venues like the South Orange Performing Arts Center on Sept. 15 all the people in attendance will be true fans.

“When you have those kinds of hits, some of the (concertgoers) are those diehard people who connected with the personal feelings you had (when writing the song), but a lot of them are also just kind of along for the ride at the moment — going to see whatever’s popular at the time,” Sweet told the News-Record in an Aug. 29 phone interview. “The thing that’s really cool now is that the people who come are really giant fans. So there’s something a little more special about it. And I think I feel more comfortable playing now than I used to, when I was younger, because there’s more of that special relationship and less of that noise of fame.”

Fans who attend the SOPAC show will be treated to a range of hits from throughout Sweet’s career. These are all songs that the artist has played countless times, but Sweet said he never gets tired of them. A big reason for this, he explained, is that they all deal with feelings he has experienced in his life — from love to heartbreak, sadness to optimism. Though the events that brought out these emotions might have happened years ago, Sweet said he can still relate to his lyrics because he still has the same feelings today.

The songs were not too difficult to write either, Sweet said, though it would be perfectly understandable if they were. After all, most of his subject matter is deeply personal. “Girlfriend” is partially about the breakup of his first marriage, while “Sick of Myself” examines low self-esteem. Clearly, these are heavy subjects to explore.

But Sweet said delving deep within himself has always been the easiest way for him to go about writing a song. More than that, he regards having the ability to look inside himself for inspiration as a strength integral to his life as an artist.

“If I didn’t have that way of kind of getting inside personal feeling and then expressing it somehow, I wouldn’t exactly be who I am,” Sweet said, listing fellow introspective songwriters John Lennon of the Beatles and Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys as favorites. “To some degree it’s therapy for yourself when you’re a songwriter. I don’t sit around and think ‘What would people like to hear?’ I more know how to get out of the way and just let the feeling come through and not try to think about it too much.”

That process led to the 1991 release of Sweet’s breakthrough album “Girlfriend,” with its title song reaching No. 4 on the Billboard Modern Rock chart. It was the success most musicians dream of, but Sweet never paid much attention to how well the record was doing at the time. In fact, he said the only time he knew he had a hit on his hands was when other people would tell him. But he never felt pressure to live up to “Girlfriend.” On the contrary, he recalled believing that the album’s popularity allowed him to move in an entirely different musical direction.

His 1993 follow-up album, “Altered Beast,” was harder and darker, with Sweet describing it as reaction to the uncertainty he felt about his newfound fame. The album did not do as well critically or commercially, but when it came time to do his next record, he said was better adjusted to his popularity. As a result, 1995’s “100% Fun” proved to be a much more upbeat album. It was another hit too, with the track “Sick of Myself” reaching No. 2 on the Billboard Modern Rock chart.

And while mainstream success was not important to him, Sweet said he is grateful to have experienced it to the extent he did.

“Unless you’re a person who’s like a superstar and your whole life is about adapting and continuing your fame, you’re going to have your time,” Sweet said. “For a lot of people, just having one moment like that is a huge deal. So I feel really lucky to have had a couple of those.”

Today Sweet is almost finished with his latest album “Tomorrow Forever,” which he funded through Kickstarter. The artist said that making this record was different from any label project he has worked on as it was not just about his own creative interests. Instead, he felt an obligation to satisfy the fans who had donated their hard-earned money for the cause.

“I really want to give them something great,” Sweet said. “I never worried about a label. I just wanted to be me more than I cared about whatever they imagined they wanted. But because my fans know me really well, I think I felt really strongly I wanted to give a great version of me — very strong and good and direct.”

So Sweet recorded 38 songs with the intention of choosing the absolute best to include on the record. The problem, though, is that he has found a lot fewer “dregs” than he thought he would. He said he is not exactly sure how he will release the extra music, though he is leaning toward doing a double album at this point. What he does know is that the songs came out well, and he thinks his fans will be happy when the album is released next year.

Meanwhile, Sweet is celebrating the 30th anniversary since the release of his first solo album, 1986’s “Inside.” He has accomplished a lot in the years following that debut, from appearances on television to critical acclaim. But looking back on his career, the artist said he is proudest of simply having such a prolific career. Fame is fleeting, he said, but having longevity is precious in the ever-changing music business.

And he hopes to continue doing what he loves.

“I want to continue making records that are really good and keep going for as long as I’m able to,” Sweet said. “I don’t feel like there’s a thing I need to grasp for, that there’s a thing I’m mad I’m not getting. I feel really lucky to have fans who care about me, and I feel very strongly that I can be an artist and make my music. So just to keep those things would be my greatest hope.”

For tickets for Matthew Sweet’s performance at SOPAC, call 973-313-2787 or visit http://www.sopacnow.org/matthew-sweet/.

  FEATURED, SOPAC