Bleeding Audio is an intimate portrait detailing The Matches’ promising career, defeating break up, and inspiring reunion as they reflect on what success truly means for musicians in today’s digital industry. The Matches’ story overlaps with the drastic changes the music industry has undergone in the past several years. From declining record sales, to excessive touring, to illegal downloading and streaming. This documentary uses The Matches history and recent reunion to dig deeper into the root of the challenges the average musician faces in the digital age of the industry, and how artists can navigate their careers today.
Release Date: May 27, 2022 (VOD)
Genre: Documentary
Director: Chelsea Christer
Producers: Erin Persley, Chelsea Christer, Jannette Bivona
Cast: The Matches, Mark Hoppus (Blink 182), Nick Hexum (311), Tom Higgenson (Plain White T’s), Simon Neil & James Johnston (Biffy Clyro), Cassadee Pope (The Voice), Justin Pierre & Tony Thaxton (Motion City Soundtrack)
Synopsis: Told through the eyes of quirky, charming, and humble bandmates Shawn Harris, Jon Devoto, Matt Whalen, and Justin San Souci, Bleeding Audio details the rollercoaster career of the Oakland band, The Matches. Like many acts in the early 2000s, they were set to be the next ‘big thing’. After building a tight-knit music community in California’s Bay Area, The Matches broke out and became an internationally touring act. An eclectic group of artistic weirdos, the band grew a thriving cult fanbase worldwide, yet remained virtually penniless. Their story overlaps with the drastic changes of the music industry since the takeover of the digital revolution— from declining sales to excessive touring, to illegal downloading and streaming. With interviews from some of music’s biggest names like Mark Hoppus (Blink 182), Nick Hexum (311), Tom Higgenson (Plain White T’s) and more, Bay Area filmmaker Chelsea Christer’s uplifting tribute tracks The Matches’ history and recent reunion to dig deeper into the challenges the average musician faces in the digital age of the industry—and the community that keeps artists alive.
