Last week Blow The Scene was introduced to Philadelphia-based artist and musician Matt Ferri. Ferri’s artwork can be seen in many local flyers and designs for several underground East Coast bands including website graphics, shirts, stickers, and album covers. His distinctive works have been drawing more and more attention from the underground community as he continues a prolific flow of artistic output. Ferri also plays bass and delivers vox in Philadelphia’s own thrash-metal quartet, Trasher. The band is embarking on a three-week, full-US tour that kicks off today. Check out what Matt had to say about his current artistic endeavors as he sits down with Blow The Scene Editor Joshua T. Cohen.
Joshua BTS: Matt Ferri! How the hell are ya? Go ahead and introduce yourself to Blow The Scene readers around the World.
Matt Ferri: Haha well hello ghouls and ghoulettes! I’m doing quite well, enjoying a nice hangover after a night of evil and debauchery! 😉
Well my name is Matt Ferri, but my silly illustrator alias would be Matt Slime Bucket. I do illustrations for anyone really, but I do mostly stuff for underground bands for shirts, stickers, albums, etc.
Joshua BTS: You have some amazing art works going on. You shred the bass in Trasher and know your way around sketch pad. So tell us what are your artistic tools of choice? Fine Arts? Music? Any other artistic outlets we are missing?
Matt Ferri: I love drawing and music the same. I feel that both are amazingly awesome outlets to get out my interests, emotions, etc. I’ve been drawing longer than I’ve been playing instruments, but I love both equally. Drawing is awesome because for me, it’s straight to the point usually. I usually don’t beat around the bush with my messages, as you can see from the work I have posted online. Same with my music/lyrics.
Joshua BTS: Your catalog of visual art displays several different medium choices. What are your favorite mediums to work in? And any mediums you simply won’t touch? I know some artists hate digital processing, while others swear by it.
Matt Ferri: Medium of choice would most definitely be pencil and ink.I usually sketch everything super lightly with pencil and then I go in with my micron pens and give it some filth! I was trying to learn more about paints and things not so long ago, but my strength is definitely in illustration. Usually the only thing that I do digitally is darken the blacks, or if i want to fill the background of a piece in with black or something.
Joshua BTS: How did you childhood play into your current artistic endeavors? Plenty of Play-Doh and Crayons as a young-blood to go with that fisher price guitar and keyboard?
Matt Ferri: Haha well when i was super young I had lots of paper and a sketch book or two and I would just draw pictures of people getting horribly maimed by sharks and things of the sort. This was when i was about 5…I loved movies like Jaws, and Ghostbusters and stuff, so i was always drawing sharks, or ghosts/monsters and stuff. As I got older, I started getting into some comic books here and there…I loved Spawn. Spawn comics were definitely a huge inspiration to me growing up when it came to drawing. Also, when I was in 3rd grade, my mother went to see Metallica and she brought me home a rad shirt with some of Pushead’s artwork on it…Ever since I saw that shirt, I’ve been in love with Pushead’s work. I also definitely had one of those bright red plastic acoustic guitars from fisher price when I was like 5. hahaha.
Joshua BTS: Who are some of your early artistic influences? Music, Visual Art, and otherwise?
Matt Ferri:Todd McFarlane (spawn) is probably my earliest artistic influence to date. I loved Spawn comics so fucking much, and I pretty much thought Todd McFarlane was god for being able to create such awesome artwork. I would just sit around and draw from my comics for hours at a time. As far as music goes, my dad pushed Black Sabbath on me when I was super young, and my mom did the same with Metallica. When I was REAL young, i listened to a few other things here and there that I am embarrassed about (haha), but who doesn’t have that? When I got into middle school, I listened to a little bit of punk here and there (Dead Kennedys, OOOOOOLD Anti Flag, etc) because I had a buddy who was real into punk, and I listened to a little pop punk as well. 7th grade was when I started getting into more metal, and i discovered Anthrax, and Pantera. In 8th grade, I discovered Iron Maiden, and then just went on from there. The older I got, the more resources I was able to obtain for discovering more music.
Joshua BTS: Apart from the artistic world, where do you draw your current influences from?
Matt Ferri: Horror movies, death metal lyrics, and my illustration hero, PUTRID. Putrid is an amazing artist who does a lot of shit for bands on Razorback Records and he does things for underground horror mags and stuff, and his work is just so fucking intense. It makes me want to burn my sketchbook, haha. The best part is, I met him recently for the first time, and he was one of the nicest people I’ve ever met in my entire life. The world needs more dudes like him!
Joshua BTS: We’re seeing a definite revival of the old 80s and 90s punk, thrash, and black metal genres alive and well among several east coast cities. What’s your take on the current music and art scene in Philly area?
Matt Ferri: The current scene in Philly is a very strong one. Everyone there is really dedicated to the music that they love, and are very supportive of each other’s bands, and underground bands that come touring through. There’s a lot of great bands that are causing a ruckus in Philly right now, but I would have to say the best out of all of them is BSOM. They’ve been around for a long fucking time, their current line up is a really strong and secure, and their tunes fucking rip. Philly definitely has an awesome scene. I would suggest to any punk or metal bands to pass through and try to get a house show in Philly if they ever get the chance.
Joshua BTS: You have some great projects going on that we will surely be keeping up with. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? You looking to make art and music your profession or keeping them as a hobby?
Matt Ferri: I definitely plan to keep involved in music and art. If I could do both professionally, that would be fucking rad, but I’m not banking on it. I am finishing up with my art degree this December, and I start mortuary school in January. I’m going to be learn how to embalm bodies, and do funeral service and stuff. It’s a profession that I have the stomach for, and I know I won’t have a problem supporting myself with it. It will also leave me a sufficient amount of time to get artwork done, and keep up with any bands that I’m involved in at the time!
Joshua BTS: For those interested in your art and music, where can one find more information online?
Matt Ferri: I have a lot of my work up on my Myspace. (Check out the Official MATT SLIME BUCKET MYSPACE)
For my music, you can check out TRASHER at The Official TRASHER Myspace.
I also have a brand new band entitled Coffin Dust, which is a crossover infused death metal band (i’m actually really excited about it!), and we just finished recording our first release! You can hear all 5 songs that are going to be on the release at The Official Coffin Dust Myspace.
Check out Matt Ferri shredding his bass all over the US with his band TRASHER as theyleave for a Full-US Tour TODAY!
TRASHER TOUR DATES:
Jul 9 2010 6:00P School of rock/w Razormaze, Fisthammer, Unmen, Blood Of Isis Downingtown, PA
Jul 10 2010 8:00P House show w/ Razormaze, Holocaust Hammer, Remove Richmond, Virginia
Jul 11 2010 8:00P 585 Warehouse w/ Razormaze, Doomed Youth, and Living Decay Atlanta, Georgia
Jul 12 2010 8:00P tba w/ razormaze Tampa, Florida
Jul 13 2010 8:00P The Bar w/ Razormaze, Suspended Obscurity New Orleans, Louisianna
Jul 14 2010 4:30P The White Swan w/ Razormaze, PLF Houston, Texas
Jul 15 2010 8:00P Headhunter’s w/ Razormaze, Rattlehead, Hexen Austin, Texas
Jul 16 2010 8:00P The Alamo w/ Razormaze, Preatcher, Insinnerator, Verk Ft. Worth, Texas
Jul 17 2010 8:00P tba w/ razormaze Phoenix, Arizona
Jul 18 2010 8:00P tba w/ razormaze Las Vegas, NV
Jul 19 2010 8:00P The Ruby Room w/ Razormaze, Witchaven San Diego, California
Jul 20 2010 8:00P tba w/ razormaze Los Angeles, California
Jul 21 2010 8:00P The Red Hat w/ Razormaze, Zombie Holocaust, Witchaven San Francisco, California
Jul 22 2010 4:30P Allstars Sports Bar w/ Razormaze, Inifinite War Redding, California
Jul 23 2010 8:00P Plan B w/ REEKER, Razormaze Portland, Oregon
Jul 24 2010 8:00P The Red Room w/ Razormaze, hummingbird of death, krystos Boise, Idaho
Jul 25 2010 4:30P One Mind Studio w/ Razormaze SLC, Utah
Jul 26 2010 8:00P Old Curtis St w/ Razormaze, Steel Blades of Vengeance, more Denver, Colorado
Jul 27 2010 8:00P The Riot Room w/ Razormaze Kansas City, MO
Jul 28 2010 8:00P Reggies Rock Club w/ Razormaze, Diamond Plate, Hexen, Rattlehead Chicago, Illinois
Jul 29 2010 4:30P Ruby Tuesday w/ Razormaze, Artillery Breath Colombus, Ohio
Jul 29 2010 8:00P tba w/ razormaze TBA
Jul 30 2010 8:00P The Sidebar w/ Razormaze, Betty Sue Aside Baltimore, Maryland
All Artwork Courtesy of Matt Ferri
Interview by Joshua T. Cohen
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