Matthew Wright and Lizzy Walter are Sok Hop’s upcoming performers for this Tuesday, Feb. 3, at 7:15 p.m. Before going to see them play, learn about the origins of the musicians, their music and where they plan to go.
Matthew Wright
Matthew Wright, also known as Shivelights, has always loved music. He would constantly hum, sing or turn desks and tables into drum sets when he was younger, and after seeing his passion, his parents encouraged him to start playing an instrument.
“(I’ll play) whatever I can get my hands on, to be honest,” said Wright.
He currently plays the guitar, bass, drums and keyboard, but started out on the piano in second grade and picked up the viola soon after. It was his fascination with the song “Everything I Do (I Do it For You)” by Bryan Adams in the Robin Hood soundtrack that made him want to start playing the piano.
This Tuesday’s show will be Wright’s 17th anniversary of his first performance. Though he’s been playing in and forming bands since middle school, Wright’s first real public debut as a musician was at an open mic in Santa Ana, California.
Over the course of those 17 years, Wright’s gone through many music phases and his tastes have changed with his different stages of life. He’s played everything from electronic music to acoustic to alternative country. He’s been influenced by artists like Neil Young, Paul Simon, Chris Cornell and Jeff Buckley, among others. He also takes inspiration from the world of literature, his dogs and people he’s shared experiences with like his old coworker, with whom he used to create drum beats out of straws and a concession stand counter.
He continues to write, create, mix and master music for his solo project and other artists he works with.
Lizzy Walter
Lizzy Walter is a singer/songwriter starting out her journey as a solo artist. She has been playing in her alternative rock band, Dopamine Crash, for the last year and is now expanding to find her own sound.
Walter grew up on a ranch in Utah and has been influenced by farm life and the country music that comes with it. Though she’s not an avid country music listener now, and has geared herself more towards alternative rock, blues and R&B, there are still traces of the ranch life in the background of her tracks.
Walter’s mom introduced her to piano when she was six but shifted gears and began strumming a guitar when she was 14. She also started writing songs around the time she was 14, but didn’t start taking music seriously with the intent to perform until she was 17. She continues to be inspired by artists like the Cranberries and the current state of the world.
“I’ve been writing some stuff with political themes recently, and I think it needs to be talked about, and it needs to be changed,” said Walter.
For Walter, making music is a way for her to share the messages important to her.
Matthew Wright will be straying from his acoustic sound and trading it in for an electric guitar. Lizzy Walter is going to be playing a mostly acoustic show with special guest appearances from people who have helped her write songs.
