Posted on: September 7, 2009 Posted by: anfnewsacct Comments: 0

Former PINK SPIDERS frontman and songwriter Matt Friction has announced his plans to focus his creative energy on a new project – MATT FRICTION AND THE CHEAP SHOTS.

With THE TALKING HEADS’ Jerry Harrison serving as producer, Friction and co. have been working to finish up THE CHEAP SHOTS’ debut release, which the band has been recording at Sausalito Sound in Sausalito, CA.

“This project had been in the back of my mind for the past several years,” explains Friction. “Once the new lineup was in place and a chemistry between us began to emerge, it was clear that this had to be its own thing and not a continuation of THE PINK SPIDERS. While the style is always going to be familiar if the songs come from the same person, the overall sound has changed. It’s important to me that this band have its own identity, and so it seemed natural to make a fresh start. It was time for a return to raw, stripped-down, organic rock n roll.”

To tide fans over until release details for THE CHEAP SHOTS’ debut are finalized, the band currently has the song’s “The Cheap Shot”, “Treading Water” and “Beer Can Ashtrays” streaming on its newly launched MySpace page: myspace.com/mattfrictionandthecheapshots. Additionally, the band will make their first appearance September 14th at the Mercy Lounge in Nashville, TN.

THE PINK SPIDERS, on the strength of Friction’s songwriting, released three lauded albums during their celebrated career – including the 2006 Ric Ocasek-produced, Geffen-released album, Teenage Graffiti, and 2008’s Sweat It Out, produced by Brendan O’Brien. The band was praised by high-profile media outlets such as MTV, Rolling Stone, Spin, Entertainment Weekly, USA Today and more.

Best known as the keyboardist and guitarist for THE TALKING HEADS, Harrison has produced such chart-topping albums as LIVE’S Throwing Copper, NO DOUBT’s Return of Saturn and THE VERVE PIPE’s Villains, in addition to albums by the likes of O.A.R., THE VIOLENT FEMMES, RUSTED ROOT, THE VON BONDIES and more.

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