From inspiring triumphs to heartbreaking setbacks, BLEEDING AUDIO relives the explosive career of The Matches and explores what it means to succeed in the digital age of music.
Told through the eyes of quirky, charming, and humble bandmates: Shawn, Jon, Matt, and Justin, 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 the 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) and Tom Higgenson (Plain White T’s), 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 our artists alive.
Originally from Colorado, Chelsea Christer is an award-winning director based in San Francisco. She has traveled the world, producing and directing brand documentaries and commercials for companies like Google, Adobe, HP, and Dolby. These productions have taken her all across the US and abroad to places like Tokyo, London, Amsterdam, Paris, Sydney, and rural India. As both a documentary filmmaker and scripted narrative writer/director, Chelsea’s work in each discipline focuses on deeply human stories; character studies that show moments of growth, reflections on identity, and stories of the sacrifice that can come with following a dream. She’s directed two fiction short films (We’re Just Like You, 2010, and Sierra, 2012). Both have screened at multiple festivals domestic to the US and internationally in Scotland and Australia. Her first feature-length film, the music documentary Bleeding Audio (2020), is an eight-time award winning film, screening at over 17 festivals worldwide including Slamdance, Cinequest, Dances With Films and more. Bleeding Audio secured distribution and is available on VOD.
