Matty Matheson forms hardcore band Pig Pen with Alexisonfire’s Wade MacNeil, Daniel Romano & more

Matty Matheson is now best known as a chef, internet personality, and actor/producer on The Bear, but back when the 43-year-old was still in his teens, he used to play shows in the same Ontario post-hardcore scene as bands like Alexisonfire and Attack In Black. Now, he’s revisiting those roots by forming a new hardcore band, Pig Pen, whose lineup includes Alexisonfire’s Wade MacNeil, Attack In Black’s Daniel and Ian Romano (the former of whom is also now a successful country singer), and Tommy Major (who’s also in Daniel Romano’s band Outfit, Young Guv’s live band, and more).

“A FEW OLD FRIENDS GOT TOGETHER A COUPLE YEARS AGO AND WROTE AND RECORDED 10 SONGS OVER 2 DAYS,” Matheson writes on Instagram, where he announced the project. “WE JUST WANTED TO HANGOUT AND SEE WHAT’S UP. THIS IS OUR BAND. WE ARE PIGPEN.”

They haven’t released any music yet, but you can preview a song below — it soundtracks a post about their debut show, which happens at Toronto’s Sneaky Dee’s on Friday April 25, with Best Wishes and Pluto’s Kiss. Tickets are currently sold out, but you can join the waitlist.

Matty’s also one of the talking heads in BrooklynVegan’s career-spanning Alexisonfire magazine, which is available on its own or paired with exclusive Alexisonfire vinyl reissues or our exclusive Alexisonfire box set.