How a TikTok Post Changed Everything (Matt Becker from Off Guard)
Matt Becker of modern rock band Off Guard shares how a spontaneous TikTok post led to a career-changing DM from Alan Day of Four Year Strong, who would go on to co-produce their latest EP, Complex Machines. We also discuss growing up on Long Island’s DIY scene and balancing mental health in a band.
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Transcript:
Mike: Hey Matt, how’s it going?
Matt: I'm doing good. How are you today?
Mike: I’m doing fantastic—thanks for asking. I really appreciate you being on the show. You mentioned today was kind of a day off, so thanks for taking the time.
Matt: Yeah, of course. I've got the time, so I'm happy to be here.
Mike: One of the things I always enjoy is discovering that my guest is from my hometown. And in this case, that’s Long Island. Not in Long Island—on Long Island. I was born and raised in Commack, and when I saw you’re from there too, I thought, "What a small world!"
So we were reminiscing a bit about the towns next to each other where we grew up. I still try to go back once a year to visit friends and family, but now I’m based in Phoenix, Arizona. Still, it’s always nice to meet a fellow Long Islander.
Matt: Yeah, it's super cool. We always find our way back to each other, right?
Mike: Exactly! One thing about growing up on Long Island was how much music was a part of my life—private music lessons, performing. It sounds like that was the case for you too. Did you know early on that you wanted to pursue music? Were your parents involved in the arts?
Matt: Yeah, music has always been a part of my life. Both of my parents are artistic types. They had their day jobs, but my dad is a painter and my mom’s a theater person, so there was always creative energy around the house. They were really supportive of me and my sister exploring whatever artistic interests we had growing up. I feel super fortunate for that.
Mike: What was the first instrument you picked up?
Matt: That was back in fourth grade—around the time they were testing us for orchestra or band. My uncle is a saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist, and he inspired me, so I started with saxophone. But that only lasted about a year. The whole band/orchestra vibe didn’t really click for me.
So I dropped it and was put in general music. My older sister was really into bands like AFI, so I started gravitating toward guitar and drums. I actually wanted to play drums first, but my parents were like, “Nope. Too loud.” So I picked up guitar instead.
Mike: I relate to that! I secretly loved playing drums too. A friend I lived with in L.A. had a set, and I’d mess around on it—so much fun. But yeah, they’re so loud, and lugging them around is a whole task. I always try to help drummers at shows because they definitely have it the hardest.
I started on piano and then trumpet. Similar to you—started with piano because it’s a great foundational instrument, and then picked trumpet because my dad played it and you can’t exactly bring a piano to band class.
You mentioned earlier that you met your current bandmates around that time too?
Matt: Yeah! Tyler (bass/vocals), Jordan (drums), and I all grew up in Deer Park. We met in school and started hanging out in middle school—sixth or seventh grade. Jordan lived just two blocks away, so once we realized we had similar interests, we started jamming daily.
That’s really where it all started—us figuring out our sound and just messing around with music. I already knew Tyler but didn’t know he played bass until he showed up at a jam session and just started shredding. He was already singing too. I was like, “Oh crap, I gotta step up my game.”
Mike: I love that. It’s so important to surround yourself with people who motivate you to level up. Whether it’s music or anything else, being around people who challenge and inspire you is key.
Matt: Yeah, for sure. We all bring something to the table, but Tyler’s always been experimenting and pushing things creatively.
Mike: Were you all in projects together before Off Guard?
Matt: Yeah. Our first “band” was just us jamming—it was called Awkward Achievement. Total dorky middle school name. It was actually my Xbox gamertag too.
Later, I joined a bunch of different bands throughout high school and early college, trying different sounds. I really wanted to be involved in the Long Island DIY scene, but it felt like no one around our age in Deer Park was doing that yet. So I started using a local site run by a promoter called Club Loaded to find bandmates.
Tyler and Jordan were still jamming on their own during that time, but I was trying to dive deeper into the scene and ended up playing in some pop-punk and post-hardcore bands.
Mike: So how did Off Guard officially come together?
Matt: It was really a right-place, right-time kind of thing. I met Matt Weiss in college—he was doing a solo singer-songwriter thing, and Tyler and I were already friends. We were all in the music department.
We started jamming and playing acoustic shows with Matt Weiss. Eventually he wanted to expand into a full band. We brought in Tyler, and it just grew from there. We added another guitarist, Doug, and our original drummer Nick, and that was the first lineup. That’s when we decided to really formalize it—get a name, lock in a sound, and go for it.
Mike: Since you were all music majors, did that help influence the direction of the band?
Matt: Definitely. Studying music helped us understand the foundations—why we use scales and keys, the theory and the structure behind it all. That opened up more creative doors for us, letting us pull from a wider range of influences rather than just sticking with “we love Blink-182 and Weezer, let’s sound like that.”
Mike: Had you recorded with other bands before Off Guard?
Matt: Yeah, both Matt Weiss and I had already recorded music with previous projects and played local shows, so we had some experience under our belts when Off Guard started.
Mike: Let’s talk about your new EP, Complex Machines—congrats on the release! As someone who’s big into alt, emo, and pop punk, it was right up my alley.
Now that you’ve been through several recording sessions—this being your third EP—what felt different this time around?
Matt: So everything we released up until Complex Machines was done with our friend Matt Lagattuta, a producer/engineer from Long Island. He’s been a big figure in the scene, and we love how those records came out.
But from a business and creative standpoint, we thought it’d be helpful to bring in a different perspective. That’s when we got a DM—from Alan Day of Four Year Strong.
Mike: What!?
Matt: I know! He found us through a TikTok and reached out. We talked and he said, “Let’s set something up.” I was blown away. Huge fan.
We ended up going to Massachusetts to record with him—stayed at the studio for four days and recorded “North Star” and “In the Minute,” the first two singles from the EP. It was just a really refreshing experience having his input and energy.
Mike: Incredible. So... how often do you actually post on TikTok?
Matt: Honestly? Not that often. We could be better with our social media game. It's that back and forth—knowing you need to be posting constantly for visibility, but also just wanting to focus on writing and performing.
We’ll post some live footage or try the occasional funny skit, but it’s not super consistent.
Mike: But that one TikTok changed everything. So it just goes to show—putting yourself out there matters.
Matt: Yeah, no, totally true.
Mike: I think we all struggle with the balance. If you’re constantly posting and not working on your craft, that takes a toll. But you also can’t ignore the platforms completely. There has to be some balance.
Matt: Exactly. Especially with the way the industry is now. You’ve gotta put yourself out there—just releasing music isn’t enough anymore.
Mike: Let’s talk strategy. These days, releasing singles is more common because it gives you consistent content to promote. But you released an EP. Why that direction?
Matt: We did try singles before this. We'd drop one, build a little branding around it, but the results weren’t quite what we hoped for. Also, with the way our schedules and finances are, the singles were getting too spread out.
This time around, Jordan (our drummer) was fully on board and contributing to the writing, and it felt like a good time to reintroduce ourselves with a new sound—like a new era of the band. So an EP made more sense.
Mike: Yeah, that makes total sense. I always say the first question should be: creatively, does it make more sense to do a collection or to drop them individually? Then comes the strategy.
Are you going on tour? Releasing vinyl? Do you have a marketing budget? All those things help determine the best approach.
Matt: For sure. It's a mix of planning and execution. With Complex Machines, we had been sitting on the songs for a while and really wanted to get it out before the end of the year. So there was that sense of urgency, but yeah, it’s a balance.
Mike: One thing I really appreciated was how vocal you’ve been about mental health. That’s something I think still needs to be talked about even more.
Matt: Absolutely. Mental health is something we all deal with, in different ways. I’ve been lucky to grow up in a family where it was okay to talk about those things.
Within the band, we’re open with each other—we all deal with different things: anxiety, depression, ADHD, OCD. Because we’ve known each other for so long, we’ve learned how to support one another. So naturally that ends up coming through in the music.
We just try to be honest. We want to help people feel okay expressing what they’re going through.
Mike: That’s amazing. I think being more in tune with your own mental health helps you be more compassionate toward others. And it affects every relationship—friendships, creative partnerships, business—it’s so important to be aware of where people are emotionally.
So—what’s next for Off Guard?
Matt: We’ve got some great shows coming up. Hype Fest in upstate New York this March, a Brooklyn show with our friends Ghost Tour on February 20th, and then we’re planning some weekenders in June with a band called New Monarchy.
We also have a music video for “North Star” that’s in post-production right now. It’s already shot—we’re just waiting on edits. So, sometime this year!
Mike: That’s awesome. And I totally agree with that approach—let the creative process take its course, but keep making progress in the background: marketing, press, website updates, merch, etc. There’s always something to do while you’re waiting on a final product.
Matt: Absolutely. There’s always something you can be prepping behind the scenes.
Mike: Let’s wrap with a few fun questions. What was your first concert?
Matt: I was 13. My sister surprised me with tickets to see Coheed and Cambria at Terminal 5. I didn’t know the band at the time, but I looked them up, got excited—and then we only got to see a few songs.
Some people were being rowdy and made my sister uncomfortable, so she made the call to leave early. I totally respect her for that, especially since she was responsible for me. But yeah... technically, that was my first concert.
Mike: Huge props to your sister for recognizing it wasn’t a safe situation and getting you both out of there.
Do you have a go-to artist or song you’re listening to right now?
Matt: The new Four Year Strong album. There’s a song on there called “Maybe It’s Me” that shows a cool new direction for them.
Mike: Last question: If you could only give one piece of advice to a fellow musician, what would it be?
Matt: Do it because you love it. If you don’t genuinely enjoy what you’re doing, it’s not worth it. There’s no shame in doing it as a hobby or in another capacity, but if it’s not your passion—find what is.
Mike: I couldn’t agree more. Passion has to come first. My rule is: if your audience was zero, would it still be worth doing?
Matt: Exactly.
Mike: Well, Matt, congratulations on Complex Machines. It’s a killer EP. Thank you so much for being on the show, and I wish you and the band the absolute best with everything coming up.
Matt: Thanks so much. I really appreciate the time.