Episode Transcript
Intro
Welcome back to Sharkbelly Nation. So far we've met Jackson Wetherbee, Nick Asta, and John Alves. Today we go to the low end with bassist Matt Link.
His path to the band starts a long way from Massachusetts.
From South Carolina to the South Shore
According to a 2018 interview with Boston Voyager Magazine, Matt is originally from North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. At the time, he said he'd been part of the music scene there for about nine years and had played in a band called TreeHouse.
Then came the move. In that same interview, Matt said he relocated to the South Shore area to join The Elovaters and play bass.
Think about what that means. The Elovaters formed in 2014 in the Boston and South Shore scene. Matt wasn't a local who happened to be around. He picked up and moved to join a band, which says something about how he saw it.
The Bass in a Reggae Band
The Elovaters' official site lists him on bass guitar, and the 2026 album page for Shark Belly Motel credits him on bass too.
In reggae and reggae rock, the bass is the center of the music. Drums set the pulse, but the bass line is often the melody everyone remembers. It sits low and deep, and the other instruments build around it. Matt plays that role alongside Nick Asta on drums and Derrick Cabral on percussion, which makes for a rhythm section with a lot going on.
I'll be upfront about what I couldn't verify. I didn't find a reliable source on Matt's musical influences or on when exactly he joined the band, so I'm leaving those out.
Here's a track. Listen for the bass line and how it drives the song.
Song break: "Boston" by The Elovaters
The Matt Link Playlist
Welcome back. Like John, Matt has a playlist on The Elovaters' official Spotify profile, simply titled "Matt Link." I can't tell you what's in it or how he picked the tracks. But if you want to hear music tied to the band's bassist, that's the place to start. You can also find Matt's playlist on his page at sharkbellynation.com.
Song break: "Red Wine" by The Elovaters, from their 2023 album Endless Summer
When it's done, head back to the Sharkbelly Nation playlist for more.
Outro
Welcome back. For tour dates, merch, band news, the Label page, and our band member pages, head to sharkbellynation.com, and join the Sharkbelly Nation newsletter while you're there.
That's Matt Link, a bass player who, according to his own account, moved north to join The Elovaters. Next time, we'll head to the keys with Greg Nectow. Thanks for listening to Sharkbelly Nation.