Matt Helders at 38: Facts about the Arctic Monkeys drummer

7 May 2024, 14:28

Arctic Monkeys' Matt Helders in 2023. Picture: Paul Bergen/Redferns/Getty

By Jenny Mensah

The much-loved Arctic Monkeys drummer celebrates his birthday this week, but how much do you know about the Sheffield rocker?

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Matt Helders is best known as the drummer of Arctic Monkeys, but he's had a long and varied career and collaborated with artists across the spectrum of music.

Find out everything there is to know about the Sheffield sticksman, including his age, date of birth, family connections and who else he's collaborated with.

How old is Matt Helders?

Matt Helders was born Matthew J. Helders III on 7th May 1986, which makes him 38 years old at the time of this article.

Where is Matt Helders from?

Like his Arctic Monkeys bandmates, Matt Helders is hails from Sheffield, South Yorkshire.

How did Alex Turner and Matt Helders meet?

Matt Helders was neighbours and close friends with Alex Turner and the pair met former bassist Andy Nicholson at secondary school. Jamie Cook was a neighbour who attended a different school.

How did Matt Helders learn to drum?

The Arctic Monkeys rocker has previously revealed he never set out. to become a drummer, but took on instrument because "it was the only thing left". As Far Out Magazine reports, he went on: "When we started the band none of us played anything. We just put it together. They all had guitars and I bought a drum kit after a bit."

The future elite sticksman went on to study some of the greats, citing Led Zeppelin's John Bonham and The Who's Keith Moon as influences. However it was Max Roach's Buddy Rich which crystallised that drumming was the profession for him.

"I’m a massive Buddy Rich fan," he told Music Radar in 2013. "He’s probably the first drummer who, when I first saw him, made me say, ‘That’s what I want to do.’ Which is weird, because I don’t play anything like that – jazz and swing and big band. I stumbled across him playing on TV, and I’d never seen anything like what he was doing.”

What other bands has Matt Helders played in?

Other than Arctic Monkeys, Matt Helders is known for his side projects with Mongrel - which was founded by former Monkeys' bassist Andy Nicholson. He also released his own DJ mix album Late Night Tales: Matt Helders in 2008 and he recorded and toured with Iggy Pop and Josh Homme on the Iggy and The Stooges icon's Post Pop Depression album in 2016.

Helders has also played on Lady Gaga's 2026 Joanne album, produced on the Good Cop Bad Cop project with Milburn's Joe Carnal.

Helders has also released his own clothing line, opened a cafe in Sheffield and he's a keen photographer, with Arctic Monkeys' The Car album cover credited to him.

Arctic Monkeys - The Car: Track By Track

Is Matt Helders married?

In September 2023 it was reported that Helders married his rapper girlfriend Amanda Blank in a secret ceremony after three years of dating.

In the same month, the Blank had shared a photo of herself locking lips with the drummer on Instagram with the engagement ring emoji and the caption: "I really love you the most".

The Brianstorm drummer wrote in the comments: "I love you too - trouble and strife!!"

He was previously married to Breanna McDow from 2016 - 2019.

Does Matt Helders have children?

Matt Helders has a daughter, Amelia Darling, who he shares with ex-wife Breana McDow. The pair started dating in 2011 and became in engaged in 2013, before marrying in Italy in June 2016. Back in January 2019, it was reported that Helders filed for divorce.