Interview with The Melvins

Interview by Ryan Gilbert for Retna

The Melvins! These guys have been around forever. They've been chugging along since their initial formation in 1983 in small town Montesano, WA. Funny thing is, The Melvins are no novelty act. They're not drifting through life on auto-pilot like so many other older bands. They're not pandering to the masses by releasing shiny, over-produced, derivative pop songs. No way! They've never sold out and have never stopped producing their own unique blend of raw, relentless rock 'n roll, and they've gained more than a few fans over the years. Bands like Nirvana, Soundgarden and Tool, as well as pretty much everyone in the hard rock and metal underground have cited The Melvins as a major influence. It's pretty much a fact that they created the whole grunge movement of the early 90's (Don't believe me? Ask Dave Grohl).

But is The Melvins' heyday over? Hell no! Far from it! I saw them play a phenomenal show to a sold-out crowd at the Bowery Ballroom on Thursday night, and they showed absolutely no signs of slowing down. In fact, thanks to their recent lineup change and reinvention, these guys are probably more popular than they've ever been (In 2006, long time members Buzz Osborne and Dale Crover acquired bassist Jared Warren and drummer Coady Willis from the band, Big Business).

I talked to Jared and asked him about The Melvins' place in today's music scene...


RETNA: The Melvins 25th Anniversary is coming up. Are there any special plans for that?

JW: I don't know. I was actually kinda curious about that myself. I imagine there'll probably be some kind of tour or special show or something. Maybe we'll just end up having a huge kegger.

RETNA: You guys are still constantly touring and putting out great new albums. I feel like that's kind of strange for a band that has been around for so long. A lot of other older rock bands, like Aerosmith or The Rolling Stones, seem to have lost their passion somewhere along the line. How do you all stay hungry after all these years?

JW: Well, I think the difference between us and bands like them is that The Melvins have never really stopped playing music. I think that's a really dangerous thing for artists. Often times with bands like Aerosmith, they were, you know, broken up, and then five or ten years later or whatever they had a reunion tour. And of course it's not gonna be the same because they haven't really maintained any sort of chemistry. And for them too it's not a matter of survival. All those guys are super rich and they don't really need to put out a good record. Whereas we have to, because that's what we do to pay the rent. We can't afford to put out a crappy record. We have to keep busy and tour a lot because that's what pays the bills... And that's not to say it's all about money, but it definitely keeps us hungry. And we all really like doing it. Buzz, Dale, Coady and I, we all give a shit. It's a fun job and I wouldn't trade it for anything.

RETNA: Are you at all concerned with today's mainstream music scene? Do you pay attention to the new trends?

JW: No, not really. I don't really actively seek out new music. There's plenty of old music that I haven't discovered yet. As far as the young screamo scene or something like that, I don't really pay attention to it because it's not really my bag.

RETNA: So there aren't really any newer bands that you're into?

JW: Oh, no. There are, for sure. There's this band Tweak Bird out of LA that are really young guys that are really great. Our friends Red Fang in Portland; they're pretty awesome. I certainly think there are lots of great new bands, but for me they're all bands that I know or that a friend has tipped me off to. I don't discover a lot of new music on MySpace or MTV or anything like that. I happen to just know a lot of great musicians, so it works out well.

RETNA: I was asking because The Melvins camp seems to have become a very self-contained unit. Both opening bands on this tour are made up of people related to the band in some way: You and Coady, Dale, the Melvins tour manager (Tim Moss), the Melvins audio engineer (Toshi Kasai), etc... Even all your album artwork is designed by Buzz's wife, Mackie. Was it a conscious decision to not associate with other acts and keep everything in the family, so to speak?

JW: Yeah, I guess. It works out really well. It's convenient, it's a lot easier and we don't have to deal with any of the hassles that we would otherwise have to. There's never an argument over opening slots or gear or whatever. I guess that all sounds kind of petty, but ultimately it makes for a pretty smooth ride on the road. Everyone knows everyone. We're all on the same wavelength. I think we all enjoy each other's company. We all get along. For the most part, we hang out with each other when we're home too, so everything works out pretty well. I think we're all happy with where we are right now.

RETNA: And finally, what's the origin of your onstage outfits? The dresses and MuMus?

JW: Oh, haha. I don't really know where it came from originally. I don't know. Buzz is a weirdo. I think he just likes to have a lot of weird outfits to wear. Who knows? I guess, at the end of the day, it's just a matter of having fun and not taking yourself too seriously.

Buzz Osborne - Guitar, Vocals
Dale Crover - Drums, Vocals
Jared Warren - Bass, Vocals
Coady Willis - Drums, Vocals