LIVE NIRVANA INTERVIEW ARCHIVE February ??, 1991 - Olympia, WA, US
Personnel
- Interviewer(s)
- Chris Long
- Interviewee(s)
- Kurt Cobain
Sources
| Publisher | Title | Transcript |
|---|---|---|
| Hollywood Rocks | Nirvana | Yes |
| N/A | N/A | Yes |
Transcript
Nirvana is the latest Seattle garage band to ink with a major label. Having built a very solid reputation in the Pacific Northwest, Nirvana recently signed with DGC / Geffen, giving the group their first chance to spread the Nirvana gospel worldwide.
This is a band ready to explode from the dark underground scene they currently rule. This here is Nirvana's first interview since penning the big deal, so read on and find out what's going on, at least according to leadman Kurdt Kobain; By Hot Rod Long
Let's start off with a little band history.
Actually, we started three years ago in a town called Aberdeen, about 70 miles from Seattle. It took a few shows to get the ball rolling and we got an even better response once the first single from our Sub Pop release was out, which was “Love Buzz” / “Big Cheese”.
Who were some of the other bands around Seattle at that time?
Mudhoney, Tad, Soundgarden.
Of those, which ones did you like jamming with the most?
I think we really compatible with Mudhoney - they're one of my favourite bands.
Who's in the band right now?
Dave Grohl on drums, Chris Novoselic on bass and Kurdt Kobain on guitars. We were a four-piece for a few months, but we don't really like to get into that because we weren't the same band we were before Jason Everman got in the band. A lot of people don't know he didn't play on the album - we put his name on the album to make him feel like a part of the band, but within a few months we kicked him out.
He's playing bass for Soundgarden now, right?
No, he got kicked out of Soundgarden, too.
Was the success of your Sub Pop material the reason for your deal with Geffen, or do you attribute that to the strength of your new demos?
It's probably a mixture of the two.
I heard your new demos over at Bret Hartman's office and they fuckin' rule.
Bret's a great guy!
Do you have a long-term deal with Geffen?
It's for seven records, but they have the option to drop us after two.
What's gonna be the title of your new record?
We're pretty sure we're going to call it Sheep.
Who's the A&R guy that signed you?
Gary Gersh.
You already have some touring experience, right?
Yeah, we've been on three major tours and we've been to Europe once and to England twice.
I saw you with Sonic Youth at the Palladium back in August. What was that like?
It was a big thrill for me because they've always been one of my favourite bands, so it was a fine experience. I couldn't even think of another band I'd rather tour with.
Who are some of Nirvana's influences?
The Pixies, REM.
But you're not much like either of those two.
I don't know. I can't think on those terms at all. It just comes out of us. (Our sound) is a mixture of different influences I've had over the years. Basically, I've been into punk rock for about seven years now, and that's always been my favourite form of music, but now I'm admitting that I like pop music because I used to really like The Beatles when I was a kid and I'm kind of reverting back to that, but I'm certainly not denying punk rock.
Do you think your newfound pop influences will change Nirvana's sound?
Not enough. We'll have a good mixture of sounds.
When Sonic Youth signed with DGC, people cried “Sell out!” Are you afraid that might happen to Nirvana?
If they do, then we don't want them in our audience. If people don't accept us the way we are and appreciate the things we do, then they can fuck off. Selling out to me means not compromising or not having the chance to compromise with the label.
What are the labels were in the hunt for Nirvana besides Geffen?
Capitol, MCA, Island, Beggars Banquet, PolyGram. Shit, I can't even remember all of them.
Why did you choose Geffen?
Sonic Youth being on the label had a lot to do with it, because the label has proven that they promoted Sonic Youth really well and the people that worked there really seemed to understand underground music.
Was this one of those big money record deals where all you guys went back to Seattle and bought new Corvettes?
Let me just say I just got done eating some macaroni and cheese. We're going in the studio next month to start recording the record, and look for it to be out around June.
Are you doing any shows before then?
We're going on the road with Jane's Addiction for some West Coast dates in late April.
Do you have anything to say to your fans?
Just be patient with the new record when it comes out because it's been a long time. And we're going to do a movie pretty soon, too. It'll be a surrealistic x-rated fantasy along the lines of Head by The Monkees. It’ll be an acid trip on film.
© Chris Long, 1991
Transcript
Kurt Cobain: Hello
Chris Long: Is this Kurt?
KC: Yeah.
CL: Kurt, this is Hot Rod from Hollywood Rocks. How are you doing?
KC: Oh, fine.
CL: Alright. I just talked to Tim over at your management company, he said it's OK if I did a phone interview with you now?
KC: Yeah, sure.
CL: OK, great. So, I'd just like to start off with a little band history. Can you tell me about how Nirvana started in Seattle? And the whole Seattle scene at the time?
KC: Well, actually, we started three years ago in a town called Aberdeen, about 70 miles away from Seattle.
CL: OK.
KC: About three years ago.
CL: So you guys have only been around, total, for three years?
KC: Well, let me think… it's probably been about four years now.
CL: OK. And after your first formation, how long did it take you to get your first stuff out on Sub Pop?
KC: About a year.
CL: So you guys got a really good response from the beginning from the audiences up there, right?
KC: Well, it took a few shows. We started to get a lot better response once our single was out.
CL: And what single was that?
KC: That was “Love Buzz” / “Big Cheese”.
CL: “Love Buzz” / “Big Cheese”, and that was on Sub Pop too, right?
KC: Uh huh.
CL: OK. And who were some of the other bands coming up around Seattle at that time?
KC: Mudhoney, Tad… Soundgarden.
CL: OK. And of those, which one did Nirvana like to play with the most? Which one would you compare yourselves to more?
KC: Well, I can't really compare us to any of those bands.
CL: Well, which one do you mesh with the best? When you would do shows, who would be the better show for you guys?
KC: Most definitely Mudhoney - they're still one of my favourite bands.
CL: OK. Yeah, they've got a pretty good CD out. I'm a real big Sub Pop fan, myself. And who are the current members of the band?
KC: Dave Grohl on drums,
CL: OK
KC: Chris Novoselic…
CL: Could you spell that?
KC: Yeah, I will. N-O-V-O-S-E-L-I-C.
CL: OK.
KC: … on bass and Kurdt Kobain on guitars. K-U-R-D-T K-O-B-A-I-N.
CL: OK, so you guys were a four-piece at one time, right?
KC: We were for a few months, but we don't even really like to get into that because we weren't the exact same band that we were for about a year before Jason got in the band, Jason Everman. And a lot of people don't realize or don't know that he didn't play on the album - we put his name on the album to make him feel like a part of the band, but within a few months we kicked him out.
CL: OK. So, he's playing bass in Soundgarden now, right?
KC: No, he got kicked out of Soundgarden, too.
CL: Oh, wow. Who's their new bass player?
KC: His name's Ben Shepherd.
CL: Ben Shepherd, OK. Alright, then. Was the success of your Sub Pop material - especially “Bleach” - was that the reason for your deal with Geffen? Do you think the response you guys got from a real small label like Sub Pop was what turned them onto you finally? Or was it just the strength of your new demo? What do you think?
KC: It's probably a mixture of the two… I don't know…
CL: I have heard the new demos, I heard 7 new songs, and they're really good. A friend of mine over at MCA, Bret Hartman, he's really hot on you guys.
KC: Uh huh.
CL: And he played the demo tapes for me and a couple of other people in the press, and they're great.
KC: Bret's a great guy!
CL: Yeah, it's a shame he works for MCA. I tell you, he could get a lot better bands working at another label. But, anyway, the deal with Geffen, was it a long-term deal or a one album thing?
KC: It's for seven records, but they have the option to drop us after two. We're guaranteed two records.
CL: So, you're guaranteed two records.
KC: Yeah.
CL: And how many songs are gonna be on the new record? Have you figured that out yet?
KC: We're not exactly sure.
CL: OK. Have you figured out a title or any tentative stuff for the next record at all?
KC: It'll probably be “Sheep”.
CL: “Sheep”?
KC: Yeah.
CL: OK. And who's the A&R person over at Geffen that did the signing?
KC: Gary Gersh.
CL: OK. And when you guys do come out with the new record, do you have any idea who you're gonna be touring with? Nirvana, have they done much touring of the US? Or have you guys just been strictly a Northwest-type band?
KC: No, we've been on three major tours and we've been to Europe once and to England twice.
CL: OK. And who were you touring with then?
KC: Ourselves.
CL: Oh, you went over on your own tour?
KC: Yeah. Well, actually, when we went to Europe the first time, we were with Tad.
CL: OK. The second time you guys were headlining the tour, who went over with you?
KC: No-one went over with us this time.
CL: OK. I saw you play with Sonic Youth at the Hollywood Palladium, that was a great show. What's it like doing a show with a band like Sonic Youth that's so… abnormal, I guess is the word?
KC: It's a big thrill for me because they're one of my favourite bands, they always have been, so it was a really casual, fine experience.
CL: And how many shows did you guys…
KC: I'd prefer to tour with a band like Sonic Youth than any other type of band. I couldn't even think of another band I'd rather tour with.
CL: OK. And on the market today, not just from the Seattle area, who are some of the other bands you're influenced by? When Kurdt goes home to listen to music, who does he listen to?
KC: The Pixies… REM.
CL: But you're not really too much like either of those people. How have you come up with your own style or sound? You guys are very original.
KC: I don't know. I can't think on those terms at all. It just comes out of us. I don't know. It's a mixture of different influences that I've had over the years. Basically, I've been into punk rock for about six or seven years now, and that's always been my favorite form of music, but now I'm admitting that I like pop music because I used to really like The Beatles when I was a kid.
CL: Yeah.
KC: So, I'm kind of reverting back to that, but I'm certainly not denying punk rock.
CL: Do you think that's gonna change Nirvana's sound? Kinda change back to pop music?
KC: Not enough. We'll always have a good mixture of sounds.
CL: But you're gonna be… does that mean… Like, when Sonic Youth signed with Geffen, everyone went [gasps] “They sold out! The biggest underground band of all time signed a major label contract” Are you afraid of people saying that about Nirvana?
KC: If people are gonna say that, then we don't want them in our audience. If they aren't gonna accept us the way we are and appreciate the things that we do, then they can fuck off.
CL: OK.
KC: There's no such thing as selling out any more. There's plenty of independent bands who sell out…
CL: Yeah.
KC: … who already sold out. I mean, I don't even know what that means. Selling out to me means not compromising. I mean, selling out means or not having the chance to compromise with the label.
CL: Just having the label tell you what to do and you have to do it.
KC: Yeah. But we have a really good contract.
CL: OK. Tell us, what are the labels were in the hunt with Geffen when you guys were preparing to sign the deal? I heard there was about five or six you were still negotiating with right 'til the end.
KC: Yeah. Capitol, MCA, Island, Beggars Banquet, PolyGram. Shit, I can't even remember all of them.
CL: And why did you choose Geffen? What was the deciding factor there?
KC: Sonic Youth being on the label had a lot to do with it, because the label has proven that they promoted Sonic Youth really well and the people that worked there really seemed to understand underground music…
CL: OK.
KC: … and they're really familiar with it.
CL: Alright, so knowledge of the underground was probably the single most contributing factor. Was this one of those big money record deals where all you guys went home and bought new Corvettes and new houses?
KC: [laughs]
CL: Or was it more geared towards getting the record recorded and then making the money off that?
KC: Let me just say I just got done eating some macaroni and cheese.
CL: [laughs] OK, that speaks for itself right there then. Are you just gonna be in the studio now?
KC: We'll be in the studio next month, the beginning of next month.
CL: And when do you anticipate the record coming out?
KC: June.
CL: June. Any concerts before then? Are Nirvana gonna be playing anywhere between now and June or are you just gonna wait 'til the record comes out?
KC: We're going on tour with Jane's Addiction… God, I can't exactly remember when… it'll be April, I think the last half of April, the last two weeks of April.
CL: And what part of the country are you guys gonna be hitting?
KC: Mainly just the West Coast.
CL: The West Coast, great! I hope you do some shows in LA with Jane's.
KC: Yeah, I'm sure we will.
CL: Yeah, I just saw them at the Universal, it was insane! That's gonna be great, congratulations on that. And anything else in the future that people should know about?
KC: Nothing, really. Just be patient with the new record when it comes out because it's been a long time. And we're gonna make a movie pretty soon, too.
CL: Oh, you guys are gonna do a movie, too?
KC: Yeah.
CL: And what's that gonna be called?
KC: No idea.
CL: No idea.
KC: It'll be a surrealistic x-rated fantasy along the lines of Head by The Monkees. It'll be an acid trip, it'll be fun.
CL: That's gonna be a lot of fun. Thanks a lot Kurdt. We'll send you a copy of this over to your manager when it gets printed, probably either the end of this month or the very beginning of March.
KC: OK.
CL: OK. Anything else you wanna say to the people of LA?
KC: Uh, no.
CL: [laughs] OK, man! Thanks a lot!
KC: Thank you.
CL: Bye.
© Chris Long, 1991