Fireside Chat

Mudhoney

Sub Pop, Seattle

Nirvana may have been the band that put an entire generation in flannel, but Mudhoney were the band that put Seattle, and the iconic Sub Pop label, on the map back in the '90s. Their debut EP, Superfuzz Bigmuff (named after vintage distortion pedals used by guitarists Mark Arm and Steve Turner), and the gleefully fuzzed out single, 'Touch Me I'm Sick', seemed to come out of nowhere. Which is exactly what Seattle was, back in the day. Their primal stomp, based on a love for garage rock nuggets from the Stooges to the Sonics, was miles apart from the '70s arena rock or heavy metal tendencies that drove Seattle contemporaries like Pearl Jam or Soundgarden. Nevertheless they were the first real success story for Sub Pop Records. They took their sear-soaked and beer fueled mixture to a surprisingly large audience, taking this success with their trademark earthy humor. It must've been this sense of humor, a true love for making a noise for the hell of it, that helped them stay firmly grounded throughout the heyday of grunge. With innumerable releases behind them they are still a triumphantly rocking live band today and released their eighth studio album (in a mere twenty years) last year: 'The Lucky Ones'. We were the lucky ones to meet them and have a bit of a Fireside Chat.