MELVINS (Eng.)
– Hello, lots of thanks for answering our interview. How is everything going into the MELVIN’s camp right now?
it’s going great! We just finished up our 30 year anniversary tour of the US. Right now we’re cooling our jets in between tours.
– You have just released your new album, «Tres Cabrones». How are you feeling on the final outcome? And how is its feedback being?
We love it! It’s solid gold baby! So far no one has complained.
– On this album you have reunited with your original drummer, Mike Dillard. How did everything arise?
It’s Mike, Mike Dillard. Not to be confused with Matt Dillon, who doesn’t play drums, but does in the Doors movie, or was that his brother? Anyhow, we played with Dillard at the request of Jello Biafra, for his 50th birthday bash a few years ago. We played all old songs from when the band first started. We had fun doing it and decided we should just write new songs with this line up.
– Earlier this year you released the «Gaylord» EP containing cover written back in 1983. On «Tres Cabrones» all songs are new instead so, how was the whole creative process?
Actually, Tres Cabrones contains the Gaylord EP with different mixes of those songs. The cover of the Lewd’s song Walters Lips is the only song on the record that the band played back in the early days. All the other songs were written by Buzz. We learned and recorded the songs relatively quickly, over a few different weekends. We don’t do a lot of dicking around. Write it, learn it, record it, done! That’s the creative process for us. If you sit there and beat a song into the ground rehearsing it, or start over thinking the song, then you will ruin it. It loses freshness or something. Not everybody is comfortable doing that. For us it works best. Confidence is the key to the whole thing, from writing to executing the performance.
– I personally think from a few albums back you are going a little bit to your most straight-forward, even Punk and 70’s Rock inspired roots, and I noticed this even more on «Tres Cabrones». Was this something you were aiming for?
I know that Buzz wrote these songs with both Mike’s and my own playing ability in mind. They may be somewhat more straight forward, but they’re still not your normal pop song format of verse, chorus, verse, chorus. Melvins have always had Punk and ’70’s rock inspired roots. That’s what we grew up listening to. We still like that stuff.
– In fact musically feels to me quite aggressive. Is each album you release depicting a certain moment in your life or do you just write what it comes out naturally?
Sure, it’s aggressive. We’re playing hard! This record is basically an updated version of the original spirit of the band. Mike has that spirit and is very much part of the Melvins still. Even though he hasn’t been in the band for a long time, he’s one of us.
– As I said, earlier this year you released «Gaylord» so, do you have any other tunes from 1983 you would like to recover?
The Mangled Demos cd that came out a few years back has all the early stuff on it. Doubt we’d re-record anything. We’d just write new songs. I do remember seeing the original band doing a real good version of I am Woman by Helen Ready. Maybe I can talk the guys into doing that one.
– «Tres Cabrones» is a Spanish title that means something like «Three Assholes» so, where does this title come from?
It’s a play on the title of the ZZ Top record Tres Hombres. We thought everyone would get that.
– «Cabrón» also translates to «buck». Due to this, what could you comment on the artwork? Who’s bainchild the cover is?
I think it also translates to goat, which is probably why there’s goats on the record. Buzz’s wife Mackie handles all the art. Keeping with our animal themes I guess.
– All this about «Tres Cabrones» being said; how could you describe it in just 3 words?
Aye, Yai, Yai!
– This year you are celebratig your 30 anniversary. How does it feel to have been on track for so many years?
We’re real happy! Things are better than ever for us. I think we’re making some of our best records ever. We’re managed to outlive musical trends and we are successful at a time when the music industry is collapsing. And we don’t suck! At least I don’t think so.
– And what could you say have been both the best and worst moments with/for MELVINS to date?
I’ll say jamming with Yoko Ono and getting strip searched at the US/ Canadian border. You can decide which is which.
– Finally, what are your near-future plans?
Going to Australia in December and already working on the next record, of course!
