so I don't book showing much we're talk
to do what a book show talk to different
people about fame books that you've read
and how has inspired you or what you
learn from it or something like that so
do you have a book that
that comes back to you at once well yeah
well I've read perfume by Patrick so
skin about ten times in my life and I
can't stop reading it it's like
something that's just stationary in my
pocket all the time I just doesn't leave
me and every time I'm bored like I'm on
a airplane or something to read it over
and over again because I'm a
hypochondriac and it just affects me
makes me want to cut my nose off what's
it's about this perfume apprentice in
France at the turn of the century and he
he is disgusted basically with all
humans and he just can't get away from
humans so he goes on this Trek this walk
of death where he just he goes into the
rural areas where there's you know woods
all over the place in the small villages
and and he only travels by night and he
he just every time he smells human like
a fire from the far off way you know
he'll they'll just get really disgusted
and hide and he just chose to stay away
from people I kind of relate to that
daring is what you read in any of your
songs
as a matter of fact I use that very
story in scentless apprentice yeah so
that's really one of the first times
that I've ever used an actual story you
know as a book it as an example of a
song I've always tried to stay away from
that but now that I'm running out of
ideas more and more I tend to do that is
it hard when you spend your whole life
doing the first few albums and then
suddenly everybody needs your attention
you have to do interviews you have to
travel around and suddenly it's it's is
it hard to come up with ideas
I don't know I just I just noticed that
people expect expect more of a thematic
angle with with our music you know they
always want to read into it and before I
was just using pieces of poetry and just
just garbled just garbage you know just
stuff that just would spew out of me at
the time and a lot of times when I write
lyrics this isn't the last second
because I'm really lazy so and then I'm
I find myself having to come up with
explanations for it you know so I
thought I'd you know prevent that this
time and actually have an explanation
for some of the songs at least I didn't
think there would be but you have like
whoops babies baby's breath baby
throw-up it it has been a part of my
life before
Courtney was even pregnant though I've
always been just fascinated with medical
texts and charts and because I secretly
want to be a doctor or something
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or our person that works in a cremation
factory I don't know I just
I've always liked Anatomy you know ever
since I was a little kid you know and
when I first got that little model of
the Invisible Man you know or the
visible man it's just just something I
like and since I've I've become a big
rock star and made a bunch of money I
found this place in in the Mall of
America in Minneapolis that sells
nothing but medical stuff it's a medical
supply store that's turned it that
they've offered to the public you know
it's really great I bought all these
fetuses and you know Anatomy men and
charts and stuff and it was like a dream
come true you know because I've always
you know I've always been really poor
and if I could find something like that
in a secondhand store I'd barely have
enough money to buy it and a lot of
times I couldn't buy that stuff so I
just went on this rampage of buying all
this stuff and I've used I think I've
overused it you know for like pictures
for the album I don't know I just just
went overboard on it you know the old
saying that you can't buy happiness
that's true
well
yeah you can't buy happiness I mean that
made me happy for a little while but I
mean I was just probably almost as happy
with you know fine I don't know I used
to I I look back on going to second-hand
stores and stuff like that and finding a
little treasure like that and that
actually meant more to me because it was
it was more of a stab in the dark in a
way you know because you didn't know if
you're going to be able to afford it and
you don't know what you're really
looking for and when you find it it's
it's more special to you rather than you
know having a thousand dollars and going
into a store like that just buying the
whole store you know it's it's not as
it's not as special because you've
achieved so much success I think so
quickly so surprisingly you've had a
baby who married what excites you now my
baby in my marriage I don't know I still
like playing to I mean Kristin Dave and
I haven't changed at all I mean believe
it or not we we get along just as well
as we ever did you know we're just as
the same passive-aggressive people as we
used to be and I would never fight and
we're pissed off at each other we just
hold it under our breath and have
respect for one another in that way you
know it's just it's easier - it's easier
to work that way you know because we
have a mission I guess how do you how do
you personally cope
having relationships private
relationships that are always being
scrutinized publicly
well it is but I mean I you know I still
have a lot of the same friends that I
used to have
they don't seem to mind and that isn't
ever really exposed to much and oh no
and no one writes about how me and my
friend Dylan walked down the street and
did whatever
I don't know why but you know we're just
no no I guess like my you could be
talking right now and I could say well
we're interesting people you know but I
think we're just easy scapegoats it's
just you know it started with something
and then you know people just pick up on
it and carry it along and we turn into
cartoon characters and there's nothing I
can do about it really you know I can
threaten to sue and you know try to try
to you know bring up bring up libel laws
and stuff like that to people that write
like that about us but you know if
you've ever looked into that it's pretty
much a lost cause you have to have a lot
of money to do that you know I could
spend the money that I earned last year
on fighting the Vanity Fair piece you
know and they'd end up winning because
they have more money yeah so a magazine
in Canada that incorporates itself for
each issue and then it goes bankrupt in
each issue so that it could write
whatever it wants and no one could ever
sue them wow that's a pretty smart thing
to do that kind of reminds me of how a
lot of stations in the states got ahold
of our our new album but it was like
someone had anonymously sent them like
fifth-generation cassette copies of our
new album and in order for them to play
it they started on the weekend at 5
o'clock like on Friday nights that way
they could play throughout the rest of
the weekend without having a counsel you
know sue them and
that's kind of that's kind of smart come
out that's true but the thing is is that
there's been so much controversy about
how bad the record sounds you know and
how low Phi it is and to hear it like
that compared to all the other songs
that were on the radio that night it
really disgusted me and it pissed me off
because it sounded terrible it sounded
really really bad and then everyone that
heard it that weekend is going to say
yeah you're right okay the the stories
are true then the wrong album really
sucks and I'm not going to buy it you
know so it just kind of bothered me but
we took care of it what'd you do well I
thought maybe we should hire a lawyer to
stop them to do it then instead I just
decided to hire hitman Theresa no we
just we just called him up on Monday and
told him to stop and they went oh okay
well our lawyer did that
the world suddenly have lawyers and like
people who do stuff like that for you
yeah it's totally unnecessary to if we
weren't in this position we wouldn't
need lawyers you know it's just it's
totally unnecessary and we have to spend
a lot of money just to protect ourselves
all the time and it's just stupid too
late you know
much after the fact after we'd already
been damaged to a point where it almost
doesn't do any good you know I don't
know it was just a weird realization one
day wow I have to you know and I can see
how like rock-and-roll stars will all of
a sudden
well well almost compromise their music
to to make sure that they sell the same
amount of Records next year because
they've spent all their money on lawyers
and protecting themselves last year you
know but I mean we obviously haven't
done that I mean I don't know maybe you
might not have noticed but the record
isn't as commercial as the last one so
we could never bring ourselves to do
that you know I'd rather just laugh
about it and
I was talking to Amy man a girl from
until Tuesday she was at her office just
a couple days ago she's into her with
great day or the cakes and rainy day
news was in the office also he came in
before her and I had mentioned to her
that he was very nice but really
eccentric when I was talking to kind of
nutty and she said well you know there's
a lot of people who have been around the
record business for those many years and
most of them are the kind of nutty just
you know it just it makes people nutty
I mean you have to you're facing that
that's your future yeah that's my future
hopefully we'll put out Metal Machine
music next year you know I don't know
either I've accepted it or I've gone
beyond insane to where I can deal with
it emotionally I was I really don't care
I don't I know that I am too stubborn to
allow myself to ever compromise our
music or you know get so wrapped up in
it involved where it's going to you know
make turn us into big rock stars I mean
I just don't feel like that everyone
else accuses us of it but you know we're
not as popular as everyone thinks so
we're not as rich as everyone of things
you know
it's just
we've always had a good sense of humor
and I think that's been translated very
well you know but we'd rather laugh
about it ha ha ha
you know what really surprised me with
all is room you're pretty bright and
your lyrics are and indiscernible stage
persona is pretty angry angst-ridden
frustrated you see the world for what it
is
did you ever have second thoughts about
bringing a child into the world oh yeah
absolutely
yeah I really can't describe what what
changed our attitude so fast I think you
know I was I really was a lot more
negative and angry and everything else a
few years ago but that was that had a
lot to do with not having not having a
mate you know not having a steady
girlfriend and stuff like that so I
you know that was one of the main things
that was what was bothering me that I
wouldn't admit at the time you know so
now that I've found that the world seems
a lot better for some reason yeah it
just it really does change your attitude
about things you know I mean four years
ago I would have said the classic thing
like you know how dare someone bring a
child into this life you know it's just
completely a terrible way to go and you
know the world's gonna explode any day
and stuff like that but once you fall in
love it's a bit different
George and I are the best love
situations right now so stop talking
about that you change subject not
boasting about it it's just not
something it's really weird you know
that this whole brand new thing that
there's in quotations grunge all I want
to know is where did the term come from
I have no idea I think some of the
rumors are that Jonathan Poneman said at
one time sarcastically
and it just caught on he's some one of
the head honchos at Sub Pop Records no
one set out to market it market this
music as that you know just you know
that's what happens when the main media
the media catches on they have to call
it something I like it as much as new
way if I would have been proud to be a
new waver
you know 15 years ago oh yeah we're
about the same age I was into new wife
absolutely do you think you'd have some
of the same this is there anything the
same between your music and New Wave I
think so what well like you know New
Wave was just a progression from punk
rock and mutation and punk rock you know
and it was more commercial more
palatable you know it had you know punk
rock roots and it was easier to swallow
for for
Middle America in the middle of the
world and it's just you know that's when
I kind of think about our music and
worried about a nirvana backlash hasn't
that already been over with has not
already happened I don't know
sure I know I don't know but we're
getting more New Wave as the days go by
I think we're gonna reinvent New Wave
and bring back breakdancing I'd really
like to bring back new wave and break
dancing you know meld it to something I
don't know
that's what our new music is sounding
like we're using a lot more effects
boxes and we're where we haven't
resorted to skinny ties but we're gonna
I think we're our musics you know this
this sounds like the closing of the
chapter of the formula we've been using
you know it's like grunge is it's really
kind of boring for us you know something
we can't deny and we're not going to
stop playing the old songs live whoops
and but you know where our tastes are
just changing so rapidly that we're
really experimenting with a lot of stuff
and it might get too indulgent and be
you know embarrassing for the next album
that we can't put out another album and
this is just like the last chapter of
three chord grunge music for us
it was an easy thing to do and the safe
thing to do because we knew it's still
popular you know but we had to get it
out of our systems how come you are so
nice
and you're so you seem so comfortable
with yourself something must have really
happened in the last couple years is it
is it just following him up
I've always been a nice guy maybe you're
afraid to show it before how's that well
what I don't know you you've never met
me before so you're just like exactly
the opposite of it just depends on what
mood on you really I'm kind of a moody
person and a lot of times when someone
who's had the chance to talk to me have
probably been on tour or I've probably
gone through an exhaustive time where
I've talked about myself for hours and
hours and this week I haven't had to
talk about myself very much so
probably more cooperative
I think one of the interesting things
about Nevada that you don't really talk
about that much is that you're very
concerned about sexism I like that
that's that's that's good so how do you
people aware of that problem
by writing songs as blunt as rape me
having to resort to doing something like
that it's almost embarrassing because
people didn't understand when we wrote a
song like about a girl or Polly and
having to explain that and having
misunderstandings about it it's just I
decided to write rape meat in a way that
was just so blunt and obvious that it's
like no one could deny it you know and
no one could read into it any other way
you know although some people have
actually because some of the lyrics in
it some of some people have thought that
maybe a something to do with my disgust
with the media and the way they've
treated us and stuff like that but it's
not true just that's not what the song
is about at all it's just my way of in a
sarcastic way almost of like just saying
how obvious do we have to be you know
I guess we don't talk about those kind
of things that you know that are really
important to us because um because I
don't want to be thought of this like
nothing more than a PC band you know I
mean we're entertainers you know that's
what music is and so it's it's really
hard to you know step over the Lions
yeah well we try to use our power
I mean we've really have been effective
in certain ways like being associated
with this organization called fair and I
can't remember right now cuz I have a
mental block of exactly what it stands
for but it's something like I can't
remember but but they're an organization
who who looks at the injustice --is that
are that are they look at the details
that around that surrounds certain
issues and certain stories that have
been that have been reported in in
magazines and newspapers like USA Today
who tend to you know look over a lot of
the facts and they're pretty much
leftist organization that tries to
protect people in certain areas you know
and the and they supposedly try as hard
as they can to to deliver the truth so
you know we've done benefits like that
for like no on nine benefits to try to
stop to try to stop Portland's anti-gay
laws that they were trying to pass him
and we did a Bosnian benefit and stuff
like that and you know it doesn't seem
like much but you know we raised like
$50,000 for the bosnian rape victims you
know and that's a lot more than we could
have done griping about it and talking
about it in the interviews and like
maybe putting out a fancy and you know
there's nothing wrong with doing stuff
like that but you know we're using or
we're using the tools that we've we have
you know we're being effective as much
as we can but we still don't want to be
too political at the same time
because it's just kind of embarrassing
to do that or you know you get a lot of
ridicule for it it's hard not to you
know I mean if you're put in this
position what are you gonna do you
become a Republican or something just to
protect what you've earned a big deal is
it all right just smoke on Canadian
television it's too late
I kind of wish they did because there's
so many comparisons to us you know I
have to be honest I really didn't like
the replacements when I was in the funk
rock music I listened to him and just I
mean I liked the sound of it and I don't
know if that I think my appreciation for
REM the Beatles and stuff like that I
had more to do with it cuz I really
wasn't aware of soul asylum and the
replacements and those bands I mean I
knew about him and I actually saw him
live and stuff and I just didn't get it
I didn't like it that much and we have a
comment please on
and a way to light this one because what
is your comment on music being yeah or
being here at the Capitol music being
here in Seattle well it's an obvious
thing to happen you know something that
you'd expect oh oh I thought you're
talking about the music from that they
this music record that they put out of
grunge light what do you think it's
great it's an obvious thing to happen
yeah it's the last last chapter on the
book of grunge but the music capital
that's where so this is the place where
most music comes from I didn't even know
that I thought there was just you know
one station here Seattle is the cap all
music thanks for letting me know
they're not
I'm her they said it was too what is it
too aggressive what would make people do
excited oh well we have some pretty
songs too
god that's that's really a bummer that
upsets me but I don't know
music that's pretty neat but they don't
like they didn't like the grunge light
album because the woman sent a copy to
them and they were they didn't like it
because it was too electronic and
they're into using human musicians oh
yeah I like that idea better too
oh yeah I like that when Devo did their
music versa their song Jerry here that
was nice
and I think they use real musicians for
that
[Music]
no never met him
don't get to meet anyone who would be
like your hero anyone that you're real
please it comes me yeah yeah that's
that's kind of a positive side of being
a rock and roll star but no actually I
met a teapot before we were
rock-and-roll stars and Iggy Pop is
pretty much the only person that I met
that I really really admire like and
we pleased yeah it was a big excitement
yeah it's great
I didn't ask him for an autograph I
tried not to bother him the way that I
thought that I might be bothered but I
don't know and then the other person is
William Burroughs I met him and and I
actually got to put out a record with
him so tell me about the record that you
doing with Ambrose well it's already out
it was it just a 10-inch it's just one
story if his called the priest they
called him and I just it was a
long-distance recording he had recorded
his version and then I I just played a
bunch of guitar noises in the background
and they mixed it somewhere else it came
out and now we're talking about putting
out a whole album of him reading his
work and you playing guitar yeah I think
I'll play a bunch instruments this time
so just you know off like I did
before you know it was just a
last-minute thing where I just made a
bunch of noise but this time I'd like to
kind of work on it maybe I'll do a music
version Sherman Brothers would love that
music let me just make sure I have all
my cousin's asked and this is one that I
owe Tori Amos did you like the room well
it served a purpose because we used that
it as opening before we came out we'd
play that song they would come out and
dance to it do a little bit of
interpretive dancing to it
it was nice the last thing I'd ask you
about is um I'm not sure who when your
band said it it could have been you live
in someone else but someone being a
little perturbed
your mainstream audience and and wanting
to just make music for your real fans
well you know a couple of years ago when
we were making these bold negative
statements about things like that you
know we were really confused and we're
scared we're afraid that we would lose a
lot of our audience that meant a lot to
us because they're people that
suppose hopefully feel that we have a
connection with you know you know the
college students and people in the
underground no I don't think we've lost
them I think they're still fans so I'm
not worried about it anymore
and I was at a time
you