Bob Mould of Hüsker Dü

On this week’s episode of The Hardcore Humanism Podcast, we had the pleasure of talking with musician and activist Bob Mould. Many people know Mould from his seminal work with Hüsker Dü, a band that came out of the hardcore punk scene and was incredibly influential on music in general, but particularly what later became “alternative rock.” Rolling Stonehas called Hüsker Dü’s album Zen Arcade one of the greatest punk rock albums of all time. Legend has it that Kim Deal joined alternative rock gods Pixies by responding to an ad in a Boston newspaper that said, “band seeks bassist into Hüsker Dü and Peter Paul and Mary.” And Dave Grohl perhaps put it best when he said, “No Hüsker Dü, no Foo Fighters.” Mould has also gone on to have a long solo career following Hüsker Dü, recently releasing a new album Blue Hearts (2020) as well as a 24 CD box set Distortion: 1989-2019 that documents his 30-year post-Hüsker Dü career, including his solo albums and work with the band Sugar. Mould’s enduring and influential career is not only impressive artistically, but it also puts him in a unique position to share a historical perspective. During our conversation, Mould talks about the lessons we can learn from his experience of the United States during the 1980’s as it applies to the current sociopolitical climate. Specifically, during the 1980’s the country faced HIV/AIDS, political tension centered around the Reagan administration and suppression of underground art - including those in the hardcore punk community - from being heard in mainstream culture. These parallel experiences put him in a unique position to comment on current events as we struggle with Covid-19, tensions regarding the Trump administration and difficulties of performance artists being able to ply their trade due to lockdown restrictions. Overall, what Mould discusses in our conversation is both the emotional experience of and coping with marginalization – or the treatment of a person, concept or group as though they were inconsequential. Mould shares his insights into how he coped with marginalization in the 80’s and how his experience can inform how we cope with present day stressors and marginalization. If you like what you hear, we would be so grateful if you'd give the podcast a rating and leave a review. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices