MUDHONEY: STEVE TURNER On Surviving Seattle Without Losing The Plot

Interview by Ali Williams
Australia has been claiming a little piece of MUDHONEY for longer than most of the world had worked out exactly what to call them. The Seattle band first made it down here in 1990, possibly becoming the first of the emerging grunge contingent to do so. Speaking with HEAVY, guitarist Steve Turner still has a fairly simple correction for anyone getting too enthusiastic with the historical labels. “We still think of ourselves as a punk band.”
That distinction probably explains quite a lot about MUDHONEY. Formed in 1988, they had records out and were already touring before Nirvana and Pearl Jam became global names. They were there before Seattle became an international obsession, remained there while record companies went looking for the next band wearing old clothes and carrying a distortion pedal, and kept playing after the attention moved elsewhere. Turner remembers the explosion around his friends with far more amusement than envy. MUDHONEY were already earning enough to tour, pay their bills and continue making music, an achievement that was hardly standard operating procedure for a Seattle band at the time. Then everything around them became enormous very quickly.
"I was happy where I was at. I don’t want to be a rock star. I never wanted to be a rock star or anything. I just want to play some music.” Watching friends become extremely famous only strengthened that opinion. “I definitely don’t want that. I want one paycheck. Give me one of your paychecks and I’ll be happy.” Fair. Fame optional, cheque accepted.
Full interview and write up heavymag.com.au


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