Grunge patriarch and Melvins singer Buzz Osborne knows that when the music industry gambles, the house always wins. But that hasn't kept him from letting major labels, arena-rock headliners and now car companies roll the dice with his sludge-punk band. Though Atlantic Records didn't succeed in marketing Melvins to the masses during the '90s, the Scion Motor Co. is undaunted. In its branding efforts to market compacts and coupes to Gen Y-ers. Scion bankrolled the latest Melvins effort, the braying The Bulls and the Bees EP, and released it digitally as a free download for fans. In an interview with the Scene, Osborne sounds off about that and more in preparation for his band's return to Nashville.
As you'll see, King Buzzo is a candid, eccentric jokester. He has no problem pulling legs, shit-talking Tool fans and disregarding criticism. He also digs Nashville. He recounts a memory of once passing out onstage during a Music City show held at an Indian restaurant. Anyone else know this story? WERE ANY OF YOU OLD TIMERS ACTUALLY THERE?! If so, do tell.
Tonight's Melvins show at Exit/In (with a reunited Unsane opening!) is sold out. But it'll probably be pretty loud, so ticketless poor-planners among you can go down to Elliston, listen in on the show from outside the club and still git yer socks rocked sidewalk style, or whatever the kids call it these days. Anyway ...
Nashville Cream: Were you guys at all hesitant to get involved with a company like Scion?
Buzz Osborne: Well, you've gotta remember, in 1992 we signed with one of the biggest record labels in the entire world. I would venture to guess that they have more fingers in more pies than Scion does, and we clearly had no problem with that, doing three albums with them.
