Steve Turner. Kerrie Geier photo.
You lucky Eastern Australian Coast gits. This October, Mudhoney return to Australia for their ninth tour. But they ain't playing Adelaide (or Perth.) Bastards.
Right, well, I figure that you know who Mudhoney are and they shouldn't need the likes of me to introduce them yet again.
It's interview time afor the band's guitarist Steve Turner and I am not interested in asking about "Sea**le" and "gru*ge" as I'm sure everyone's heard all about it by now. The band must be bored to death by answering the same questions over and over.
A bit of context: Turner and vocalist Mark Arm have been playing music together since high school in 1978; after several earlier bands, Mudhoney had their first practice on New Year's Day 1988 and, aside from Matt Lukin leaving and Guy Maddison joining circa 2001, the band's line-up has remained stable ever since.
A clue to their stability over time might be that there seems to be no record label pressure to produce an LP every year (or a hit single); Mudhoney's last three albums have appeared at five-year intervals.
Steve Turner was kind enough to get on his computer and tap out responses.
*****
I-94 Bar: Steve, thanks for doing this interview. I wonder if this current Australia and New Zealand tour might be a precursor to working on a new LP?
Steve Turner: Hopefully! Generally we try to get a new one out every five years, but post-Covid and Guy's move to Melbourne might make the process take a bit longer! Personally, I'd love to record in Melbourne.
I-94 Bar: One thing I did while preparing these questions is have a listen to some of your solo LPs. Some of the songs seem tailor-made for Mudhoney to lark about with - were they ever proffered?
Steve Turner: No, they were just my own thing. I am doing a solo show in Melbourne this time around, though.
I-94 Bar: What was the first music you heard which made you sit up and decide: “I gotta make music?”
Steve Turner: Well, DEVO and Black Flag were my first two concerts back in 1980, so I blame them both.
Mudhoney promoting Seattle's annual Bring Your Dog To Work Day.
I-94 Bar: Has it always been guitar? was there ever another instrument?
Steve Turner: I've played bass in a few bands, which I love. And the French horn in 5th and 6th grades. I could have been John Entwistle!
I-94 Bar: Can you tell us about the first gig you ever saw? Was it everything you imagined? What was bad about it, what was brilliant? (Hell, if it comes to that, do you remember your first beer?)
Steve Turner: DEVO! And yes it was brilliant. I wasn't much of a drinker as a youngster, but it was probably a Schmidt.
I-94 Bar: Can you tell us about the first gig you ever played?
Steve Turner: First gig would have been one of the two Mr Epp shows I played at the tail end of 1983. I forgot how to plug in my guitar ,I was so nervous.
I-94 Bar: I've always thought that a musical or literary journey as a teenager is a hugely revelatory path to walk as we come to define ourselves. What do you think were the biggest revelations to you as a teenager?
Steve Turner: Music quickly became my most important influence as a teenager, which I think is pretty common. Punk Rock made me look into politics and social structures, and take notice of the outside world more. I spent a lot of time at the library looking at books about Anarchy, Philosophy and Socialism for example.
I-94 Bar: What were your biggest revelations as an adult?
Steve Turner: Having kids is hard! But worth it.
I-94 Bar: What was it like when Mudhoney took off? Did the band realise how big they were in (for example) the UK? Was it daunting?
Steve Turner: It was definitely surprising! But I think we did a pretty good job just rolling with it and having a laugh along the way.
I-94 Bar: What were your favourite bands in your hometown – and why?
Steve Turner: The U-Men, Malfunkshun, and 10 Minute Warning because they were really pushing the boundaries of Punk at the time, and kind of pointed the way to the future. Mr Epp because the punks hated them. Seattle had lots of great bands in the 1980's: Smashchords, 3 Swimmers, Refuzors, Extreme Hate, The Blackouts, Little Bears From Bankok, Skin Yard, etc.
I-94 Bar: What was your first instrument - and do you still have it?
Steve Turner: My first guitar was a Peavey and I wish I still had it!
I-94 Bar: Ten great guitarists (and why)?
Steve Turner: We can start with Paul Solger, Seattle legend who was in Solger, The Fartz, and 10 Minute Warning back in the day. He just put out his first solo record on Stone Gossard's label, Loose Groove. Greg Ginn of Black Flag of course. Ron Asheton of The Stooges, Tom Price of The U-Men, Leigh Stephens of Blue Cheer, Neil Young, Jan Savage of The Seeds, Dave Davies, Sterling Morrison, Lou Reed.
I-94 Bar: How did you fall for fuzz? How big a trip has it been?
Steve Turner: A co-worker of mine in 1983 gifted me a SuperFuzz after I was telling him I couldn't get my guitar to sound right. He asked me what distortion box was I using and I had no idea what that was. It was an immediate revelation! I was quite the collector of vintage boxes in the 1980's but then they got too expensive. A little later, people started giving me their boutique pedals and I have discovered many great pedals through that.
I-94 Bar: What's your favourite on-stage rig? Fave (fuzz?!) pedal/s?
Steve Turner: I still use a Big Muff on stage, along with assorted others that come and go. Fender Hot Rod Deville is my primary amp.
Mark Arm and Steve Turner in full flight. Credit: Lisa G Photography.
I-94 Bar: Now a sneaky question: would you dare do an LP with Farfisa organ leading the charge?
Steve Turner: We love the Farfisa! We've used one ever since our second LP "Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge".
I-94 Bar: The I-94 Bar staff are moistly old school Detroit-fanciers, so, for you in 2026: Iggy and the Stooges or the MC5? And, why?
Steve Turner: Stooges. I love them both of course, but that first Stooges record...
I-94 Bar: You were a veteran musician by the time you formed Mudhoney with Mark on New Years' Day, 1988. Do you remember the overriding intent, what you wanted to achieve?
Steve Turner: We wanted to release a 7" and tour. My plan was to go back to college after a few adventures.
I-94 Bar: What would the 22 year-old Steve Turner say if he could see you now?
Steve Turner: “You probably should have gone back to college.”
I-94 Bar: What are the biggest changes you've noticed over the last 38 years since Mudhoney started? What's the music industry like now? How have you changed?
Steve Turner: I don't really keep up with the music industry too much. We have our own little safe spot with Sub Pop and the occasional tour. Life is an incredible journey and we have all changed a lot. Hopefully I've learned some things, and handed some knowledge down to my kids.
I-94 Bar: Sub Pop seem to be a comfortable fit for Mudhoney; yet there was a gap of several years. What happened?
Steve Turner: We signed to Reprise in 1992, then got dropped and Matt quit and we sat around doing nothing for a bit until Guy joined and Sub Pop compiled the "March To Fuzz" compilation [in 2000] - and we informed them we were back on Sub Pop. It's a great fit for us!
Mudhoney communing with the masses. Lisa G Photography.
I-94 Bar: What was the difference between being on Sub Pop and being on a major? And, why did the band return..?
Steve Turner: We don't really have a horror story of our years on Reprise. It just was obvious we were not going to have a hit and they dropped us. We were already cruising along just fine in our ecosphere, so we didn't go into much debt with them like some bands do. So the split was pretty easy. And Sub Pop was right there!
I-94 Bar: Peering in from the outside, the mid-1990s seem to have been problematic - if I'm not reading too much into it, what was going on?
Steve Turner: Just changing tastes. Maybe people were Sick Of Seattle? (Hello Smithereens.)
I-94 Bar: The surreal Covid-19 era is only a few years ago, but it seems somehow buried far in the past. In that strange time-warped context, how do you look back at your 11thalbum"Plastic Eternity" (from 2023 on Sub Pop)?
Steve Turner: I remember being cooped up at home with my two boys trying to figure out how to pay the bills. Riding my bike a lot. Meeting my girlfriend Andrea a month before lock down.
"Plastic Eternity" was fun and much less thought out then most of our records. We hadn't seen each other in a year-and-a-half and went into the studio with unfinished song ideas. Thankfully our co-producer Johnny Sangster was there to help!
I-94 Bar: I'll apologise in advance because I'm sure you get this question a lot - were The Ducky Boys ever recorded?
Steve Turner: Nope! Never played live, either.
I-94 Bar: Another apology - is it likely that Green River's recordings will see a re-release?
Steve Turner: They have been! on Sub Pop and Jackpot Records.
I-94 Bar: They say you should never meet your heroes: I'm sure you've met many - but which meetings were the most significant, or exciting..?
Steve Turner: Meeting Iggy was pretty cool!
I-94 Bar: Did you ever meet any heroes that you realised that you disliked?
Steve Turner: I don't think so.
I-94 Bar: If you had the means to play a gig anywhere, anywhen, where/ when would it be? And, who with?
Steve Turner: I feel like we have been very lucky to play with all sorts of bands we love. Iggy, Nick Cave, Beasts Of Bourbon, SONIC YOUTH. Let's just take it back to The BIG DAY OUT 1993!
I-94 Bar: Best things about Australia?
Steve Turner: We do love it there! Melbourne is one of my favorite cities.
I-94 Bar: Worst?
Steve Turner: The Beer. Kidding!
I-94 Bar: Five most wicked gigs you've ever seen?
Steve Turner:
- Nirvana at some small storefront in California circa 1989
- The Minutemen circa 1984
- Numerous U-Men gigs in the early 1980's
- Violent Femmes at The Metropolis circa 1984
- Townes Van Zandt, Guy Clark and Mickey Newbury 1991
I-94 Bar: If you could be anybody for a week, who would you be?
Steve Turner: I like me.
Mudhney Australia-NZ
2026
OCT
16 - The Thornbury Theatre, Melbourne VIC
17 - Torquay Hotel, Torquay VIC
18 - Theatre Royal, Castlemaine VIC
20 - Volta, Ballarat VIC
21- Felons Barrel Room, Manly NSW
22 - Factory Theatre, Sydney NSW
23 - King Street, Newcastle NSW
24 - ZED 51, Brisbane QLD
25 - The Northern, Byron Bay NSW
28 - Blue Smoke, Christchurch NZ
29 - Meow, Wellington NZ
30 - Totara St, Tauranga NZ -
31 - Harbour Hotel, Raglan NZ
NOV
1 - Double Whammy, Auckland NZ
Tickets
