Melvins’ drummer, Dale Crover is set to have a very busy summer and fall! The Melvins recently released a free digital EP, “The Bulls and the Bees”, via ScionAV (download here). They are currently touring with Unsane to support that release but if you missed them this go-round, no worries. They’re set to begin another tour in support of their next offering “Freak Puke” (June 5 via Ipecac). This next record is a collaboration with Mr Bungle’s Trevor Dunn in a what Dale says is a “Melvins Lite” version of the band featuring himself, Dunn and Osbourne performing as a trio. The band is also recording tracks with Dinosaur Jr. and Jello Biafra. So there’s a lot to be excited about.
As anyone familiar with the Melvins’ long history knows, Dale has been their constant, along with Buzz Osbourne, adding Big Business’ Coady Willis and Jared Warren in 2006 on the “(A) Senile Animal” record. And while he’s been with the band for over 20 years, he’s also known for contributing drum tracks to the fabled Nirvana album, “Bleach” and continues to collaborate with all manner of musicians, most recently Sargent House’s Indian Handcrafts.
I had the good fortune to chat with Dale about all the great records and upcoming collaborations set to be released this summer and into the fall. Actually we chatted about all sorts of topics – art, collaborations, drum techniques, drum practice and Kiss (the band). Plus, much more, just like all kinds of random stuff.
WARNING: This interview was recorded with an iPhone on speaker into a condenser microphone plugged into a MAC computer. In other words, it’s not the greatest quality. I apologize in advance. Also if I find the interviewee to be easy to talk to and not at all formal, I tend to adopt the same tone, which means this is less of an interview than it is me getting to ask a notable musician general things about their career and sundry, which devolved into a casual conversation. Not everybody likes this type of interview. If you don’t like it, turn it off. Don’t email me bitching about it. It’s just they way I am, that is, chatty. Also, again the sound isn’t fantastic and sometimes we talked over each other, but that happens and should be forgivable.
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