Mudhoney

For other uses, seeMudhoney (disambiguation).

Mudhoneyis an Americanrockband formed inSeattle,Washington, on January 1, 1988, following the demise ofGreen River.Its members are singer and rhythm guitaristMark Arm,lead guitaristSteve Turner,bassistGuy Maddisonand drummerDan Peters.Original bassistMatt Lukinleft the band in 1999, but rejoined the band in December 2000 for a tour that lasted through January 2001.

Mudhoney
Mudhoney in 2007. From left to right:Guy Maddison,Mark Arm,Dan PetersandSteve Turner
Background information
Origin	Seattle,Washington,U.S.
Genres	Alternative rock grunge garage punk punk rock
Discography	Mudhoney discography
Years active	1988–present
Labels	Sub Pop Reprise
Members	Mark Arm Steve Turner Dan Peters Guy Maddison
Past members	Matt Lukin

Mudhoney's early releases on theSub Poplabel, particularly their debut single "Touch Me I'm Sick"and theSuperfuzz BigmuffEP, were instrumental in the creation of thegrungegenre.Although the band found little commercial success and remained somewhat 'underground' and non-mainstream, Mudhoney has released eleven studio albums and inspired countless grunge andalternative rockmusicians during their long career.

History

Mr. Epp and the Calculations: 1978–1984

Mark ArmandSteve Turnermet through their association with Mr. Epp and the Calculations. This band formed in 1978 inBellevue, Washington,a suburb of Seattle. While at Bellevue Christian High School, Mark McLaughlin (later known as Mark Arm) and some friends started Mr. Epp and the Calculations, a band named after amathteacher of his. Initially the band was essentially a joke band rather than a serious one; their first "show" was in class singingMarvin Gaye's "Got to Give It Up", using rolled-up maps as guitars because they could not actually play any instruments. Mr. Epp and the Calculations played their first real show in 1981, three years after they formed. To make the band seem more serious, Mr. Epp added a second guitarist, Steve Turner, who was in a small garage band called The Ducky Boys. Arm and Turner became instant friends. In 1983, three songs of Mr. Epp were included inFirst Strike:a compilation, the first cassette in the BCT catalog. Mr. Epp and the Calculations appeared onKZAMradio and were introduced as "the worst band in the world." They played their last show on February 3, 1984, withMalfunkshunat Seattle's Metropolis. Arm and Turner formed a joke-punk band called The Limp Richerds in 1984 near the end of Mr. Epp but this band ended shortly after Mr. Epp's ending as well.

Green River: 1984–1987

FrontmanMark Arm

Green Riverwas formed in 1984 when Arm and Turner recruitedAlex Vincentas drummer, who had previously played with Turner in the short-livedSpluii Numa.BassistJeff Amentjoined the band after arriving in Seattle with his band Deranged Diction.Stone Gossard,another of Turner's former bandmates, was recruited as second guitarist. Green River recorded their debut EP,Come on Down,in 1985, and it is considered the firstgrungerecord because it was released several months before theDeep Sixalbum (which featured music by Green River and five other Seattle grunge bands).Turner left the band after its release due to his distaste of the band'shard rockleanings. He was replaced by another Deranged Diction member,Bruce Fairweather.After recording another EP (Dry As a Bone) and a full-length album (Rehab Doll), the band disbanded in late 1987. Gossard, Ament, and Fairweather went on to joinMother Love Bone.Following lead singerAndrew Wood's death, Gossard and Ament went on to formPearl Jam,and Fairweather joinedLove Battery.

Sub Pop: 1988–1991

Turner wanted to start a band that practiced before playing to a live audience. He and Arm began songwriting withBundle of HissdrummerDan Peters.The trio decided thatMatt Lukin,who had recently leftMelvins,should join the band as bassist.The band named themselves after theRuss MeyerfilmMudhoney.Early on, Mudhoney's sound would reflect such influences asDinosaur Jr.,Spacemen 3,Neil Young,Black Flag,andthe Scientists.

In 1988, the band recorded and released their debut EP,Superfuzz Bigmuff,and their first single, "Touch Me I'm Sick",on theSub Poplabel.The single attracted attention and the band enjoyed moderate success in the United States. Mudhoney quickly became Sub Pop's flagship band.Sonic Youth,who were fans of the band, had invited Mudhoney to join them for a tour in the UK in 1989.After this tourSuperfuzz Bigmuffentered the Britishindiecharts and they received a respectable amount of press coverage. The band released their first album,Mudhoney,in 1989.

Kurt Cobain listedSuperfuzz Bigmuffas one of his favourite albums in his journal in 1993.

They released their second album,Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge,in 1991.After the album's release they were offered a deal withReprise Records,and they joined the label in 1992.

Reprise: 1992–1999

Mudhoney's first album with Reprise wasPiece of Cake.In a 2008Mojomagazine article, Turner explained the album references "how easily things had come to them... the songs were kinda half-baked..." They also contributed a track "Overblown" at this time to the soundtrack to the filmSingles.

Lead guitaristSteve Turnerin 2007

With their 1995 albumMy Brother the Cowthey mixed their earlier and more recent sound, but Turner explained in an article inMojo,"There was a backlash after Kurt [Cobain] killed himself. The English press were so angry that we were still around. Those were some of the worst reviews we'd ever gotten. We were mocked for still existing."The press was not all negative, as the album received praise in certain U.S. publications, includingPeoplemagazine: "Leave the brooding anthems to Pearl Jam. Mudhoney delivers pure grunge—messy music that casts a powerful spell."

In 1996, Mudhoney appeared in the comedy movieBlack Sheep,starringChris FarleyandDavid Spade.The band was shown performing at an MTV concert and then speaking with Farley backstage.Tomorrow Hit Todaywas released in September 1998.The album demonstrated ablues-rockinfluence, and the band used record producer Jim Dickinson, who worked withThe Rolling Stones.They recorded the set in three different cities.

After a few years of touring, Reprise decided to cut ties with Mudhoney. Subsequently, Lukin left the band. They releasedMarch to Fuzz,a retrospectivecompilation album.

After Matt Lukin: 2000–present

Mudhoney continued to play some concerts in the Pacific Northwest and recruited permanent bassistGuy Maddison(of Monroe's Fur andLubricated Goat) who had played with Arm in one of his many side projects, Bloodloss. In 2002, following their return to Sub Pop, the band recorded and released a new studio album,Since We've Become Translucent.This was followed by a major South American tour.

In early 2003 the band entered the studio to record "Hard-On For War", that would appear exclusively onBuddyhead Presents: Gimme Skeltercompilation album. Later that year the band recordedUnder a Billion Sunson which a new version of the song appeared. The album was released in 2006 and received favorable reviews. In 2006 the band also helped to curate an edition of the BritishAll Tomorrow's Partiesfestival.

During 2007, Mudhoney played in Brazil again and went on a brief European tour.In November that year, the band released a live album entitledLive Mud,containing songs recorded at a concert in Mexico.

In 2008, Mudhoney began recording their next album with producerTucker Martine,The Lucky Ones,which was released in May 2008. Shortly thereafter, Sub Pop released a deluxe, remastered edition ofSuperfuzz Bigmuff.The reissue contained the original EP in its correct running order, along with singles, demos, and two live recordings from 1988. In the liner notes of the reissuedSuperfuzz Bigmuff,Jay Hinman wrote:

My feeling—and I know I'm not alone in this one—is that for all the play and worldwide attention several Seattle-area bands got during the 1988–92 period, at the end of the day (and even at the time), there was Mudhoney—and then there was everybody else. To me, you, and everyone else paying close attention to underground rock music during those years, Mudhoney still sound like the undisputed kingpins of roaring, surging, fuzzed-out, punk music.

In 2009, Mudhoney announced a series of live dates. This included an extensive tour of Europe which started inEdinburgh,Scotland with Sub Pop labelmatesThe Vaselines.The tour ended on October 26. The group performed at theNelsonville Music FestivalinNelsonville, Ohio,in May 2009.The group played at theATP New York 2010music festival in Monticello, New York in September 2010, where they performedSuperfuzz Bigmuffin its entirety.

In 2011, Pearl Jam had Mudhoney open for them on their 20th Anniversary tour. They were chosen by Mogwai to perform in May 2012 at theAll Tomorrow's Parties'I'll Be Your Mirror' festival at Alexandra Palace, London.In April 2013 the band put out their ninth studio albumVanishing Point,followed by 2018'sDigital Garbage.

In 2021, Mudhoney and Sub Pop celebrated the 30-year anniversary ofEvery Good Boy Deserves Fudgewith a remastered deluxe version. This included remastered and re-released music videos and songs, as well as previously unreleased songs and demos.

Plastic Eternitywas released by Sub Pop on April 6, 2023.

Members

Current members

• Mark Arm– vocals, rhythm guitar (1988–present)
• Dan Peters– drums, percussion (1988–present)
• Steve Turner– lead guitar (1988–present)
• Guy Maddison– bass guitar (2001–present)

Former members

• Matt Lukin– bass guitar (1988–2001)

Discography

Main article:Mudhoney discography

• Superfuzz Bigmuff(1988)
• Mudhoney(1989)
• Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge(1991)
• Piece of Cake(1992)
• My Brother the Cow(1995)
• Tomorrow Hit Today(1998)
• Since We've Become Translucent(2002)
• Under a Billion Suns(2006)
• The Lucky Ones(2008)
• Vanishing Point(2013)
• Digital Garbage(2018)
• Plastic Eternity(2023)

Other sources

• Deming, Mark. "Mudhoney".AllMusic.Retrieved May 14, 2005.
• Vinylnet Record Label Discographies.link.– Sub Pop catalogue references.

External links

• Mudhoneydiscography atDiscogs
• MudhoneyatIMDb
• Official website
• Mudhoney on Sub Pop