(Artist Report)

Written by: Cody Denning   

Ladies and gentlemen, let’s talk about a band that didn’t just shape a movement, they forged it in the crucible of raw, unfiltered rock ‘n’ roll. Mudhoney, the Seattle renegades who birthed grunge stood firm, wielding a sound that’s equal parts rebellion and truth, and they’re still at it, shaking the foundations with their 2023 album Plastic Eternity. This is Mark Arm (vocals/guitar), Steve Turner (guitar), Guy Maddison (bass), and Dan Peters (drums)—the men who made Seattle the epicenter of rock in the ‘90s and continue to defy the music industry’s cookie-cutter machine.

Mudhoney were Sub Pop Records’ first triumph, unleashing “Touch Me I’m Sick” and the seismic “Superfuzz Bigmuff” EP in 1988. This wasn’t just music, it was a cultural declaration, blending punk’s defiance, heavy metal’s power, and garage rock’s raw edge. Their 1989 self-titled debut carried the torch, waking up college radio and underground clubs to what became known as the “Seattle Sound.” They stayed true to their sound and music over the years, turning down massive paydays for the principal of sound. former Green River bandmates Jeff Ament and Stone Gossard went on to Pearl Jam. However, overall Mudhoney stuck to their roots. They did have a major-label run with the release of “My Brother the Cow* (1995) and “Tomorrow Hit Today” (1998), albums that refused to bow to commercial pressures and still resonate with those who value authenticity over conformity.

Mudhoney’s story begins in 1980, when a teenage Mark Arm (then Mark McLaughlin) and Steve Turner formed “Mr. Epp and the Calculations” in Bellevue, Washington. They were raw, ruffcut band, more focused on chaos than chords, earning the title “worst band in the world.” Yet, by 1981, they were opening for Student Nurse, and by 1983, with Turner on board, they released a 7” EP and the “Live as All Get Out” cassette before disbanding in 1984. Arm and Turner kept the fire alive in the Limp Richerds, a short-lived punk project, before forming Green River with Ament, Gossard, and drummer Alex Vincent. Green River, alongside the Melvins, pioneered the Northwest’s punk-metal fusion, releasing “Come on Down” (1985) and “Dry as a Bone” (1987) on Sub Pop. But that is something I will come back and do a full report on.. By 1988, internal tensions sank Green River, with Ament and Gossard forming Mother Love Bone while Arm and Turner set their sights on something fiercer.

Mudhoney was born in 1988, named after a Russ Meyer film they hadn’t seen, with Dan Peters (ex-Bundle of Hiss) on drums and Matt Lukin (ex-Melvins) on bass. Their sound is a gritty mix of Green River’s edge, ‘60s garage swagger, and Stooges-inspired chaos—hit like a thunderbolt. Turner thought they’d last six months; instead, they wrote a passage of rock history. Their debut single “Sweet Young Thing Ain’t Sweet No More” b/w “Touch Me I’m Sick” and “Superfuzz Bigmuff” tapped into the indie hunger for heavier sounds, fueled by bands like the Replacements and Big Black. Sub Pop’s savvy promotion sent Mudhoney to Europe in 1989, where they dominated Germany and joined Sonic Youth for a UK tour. “Superfuzz Bigmuff” ruled the British indie charts for nearly a year, and the UK press had them as the vanguard of a new era. By the time their debut LP “Mudhoney” dropped in 1989, they were the standard-bearers of the rock underground.

As grunge exploded, Mudhoney’s second album, “Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge” (1991), leaned into garage-punk roots but was delayed by Sub Pop for financial reasons. By late 1991, Mudhoney signed with Reprise. Their 1992 debut “Piece of Cake” stayed defiantly unpolished, alienating some purists and baffling mainstream fans who preferred Nirvana’s sheen or Pearl Jam’s anthems. Yet, “My Brother the Cow” and “Tomorrow Hit Today” proved their genius, delivering music that was raw, menacing, and wickedly funny. Reprise dropped them in 1999, and Lukin quit, exhausted by touring. After the “March to Fuzz” at the time many thought Mudhoney was done for.

They were wrong. In 2001, Mudhoney roared back with Steve Dukich on bass, soon replaced by Guy Maddison (ex-Bloodloss). Arm and Turner also jammed with their side project, Monkeywrench, but Mudhoney remained their focus, delivering “Since We’ve Become Translucent” (2002), the politically charged “Under a Billion Suns” (2006), the ferocious “The Lucky Ones” (2008), “Vanishing Point” (2013),“Digital Garbage” (2018) and it just goes on and on and on . They marked “Superfuzz Bigmuff”’s legacy with a full-album set at 2010’s All Tomorrow’s Parties and celebrated 25 years with *
“Vanishing Point” and the 2013 documentary “I’m Now”. Their 2018 live album “LiE” captured their raw power of the band, followed by the “Morning in America”EP (2019) and “Pedazo de Pastel” (2020), featuring 1992 “Piece of Cake” demos.

In 2021, Sub Pop released a deluxe “Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge” for its 30th anniversary, packed with outtakes and scrapped recordings deemed “too clean.” Mudhoney hit the road post-COVID, undeterred. With Maddison relocating to Australia in 2022, they recorded
“Plastic Eternity” (2023) in a nine-day burst with producer Johnny Sangster. The album mixes their signature downbeat snarl with bold experiments,keyboards, hand percussion, and measured tempos.. while Sangster co-wrote tracks like “Almost Everything” and “Cry Me an Atmospheric River.” It’s a sharp, irreverent jab at society’s absurdities, proving Mudhoney’s relevance in a world that’s lost its edge.

This is a band that never bent the knee to corporate overlords. They’re the antidote to a music industry obsessed with conformity, carrying the torch for those who value truth over trends. We thank you for reading and supporting the music. Stay up with us on Soundwave we have more stories coming everyday to keep you rockin!

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