 Kurt: For some reason, I've needed a good, solid drummer. There are loads of bands I love that have terrible drummers, but a terrible drummer wasn't right for this music. We think In Utero will get 3 types of reactions. For the listener-by-accident, spoiled by Nevermind, this album sounds like our commercial suicide; probably he/she will ignore it, and consider us one hit wonders. The sceptics will rate it a pretentious album: �Nirvana makes some noise and think they are good at it�. Big deal. The fans, finally, will instinctively like it. They will rate the album at its true value: a spontaneously realized, no-nonsense album, without the post-production polish. The pressure is on the record company, not us. THEY have to sell the album. We just went into the studio and recorded what we liked to see recorded. No one meddled with that. Then we mixed everything, gave the master tape to Geffen and said "this is it". It's up to them to make the link to the mainstream. I just think this time it will be harder to do that, because if you work with Steve Albini - he has some pretty obstinate production standards - you KNOW you won't get a radio-friendly sound. We did almost no post-editing on the songs. We recorded everything in 1 take, and did as little overdubbing as possible. Nevermind was polished; every mistake was taken out of it. With In Utero we meant to produce an honest group album again. We think it will sell really well or it won't sell at all. Because everyone knows a new Nirvana album is coming up, and everyone also knows it won't be like Nevermind. It's a fact In Utero won't bring in new fans out of the mainstream audience. I myself wouldn't like it if we were to become even more popular than we are now. For me, Nirvana doesn't have to become bigger. I'm afraid our music won't have the same effect in stadiums with 60,000 people anyway. It's deadly for the intimacy and the energy. I would have no problem with us standing in clubs like Paradiso [a pretty big disco in the Netherlands] And as for the lack of privacy, you get used to that. As soon as Americans have a hunch that they can make money off you, they will start digging. Or write books on you. At a given moment, you KNOW all that sudden interest in your band has only got to do with one thing: money. Especially with those manager types and sudden friends. But if you pay too much attention to it, and get concerned about it, you will go nuts. Look at someone like Axl Rose. Although, he probably wanted to be a rock star all his life, so now he is one, he plays his part okay. He has a model for a wife, many cars, a couple of villa's... And you don't? Of course, but nobody knows! No, we don't play along with that sort of crap. Besides, where are you in ten years then? How's Axl Rose in ten years? He's already a parody of himself. The idea of being a rock star for the rest of my life stifles me. I want to study, get married and have children. I was with the group that was number one everywhere in the world, so what more do you want? What's the next step? I understand there are more extreme and funnier things to think of still, but there are simply some life goals you set up for yourself. I started playing when I was 18, in squats, everywhere in Europe. Then already I thought I'd made it: wow, Europe! I still love making music, but I accomplished what I wanted to accomplish. Bigger isn't necessary. As long as I can play with Chris and Kurt, I'm satisfied. |
