31.05.16
Words by:

With a shock of unruly, Sideshow Bob-esque hair and a habit of saying whatever the fuck is on his mind, Buzz Osborne – or King Buzzo to fans – commands attention.

As the frontman of experimental metal pro-genitors, Melvins, he has been responsible for some of the heaviest, sludgiest grooves ever committed to tape, and he helped shape the then emerging grunge movement alongside his childhood friend Kurt Cobain in the late 1980s. So what’s Buzz doing now? Well he’s busy being Buzz of course, and being Buzz involves forever being on tour and releasing records. Following their recent Mike Kunka collaborative LP Three Men and a Baby, Melvins are about to release Basses Loaded, an album which features not one, not two, three, four, five, but SIX bass players. Catching Buzz while he’s on press duties, we called him to talk cartoons, egg whites and Kanye. Naturally.

What was your favourite cartoon when you were a kid?
Warner Brothers cartoons. Bugs Bunny. Stuff like that. There was a lot of smart ass answers in them, I like that a lot.

Who’s your favourite Wu-Tang Clan member?
Who? I paid no attention to the Wu-Tang Clan.

What’s the last book you read?
Dismantling America by Thomas Soul.

What’s the worst hotel you’ve ever stayed in?
The most interesting one I’ve stayed in was actually in Detroit. We called it The Haunted Ramada. One time one of our touring party found broken glass in the bed.

What’s your signature recipe?
Egg whites, cooked a wide variety of ways. Especially with lots of hot sauce.

Why egg whites?
You can eat as many as you want without having to worry about it.

If you were trying to seduce a potential lover, what music would you play?
Throbbing Gristle.

Have you ever been arrested?
As far you know, no.

If you could pick a surrogate grandparent, who would it be?
The bride of Frankenstein.

Is there a piece of advice you wish you could give to yourself ten years ago?
No.

“How could my haircut possibly be worse than it is now?”

Have you ever taken acid?
Yeah. I thought it was relatively boring.

What’s your worst habit?
My failure to see the weakness in others.

Who’s the most famous person you’ve ever met?
Shirley Temple.

Would you go for a beer with Kanye West?
I couldn’t care less. I wouldn’t go anywhere with him. If he wanted to come to my house for dinner I’d cook him egg whites.

Out of all the songs you’ve recorded, which is your least favourite?
No, there’s no songs I wish I’d never written. I apologise for very little.

What’s the worst job you’ve ever had?
Probably loading wood blocks onto trucks when I was 14 in Washington state.

Have you ever had a nickname?
Well, my parents gave me this one at birth.

Describe the worst haircut you’ve ever had…
How could it be worse than it is now?

You’re kind of famous for your haircut though?
I call it a hair grow as opposed to a haircut.

What do you want written on your tombstone?
I wanna be incinerated.

Basses Loaded is released 3 June via Ipecac Recordings