Welcome to our exclusive interview with Dale Crover, the legendary drummer of Melvins, Dale Crover Band, Nirvana, and many more bands/projects along the way. Today, we explore the intricacies of Melvins’ latest masterpiece, “Tarantula Heart.” Dale shares insights into his craft, including his collaboration with acclaimed drummer Roy Mayorga and longtime collaborator Toshi Kasai, but also many more details along the way. Enjoy!
Can you explain how you and Roy came up with your parts for these songs? Was there a concept as to what to play or did you jam and then Buzz came back and wrote the songs entirely after the fact?
We would maybe talk about what we were going to do for half a second. Pretty much all of the drum parts were just improvisations that were built on and arranged/ rearranged by Buzz.
With the majority of the album featuring dual drum parts, can you discuss the decision to incorporate this element and how it influenced the overall sound and energy of “Tarantula Heart”?
Obviously we’re not strangers to the double drums concept. We’d just come off a tour we did with Ministry , where we would play the last song of our set with Roy. We really like him and his drumming and invited him to our studio to hang and record. I don’t think we had a plan to make a record necessarily. It was a friendly jam/ recording session that turned into something more. Roy also added some really cool synth layers to the pieces as well!
Toshi Kasai has been a longtime collaborator. How did his role in recording, mixing, and co-producing contribute to shaping “Tarantula Heart,” and what makes your partnership with him successful?
Toshi is one of the best engineers in the business and he really outdid himself on this record. He had his work cut out for him. He’s easy to work with, and he Works really quick and efficiently. We’ve been doing records with him since the early 2000s
Gary Chester from We Are The Asteroid joined for this album. How did his presence contribute to the overall musical dynamic, and how does the history with him from Boner Records days influence your collaborative process?
We’ve known Gary since the late 80s. He used to be in a band called Ed Hall and we played with them in Austin Texas way back then. More recently we toured with this band, We Are The Asteroids. I’ve always thought Gary was a really good guitar player and thought it would be fun to have them come out and play some guitar on this record.
How do you intentionally push creative boundaries with each new album while maintaining the core sound that defines the Melvins?
By having an open mind and a wild imagination.
Looking back at your extensive discography, is there a particular album or era that holds a special place for you?
There’s no real Golden Age for me. I’m happy with all the work that we’ve done. We don’t rest on our laurels and just keep moving forward.
As a band with a longstanding relationship with Ipecac Recordings, how has the label contributed to the evolution and success of the Melvins, especially considering the unique releases and collaborations over the years?
They’re 100 percent supportive of what ever we want to do and have been from the beginning. Neither of us has ever had to question the other. They’re honest and always pay us. You couldn’t ask for anything more than that.
How are you doing these days – is your neck ok? You mentioned in a recent podcast that you’ve begun work on your next solo album, is there anything you can share about that?
I’m completely cured and ready to play again! I do have a new solo album in the can and it will be out in September on Joyful Noise Recordings. I’m also playing solo shows in August before the album comes out.
Thanks Dale, appreciate your time!
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