Krist Novoselic | |
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 Novoselic in 2024 | |
| Born | Krist Anthony Novoselic (1965-05-16)May 16, 1965 (age 59) Compton, California, U.S. |
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| Political party | Forward (2023–2024) Cascade (2024) |
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| Children | 2 |
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Musical artist | |
Krist Anthony Novoselic (/ˌnoʊvəˈsɛlɪtʃ/;Serbo-Croatian:Novoselić; born May 16, 1965) is an American musician, politician and activist. Novoselic co-founded and played bass on every album for therock bandNirvana.
Novoselic and Cobain formed the band Nirvana in 1987 along with drummerAaron Burckhard, whom they recruited, and was the drummer of the group until October 1987.[1] Through the late 1980s, Nirvana established themselves as part of the Seattlegrunge scene. In 1989, the band released its debut album,Bleach. Nirvana released their second studio albumNevermind in 1991. The band achieved worldwide fame through the success ofNevermind and the lead track off the album, "Smells Like Teen Spirit". The band's third studio album,In Utero (1993), was also a major success. Nirvana abruptly ended in 1994 following thedeath of Kurt Cobain. Novoselic has been inducted into theRock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Nirvana, and has also received aGrammy Lifetime Achievement Award as a member of the band.
After Nirvana disbanded, Novoselic formedSweet 75 in 1995 andEyes Adrift in 2002, releasing one album with each band.[2][3] From 2006 to 2009, he played in thepunk rock bandFlipper. In 2011, he contributed bass and accordion to the song "I Should Have Known" on theFoo Fighters' studio albumWasting Light. From 2017 to 2020, he played bass and accordion for the bandGiants in the Trees.[4][5]
Outside of music, Novoselic has been active politically. From 2007 through 2010, he wrote a weekly column on music and politics for theSeattle Weekly website.[6][7] Novoselic has served on the board of theelectoral reform organizationFairVote[8] and has served as its chair.[9] In 2020, he became board chair of Zócalo Public Square. He joined theForward Party in 2023 and became the party's leader in Washington after the resignation ofChris Vance.[10] In 2024, he founded theCascade Party of Washington.
Krist Anthony Novoselic was born inCompton, California, on May 16, 1965, the son ofCroatian immigrants Kristo Novaselić and Marija Mustać.[11][12][13] Kristo was a native of Veli Iž on theisland ofIž while Marija originates fromPrivlaka.[13][14] The original Croatian surname of Novaselić was mistakenly changed to Novoselic by a clerk when Kristo was applying for a passport to go to America.[13] Novoselic lived in Compton for one year before his parents moved to the ethnically CroatianLos Angeles neighborhood ofSan Pedro. His first language isCroatian.[15][16] He has a younger brother, Robert (born 1968), and a younger sister, Diana (born 1973). In 1979, his family relocated toAberdeen, Washington. In 1980, his parents sent him to live with relatives inZadar,Croatia.[17] He returned to Aberdeen in 1981. His earliest memory of listening to music is listening toChuck Berry with his father. Growing up, he had a severeunderbite, for which he underwent corrective surgery.[18]
Novoselic was interested in bands such asLed Zeppelin,Black Sabbath,The Who,Van Halen,Devo, andAerosmith. He also enjoyed listening toYugoslavian bands such asZabranjeno Pušenje,Prljavo kazalište andAzra.[13] He became interested inpunk rock, and discovered bands such as theSex Pistols and theRamones when he lived in Croatia at the age of 14 for one year.[19][20] He has citedPaul McCartney,Geezer Butler,John Entwistle, andGene Simmons as fundamental influences of his bass playing.[21]
Novoselic's brother Robert introduced him to his friendKurt Cobain, who had noticed loud music coming from upstairs in the Novoselic household. Robert told Cobain that it was his older brother, who listened topunk rock. Cobain eventually befriended the older Novoselic, as the pair had similar musical tastes, including a fondness for local bandMelvins. The two had several mutual friends and began hanging out shortly thereafter. Krist attendedAberdeen High School while Kurt attended high school in nearbyMontesano. At one point, Cobain gave Novoselic ademo tape of his former bandFecal Matter, and asked him to form a band together. After several months, Novoselic finally listened to the tape, liked it, and agreed to start a band with Cobain.[22] After high school, Novoselic worked as a painter and decorator but was eventually laid off.[23]
Cobain and Novoselic's first band lasted barely a few weeks before it disbanded, leaving the pair to move on. However, the duo eventually discovered that the Melvins could pull $80 a night for one show. Inspired, Cobain and Novoselic started aCreedence Clearwater Revivalcover band, in which Cobain played drums and Novoselic sang and played guitar. That band was short-lived as well.[24] Some months later, Cobain and Novoselic met drummerAaron Burckhard. While the new band never used the name, it was the first incarnation of Nirvana.[25]
Burckhard lasted only a few months and Melvins' drummerDale Crover filled in until Novoselic and Cobain metChad Channing. The trio recorded their debut albumBleach, released in 1989.[26] Channing left the band in 1990 and was briefly replaced by Crover andMudhoney drummerDan Peters.[27][28] Novoselic contributed to the writing of various songs, providing ideas for Cobain.[29]
Later in 1990, Melvins' singer-guitaristBuzz Osborne encouraged Novoselic and Cobain to check out a punk band calledScream.[30] The pair were impressed by their drummer,Dave Grohl.[31] A few weeks later, Scream disbanded, and Grohl placed a call to Osborne for advice. Osborne gave him Novoselic's phone number, and Novoselic invited Grohl up to Seattle (from San Francisco, where Scream broke up). Grohl passed the audition and joined Nirvana. Grohl was Nirvana's fifth and final drummer. Novoselic spent the following months with Nirvana traveling to various labels as the band shopped for a deal, eventually signing withDGC Records.[32]
In the spring of 1991, the band enteredSound City Studios in Los Angeles to recordNevermind. Novoselic helped write the song "Polly". Upon its release,Nevermind (1991) exceeded all expectations and became a worldwide commercial success.[33][34] Nevermind had launched the band as a worldwide phenomenon with their hit single "Smells Like Teen Spirit".[35]
At the1992 MTV Video Music Awards, Nirvana would win awards forBest New Artist in a Video andBest Alternative Video for "Smells Like Teen Spirit." At the show, Nirvana performed "Lithium". When Novoselic started playing the opening bass riff, he signaled that he could not hear his bass. Instead of continuing to play, Novoselic threw his bass guitar in the air, to perform a "Bass Toss." He failed to catch it, later stating that he misjudged the height; he further stated that he "faked like he was knocked out." MusicianBrian May ran to give him medical attention; he did not suffer any injuries.[36][37][38]
In 1992, Novoselic and the rest of Nirvana released a compilation album namedIncesticide. Novoselic helped write lyrics for the songs "Dive", "Hairspray Queen", and "Aneurysm" on the album. This album was produced by a joint venture betweenDGC andSub Pop.[39]
During Nirvana's 1992Reading concert, Novoselic sang Oakland punk band 'Fang's' "The Money Will Roll Right In" with Cobain.[40] Novoselic was an occasional vocalist and backing vocalist in Nirvana, occasionally singing "Scoff" and "Rape Me" at live shows. Novoselic stated that "I kind of discovered my voice for the first time, and the more I did it, the better it got."[41]
In September 1993, Nirvana's third albumIn Utero, debuted at number one on theBillboard 200.[42] However, the recording sessions mixed bySteve Albini were criticized by the band members, saying some songs "didn't sound perfect", as well as the band agreeing that Novoselic's bass lines sounded "too low".In Utero sold 3.5 million copies in the United States.[43][44] In November of that year, Nirvana performed onMTV Unplugged withLori Goldston playingcello, the introduction of guitaristPat Smear, and Novoselic playing acoustic bass guitar, accordion, and acoustic rhythm guitar. This live performance was released a year later as an album, namedMTV Unplugged in New York, which earned aGrammy Award forBest Alternative Music Performance.[45][46][47]
Prior to their 1994 European tour, the band scheduled session time atRobert Lang Studios in Seattle to work on demos. For most of the three-day session, Cobain was absent, so Novoselic and Grohl worked on demos of their own songs. The duo completed several songs, including "Exhausted", "Big Me", "February Stars", and "Butterflies".[48] On the third day of the session, Cobain finally arrived. The song "You Know You're Right" was the band's final studio recording.[49]
Nirvana ended abruptly in April 1994 followingCobain's death.[50] For most of the rest of that year, Novoselic retreated from the spotlight. One of a few public appearances came that September at theMTV Video Music Awards, where the video for Nirvana's "Heart-Shaped Box" was awardedBest Alternative Video.[51] Novoselic took the opportunity to pay tribute to Cobain.
On April 10, 2014, Novoselic was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Nirvana.[52][53] Novoselic spoke at the band's induction ceremony.[54] On February 4, 2023, Nirvana received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award; Novoselic was on hand, along with Dave Grohl andPat Smear, to receive the award.[55]
After Cobain's death, Novoselic continued to dabble in musical endeavors. He co-formed the bandSweet 75 with Venezuelan musician Yva Las Vegass in 1995, releasing a singleself-titled album in 1997.[56][57] In 1996, Novoselic joined singerJohnny Cash, guitaristKim Thayil ofSoundgarden and drummerSean Kinney ofAlice in Chains to record a cover ofWillie Nelson's "Time of the Preacher", for the tribute albumTwisted Willie, released in January 1996.[58] In 1998, Novoselic directed his first movie,L7:The Beauty Process, apseudo-documentary that utilizes concert footage taped in 1997 in three American cities.[59][60][61] In 1999, he joinedJello Biafra andSoundgarden guitaristKim Thayil in theNo WTO Combo.[62][63]
In 2002, Novoselic performed uncredited background vocals on Foo Fighters' song "Walking a Line", written as a tribute to Cobain, during theOne by One album sessions. The track is included on theOne by One bonus DVD, as well as being a bonus track to the album. He then joined formerMeat Puppets[64] front manCurt Kirkwood and formerSublime drummerBud Gaugh to formEyes Adrift.[65] In Australia, there was another group called "Eyes Adrift", and rather than pay to license that name, the trio called the band and album "Bud, Curt & Krist" in this nation. Eyes Adrift released a self-titled album with twelve songs, with the Japanese version including two extras. Eyes Adrift was the first official release in Krist's career where he sanglead vocals, singing lead on "Inquiring Minds", "Dottie Dawn & Julie Jewel" and "Pasted".[66] They also released a single namedAlaska. He also took a highly active role in the songwriting process, co-writing several songs with Kirkwood.[67][68] They toured mostly around the United States.[69] The group disbanded in 2003.
Following the end of Eyes Adrift, Novoselic announced that he was quitting the music business, noting that he disliked the process of building up publicity for new records. However, in 2005, Novoselic had occasionally worked on music for a possible solo album, noting, "Right now, I'm just doing it for myself, and that's what it's all about."[70]
In November 2006, it was announced that Novoselic would joinFlipper,[71] replacing Bruno DeSmartas on bass, for a tour of the United Kingdom and Ireland.[72] He was a full-time member of the band and had been working on their new album.[73] On September 22, 2008, because of responsibilities at home, Novoselic announced his departure from the band.[74] As a result, the band canceled the remainder of the tour. Rachel Thoele then replaced Novoselic.[75]
In 2009, Novoselic played a newspaper vendor in the movieWorld's Greatest Dad starringRobin Williams. In October 2010,Dave Grohl, formerNirvana bandmate of Novoselic, announced live onBBCradio, that Novoselic would be joiningFoo Fighters as a bassist and accordionist on their next album,Wasting Light, which was released in 2011.[76] Novoselic also played bass on children's music artistCaspar Babypants' 2010 albumThis Is Fun!, for a cover of the Nirvana song "Sliver".[77][78] In 2011, he performed "On a Plain" and "Sliver" with the band at theNevermind 20th anniversary celebration inSeattle.[79][80]
In 2012, Novoselic and Grohl partnered withPaul McCartney on the song "Cut Me Some Slack", which was composed specially forthe soundtrack of the documentarySound City, directed by Grohl. The song was first shown on December 12, 2012, at the12-12-12 festival, which brought together music stars for the victims ofHurricane Sandy in New York.[81] The song was received well by critics. Allmusic called it a "tune with an immediate hook [and] melody".[82] The song won theGrammy award for Best Rock Song in 2014.[83] The partnership was referred to as "Sirvana" by Novoselic, referring to "Sir Paul McCartney".[84]
On April 17, 2016, Novoselic performed "Helter Skelter" withPaul McCartney in Seattle as part of theOne on One tour.[85] In November 2016, Novoselic confirmed that he was in the process of writing new music.[86] His current band isGiants in the Trees, formed in 2017, with band members Jillian Raye, Erik Friend and Ray Prestegard.[87][88] He is also in the bandFilthy Friends, playing bass and accordion.[89] He also collaborates withLepidopterist and author Robert Michael Pyle with the musical project Butterfly Launches from Spar Pole. In late July 2017, Giants in the Trees released their first song, "Sasquatch", which features a music video Novoselic joked as "costing over 2 million U.S. dollars to produce".[90][91] Giants in the Trees' first album was released in late 2017.[92] Giants In The Trees' second album,Volume 2, was released in 2019.[93]
Novoselic has been currently working with musicians such asSoundgarden'sKim Thayil, alongsideMatt Cameron, with production being handled byJack Endino, as a new band, called3rd Secret. A self-titled album was released in April 2022, with eleven songs recorded at The Bait Shop, in Ballard, Washington, as well as Novoselic's home.[94]
In 1994, Grohl founded a new band,Foo Fighters. Grohl and his bandmates decided against Novoselic joining; Grohl said it would have felt "really natural" for them to work together again, but would have been uncomfortable for the other band members and placed more pressure on Grohl.[95]
During the encore of the Foo Fighters' show on August 29, 1997, atMemorial Stadium as part of theBumbershoot festival, Novoselic played bass on covers of "Purple Rain" and "Communication Breakdown".[96] In January 2002, Novoselic performed backing vocals for a non-album Foo Fighters track titled "Walking a Line", later released on a special edition of their albumOne by One.[97]
During the encore of Foo Fighters' secret show at Paladino's inTarzana, California on December 22, 2010, the band, with Grohl on drums, was joined onstage by Novoselic and the band's live guitaristPat Smear for a version of Nirvana's "Marigold", a 1992 Grohl original, which was aB-side on Nirvana's "Heart-Shaped Box".[98] Novoselic also recorded bass and accordion for the song "I Should Have Known", appearing on Foo Fighters' seventh studio albumWasting Light.[99]
On December 5, 2017, Novoselic joined Foo Fighters on stage atMatthew Knight Arena inEugene, Oregon, to play bass guitar on "Big Me", a song from the Foo Fighters' debut albumFoo Fighters.[100] Ten months later, on October 6, 2018, Novoselic joined the band during an encore to play several Nirvana songs, with Grohl on drums, Pat Smear on guitar, and John J. McCauley andJoan Jett filling in as their lead singer.[101]
Novoselic was interested in politics—including theNorthern Ireland conflict betweenIrish Nationalists andUnionists—at a young age.[102][103]
In 1992, theWashington State Legislature attempted to pass a bill called the Erotic Music Law. The law would have allowed courts to declare certain albums "erotic" due to their content and would have made it illegal to sell those albums to anyone under the age of 18. Novoselic and Nirvana actively campaigned against the bill and performed a benefit concert for an organization that opposed it.[104] Novoselic appeared onKOMO-TV'sTown Meeting as part of the campaign against this bill.[105]
In 1995, the Erotic Music Law was reintroduced to theWashington State Legislature as the Matters Harmful to Minors bill.[106] Noting that the music industry had serious clout in Seattle given the success of the grunge scene, Novoselic proposed creating apolitical action committee, which was named JAMPAC (Joint Artists and Musicians Political Action Committee).[107] Over the next several years, JAMPAC fought a number of different issues, including theTeen Dance Ordinance, a 1985 law that strictly limited the ability of minors to attend shows. With JAMPAC, Novoselic began to turn his focus more and more towards politics.[108]
Novoselic has advocated forelectoral reform (especiallyinstant-runoff voting[109] andproportional representation).[110] He considered a 2004 run forLieutenant Governor ofWashington as aDemocrat, challenging an incumbent of the same party, but ultimately decided against it. He also joined the board ofFairVote (then the Center for Voting and Democracy) and was appointed chair in January 2008.[111] In 2020, Novoselic became board chair of Zócalo Public Square.[8]
Novoselic's first book,Of Grunge and Government: Let's Fix This Broken Democracy, was published in October 2004.[112][113] It covers Novoselic's musical past, including Nirvana's worldwide popularity in the early 1990s.[114]
Novoselic supportedDemocratic SenatorBarack Obama in the 2008 Democratic presidential primaries[115] and in the2008 general election.[116] He later broke with the Democratic Party, stating that "it's a top-down structure" averse to reform from its grassroots.[117]
In 2009, Novoselic ran forcounty clerk ofWahkiakum County, Washington, but later withdrew his candidacy.[118] He had sought the office as a candidate of the "Grange Party" (a reference to his membership in theNational Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry[119]) although no such party exists. His campaign was intended as a protest against Washington State's party system, in which a candidate can claim any party (real or fictional) as their own without consent or support from the party.[120] Novoselic explained his support for fair voting reforms onC-SPAN'sWashington Journal in 2012.[121]
In an interview forReason TV, Novoselic was asked how he described his political views. He responded, "I'm ananarcho-capitalist,socialist, moderate... I don't know" and continued to say that while his political views couldn't be easily categorized, he finds fault in the political philosophies of both theleft andright-wing.[122] In 2015, he supportedLawrence Lessig's presidential campaign.[123] In 2016, Novoselic supported and campaigned forLibertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson.[124][125]
In June 2020, Novoselic made aFacebook post discussingPresidentDonald Trump's speech in response to unrest following themurder of George Floyd. He called Trump "strong and direct" but added that he "should not be sending troops into states". Following criticism, Novoselic made his Facebook page private and deleted hisTwitter account.[126] After receiving backlash for the original post, Novoselic clarified: "As an avowed independent, I don't endorse amajor party or candidate. And it feels insane to have to say this, but I don't supportfascism, and I don't support anauthoritarian state. I believe in a civilized society and that we all have to work toward that".[127]
On May 22, 2023, theForward Party published a tweet welcoming Novoselic onto their board.[128]
In 2024, Novoselic founded theCascade Party of Washington, a minor political party. To qualify as a political party, he announced a campaign for president in the2024 United States presidential election, with a goal to gather 1,000 signatures.[129][130][131] On August 24, 2024, he gathered the votes needed, and dropped out.
In 2004, Novoselic publishedOf Grunge and Government: Let's Fix This Broken Democracy!.[132]
In November 2007, Novoselic started writing blogs for theSeattle Weekly website.[133] He stopped writing for Seattle Weekly in September 2010.[134]
Novoselic has been theDJ numerous times forCoast radio onKMUN.[135]
In 2014, ahead of Nirvana's induction into theRock and Roll Hall of Fame, Novoselic and Dave Grohl made guest appearances onThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.[136]
Novoselic has ablog titledDream Journal.[137]
In 1989, Novoselic married Shelli Hyrkas, whom he had dated in high school. They divorced in 1999.[138] In early 2004, he married American artist Darbury Ayn Stenderu. Together they have two children.[139] They reside on a farm nearDeep River, Washington, where they grow their own food. Novoselic stated, "I live out in the country now and it's quiet and it's a place where I can think a lot."[140]
Novoselic is anFAA-licensed pilot, earning a single-engine land rating after passing his flight test in April 2002. He went on to earn a multi-engine pilot certificate in February 2018. He has a strong interest in animals, geology, nature, and other sciences.[141]
In 2016, Novoselic earned aBSc in social sciences fromWashington State University.[142][143]
| Year | Artist | Release | Additional information |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Mark Lanegan | The Winding Sheet | Bass on "Where Did You Sleep Last Night"[145] |
| 1995 | Mike Watt | Ball-Hog or Tugboat? | Organ on "Against The 70's"[146] |
| The Stinky Puffs | A Little Tiny Smelly Bit of...the Stinky Puffs | Bass on "Buddies Aren't Butts" (live), "Menendez' Killed Their Parents" (live), "I'll Love You Anyway" (live), and "I Am Gross/ No You're Not" (live)[147] | |
| 1996 | Johnny Cash | Twisted Willie | Bass on "Time of the Preacher"[148][149] |
| 1997 | Sky Cries Mary | Moonbathing on Sleeping Leaves | Acoustic Bass on "Gliding"[150] |
| 2002 | Aya | Senjou no Hana | Bass on "Prisoner"[151] |
| Foo Fighters | One by One | Backing vocals on "Walking a Line"[152] | |
| 2010 | Wasting Light | Bass and accordion on "I Should Have Known"[153][154] | |
| 2012 | Nirvana withPaul McCartney | Sound City: Real to Reel | Bass on "Cut Me Some Slack"[155][156] |
| 2014 | Kultur Shock | IX | Bass and accordion on "S One Strane Plive"[157] |
| 2015 | Peter Buck | Warzone Earth | Bass on "Long Time Dead"[158] |
| 2016 | Melvins | Basses Loaded | Bass and accordion on "Maybe I Am Amused"[159] |
| 2017 | Filthy Friends | Any Kind Of Crowd (single) | Bass on "Editions of You"[160] |
| Invitation | Bass on "Brother" and "Makers"[161] |
Johnson was joined in Seattle by his running mate, Bill Weld, a former Republican governor of Massachusetts, as well as by two celebrities with local ties — former Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic and Drew Carey, comedian, actor and an owner of the Seattle Sounders.
