YOUR QUESTION:

08/04/2021 Gordon Lightfoot

Hey, Trevor, whenever you do come around to this question, know that not all people who enjoy Mr. Bungle were absolutely offended and outraged by the whole DV session NFT thing. It was a curveball, of course, but a lot of people are quick to get haughty and call out artists without ever thinking of their own carbon footprint (to stick to the environmental angle, at least). Speaking for myself, even though I don't have the disposable income to bid in the auction, I do appreciate that the music itself is free to listen to, and I enjoyed having that 10-minute window into the DV sessions. Who knows what else you guys will recover out of that vortex?
In any case, here's a question pertaining to the past: is it you singing/speaking the pre-chorus part ("Spinning, grinning, believing, deceiving...") in Carousel? I've seen footage of you doing it live in 1989, and on record it doesn't sound like Patton doing that part, so I'd like to know if it's a rare instance of non-Patton vox on record.
Since we're talking vocals, who was in the chorus part for Everyone I Went to High School with is Dead? Was it the whole band, did someone sit that out, how did that go? I love how bleak and desperate it sounds, it's definitely one of my favorites.
Take care man!

MY ANSWER:

Everyone is a hypocrite. I can’t be bothered with know-it-all opinions. The same people who bitch about NFTs seem perfectly fine with us getting on a plane with a crew and flying thousands of miles, producing CDs, driving around in cars, etc. Are these Buddhist vegans who don’t own computers? It grinds my gears!

Yes, that is me in the pre-chorus of Carousel. As far as the chorus of High School, I don’t remember, but I’m sure it was most of the band, probably a couple friends, maybe an engineer…. and we probably doubled it.

YOUR QUESTION:

08/02/2021 HCHC

Wonder what ever happened to Jed Watts

MY ANSWER:

He’s around. He’s a solid bloke. Did you know he sat in with us on Anarchy when we played the Warfield in SF back in 2020? That was a blast from the past.

YOUR QUESTION:

07/30/2021 1Doctor Faustus

So, how's that NFT going for you?

MY ANSWER:

It came and went like everything else.

YOUR QUESTION:

07/28/2021

You have a so-called dream job, but does work ever feel like work—days where you’re not quite feeling up to it?

MY ANSWER:

It’s always curious to me when people say this sort of thing, or think that I’ve got everything all worked out. What makes it seem like a dream job? I still schlep my acoustic bass on the subway and up four or five flights of stairs just to get to a gig that might pay $150 if I’m lucky. Yes, sometimes I don’t feel up to it, however, I’ve found that just playing music usually turns my mood positive. There are many aspects to being a musician that involve sweat, stress and hardship. There are days when I feel overpaid, but those are probably outweighed by the number of times I’ve been underpaid. The older I get, the harder it is to carry a bass on my shoulder through various airports. Sometimes, it’s barely worth it and I’m just counting the dollars. But what can I say, I do what I love, and that is a dream.

YOUR QUESTION:

07/20/2021 René redzepi

Your thoughts on drummer zach hill and his projects (hella, death grips....)
<3

MY ANSWER:

Love that stuff. Totally unique drummer and one of the first rock guys to really do what he does. Although I went to see Death Grips once in the Netherlands and there was no drummer. That kinda left me cold.

YOUR QUESTION:

07/14/2021Atom G.

Can you give a short list of some of your favorite books, albums, and films.

MY ANSWER:

Not sure if you’re aware but I’ve been doing this exact thing on this very website for a good 20 years now. See the “Hermitage” section of this site. I try to update it a couple times a year, but sometimes I forget.

YOUR QUESTION:

07/01/2021 Paige Omidi

Hi Trevor,
I'd like to get your insight as to why certain musicians, who are painstaking when it comes to their mastering on the CD format, often don't have the same quality control with their vinyl versions.
For instance, I've seen many examples of even homemade albums, where it's still clear that they put considerable effort into the mixing and mastering process (and it produces beautiful results), but then they issue vinyl versions of those same records, I find myself disappointed with the sound quality and comparison. I realize not all musicians have access to a perfect analog mastering process, but it doesn't seem like it's completely an economic decision, so I was curious if you could explain this to me a bit. Thank you

MY ANSWER:

I can’t answer that for you but I can speculate. Firstly, vinyl, as much as I love it and still collect used copies, just doesn’t sound as good. There’s always going to be less accuracy and more noise with vinyl. It’s quite possible some musicians don’t realize that vinyl needs a separate treatment in mastering. Musicians aren’t always known for their economic decisions. But maybe I’m skirting the point here. Depending on the music, some vinyl sounds amazing, but I gotta be honest and say that I don’t totally understand the fairly recent resurgence of vinyl. It’s still a pain in the ass to lug around, for one. Anyway, ultimately, I can’t speak to why some masters sound worse than others. I think mastering engineers are underappreciated and it’s important to hire the best.

YOUR QUESTION:

06/25/2021 Sophia

Hello Trevor,
Seems like things are picking up now, how excited are you to get back performing on larger stages for more people? Did you ever get used to ‘lockdown’? Was it a needed break to reassess? Thanks for taking time to answer & good luck with everything! L8Rs S8R

MY ANSWER:

Even over a year after this question was initially posted, I wouldn’t say things have totally picked up. It’s not the same, and life isn’t the same for me. There is actually something I miss about lock down — the quiet, the empathy, the realization that I don’t need to get on a plane so often (I certainly don’t miss that). I wouldn’t say I ever got used to it. Who could? Everything was always up in the air. Is it ending now? When? How do I stay protected? What news or opinions do I take seriously. Reassessing is always a good idea. I try to do that daily.

YOUR QUESTION:

06/25/2021

Some time has passed & things have changed, would you still go out on a date with me?

MY ANSWER:

Sure. Water under the bridge.

YOUR QUESTION:

06/16/2021 Reclusive

Hi Trevor,
Do you listen to hip hop at all and if so, who do you listen to? Many hip hop artists meld genres in interesting ways that I think glide on the same wavelength as some of your work (Eyedea's jazz-freestyle side project Face Candy comes to mind, as well as his rock band Carbon Carousel).
Thank you for your awesome contributions to music!

MY ANSWER:

I tend to go for older stuff like Rakim or Missy Elliot or Method Man, but I also try to keep my ear out for interesting trap stuff. I flit around with Nikki, some Earl Sweatshirt, this and that.

YOUR QUESTION:

06/07/2021 Jimmy Monack

Hi Trevor. I hope you are well.
I was in a bar in St. Louis not long ago wherein a band was doing the standard fare; "Ain't no Sunshine" "Who'll Stop the Rain?" "Stand by Me" "(Sitting on) The Dock of the Bay" etc. They were quite good, I must say.
Then I wondered, given your level of sophistication and talent, are you still capable of going to the bar, having a couple of drinks, and find yourself saying, "Duuuude! I frikin love The Eagles! Who doesn't?!" or something like that?
Thanks for all you do.

MY ANSWER:

Hm, well, sometimes bands like that hit too close to home as I spent four years in a pretty crappy bar band when I was in college (it was better than rolling out pizza dough at 9am!). But yeah, I can get excited about some pretty basic or classic stuff. A few stiff drinks always helps.

YOUR QUESTION:

06/06/2021 Alex

Hey hello Mr. Trevor Dunn, so earlier today I was listening to Mr. Bungle’s third studio album “California” and something caught my ear that I had never really noticed before, that being the bass tone. I was wondering, what equipment do you used to get that twangy surf tone? Any specific pedals or EQ settings I should know about? Thanks!

MY ANSWER:

I used a variety of basses, amps and pedals for that record so I can’t recall exactly. For the surf twang I probably used a cheap Vox bass we had lying around that had flat wound strings on it. I might have even played that through a Fender Twin, utilizing the spring reverb. And I likely used a pick, close to the bridge, while palm muting.

YOUR QUESTION:

05/26/2021 Byron Dunbar

As an Oingo Boingo fan who has gone on record as not really being a fan of Danny Elfman's work as a film composer or outside of Oingo Boingo, did you listen to Big Mess and if so, what did you think of it? I listened to a few tracks and it wasn't terrible, but I wasn't interested in listening to the full album. Sounded too much like a Nine Inch Nails clone for me.

MY ANSWER:

I haven’t spent time with that record yet; sometimes I find it hard to revisit artists that have been ingrained in my psyche from the beginning. I still go back and listen to those early OB albums.

YOUR QUESTION:

05/11/2021 Leto Nicolas

Dear Mr Dunn,
Would there be the possibility of considering a reissue of the album "The Fantômas Melvins Big Band - Millennium Monsterwork 2000" on vinyl?
We created with my wife a micro label (Jelodanti records) dedicated to experimental rock and make vinyl by hand (Goz of kermeur, Thinking Plague, The Work), we work with Cuneiform records or Recommended records.
We understand that our request may seem out of place but we love this "album" and would love to be able to offer it on vinyl, but maybe ipecac records has plans to do so.
Would there be a possibility and what would be the conditions ?
We wish you a nice day,
Warm regards.
Clara & Nicolas

MY ANSWER:

You’d have to speak to someone at Ipecac about their plans and conditions. I have no idea! Glad you enjoy that record though.

YOUR QUESTION:

05/10/2021 1No, Anarchy up YOUR anus!

Who or what is a Ponus?

MY ANSWER:

Ponus is a cross between penis and Cronos

YOUR QUESTION:

04/28/2021 Jane

What's a good comeback for being ridiculed for liking Mr Bungle...

MY ANSWER:

What’s your relationship like with your mother?

YOUR QUESTION:

04/23/2021 Hey Man, Nice Penis!

I'm really digging the new Tomahawk record - a lot. Query - is that band a collaborative effort, or more of a Denison / Patton collaboration? I love that you have Stanier in there as well - which leads to query #2 - What are your thoughts on Battles and/or Don Caballero? I love Battles - they seem to have a singular and very original approach to music, and it seems to be pretty got-dang polarizing among my friends. Are you on a side?

MY ANSWER:

Duane writes everything then gives it to Patton, who mostly comes up with the vocal melodies and most of the lyrics. Duane also has input there. I love Battles. Great tunes. Great live band. I’ve never listened to DC, believe it or not. I’m not sure why.

YOUR QUESTION:

04/18/2021 Justin Marchese

Dear Trevor,
Years ago I read an interview with you in which you referenced a cartoon you had seen involving mice, maybe a frog, a large rock (maybe carried by the frog), maybe a doll house or bird house, some sad things happen, and some violence. I am about ten years younger than you, and when I was a child, I saw the same cartoon on HBO, though as you can tell I can barely remember it. In the interview, if I recall correctly, you mentioned wanting to know the title of this cartoon so you could watch it again. I feel the same way as it made an impression on me. Well, did you ever discover the title and if so would you please share?
Thanks buddy

MY ANSWER:

I did discover it! I can’t remember how, but it’s called The Mouse And His Child. I watched it again recently and it’s still amazing. Very existential and melancholy. Very sad at times. It was originally a book by Russell Hoban. Highly recommended.

YOUR QUESTION:

04/12/2021 David

Hey Trevor! How was filming the Halloween virtual show? You guys kicked ass, looked like lots of fun to film. Have a good one!

MY ANSWER:

It was a lot of fun! I’d never done anything like that. It was hard work, for sure. We rehearsed everything, did the live show, did a couple songs as alternatives, etc. Long day.

YOUR QUESTION:

04/12/2021 Darwin Cooke

Thoughts (if any) on the Yummy Fur, the Mountain Goats, and ska-punk?

MY ANSWER:

No, this is all unexplored territory. I can’t say I really get “ska punk”. Isn’t it just sort of emo punk? I just listened to a Yummy Fur song. I like it. Yay for Chester Brown!