The Muffs Interview: SXSW 2010

Posted on Mar 11th 2010 5:08PM by Sean Woosley
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The Muffs have been bashing out gritty and catchy pop-punk singles since 1991. Some of the highlights in the storied career of these Southern California garage-rockers extraordinaire include three major releases on Warner Brothers and Reprise Records and several singles on Sub Pop and Sympathy for the Record Industry. The veteran trio is back in the studio and will return to Austin, Texas, for this year's SXSW. Spinner caught up with singer-songwriter Kim Shattuck (who was gracious enough to grant us the opportunity to speak with her on the day of her seventh wedding anniversary) while she was shopping at BestBuy.

You haven't played in a while, is that right?

We haven't played for a while in Austin. Last year, we played in Spain and we do local shows every once in a while. In 2004, we released an album called 'Really, Really Happy, and that was our first album in about four years, I guess. Recently, we're working up new material. We just recorded last week.

How's the recording coming along?

Even better than I expected. I'm really happy with these songs. All of the sudden it was like, "Strike while the iron is hot. The guys are overpracticed." I call Roy [McDonald], our drummer, the Frank Sinatra of drums. He does one take and he's like, "I'm done. That's it.

You've had, essentially, the same line up since the '90s?

It's been Roy, Ronnie and me since 1994. We had another girl in the band, Melanie. She played rhythm guitar. She quit.

How did the band form?

I was going out with Ronnie, our bass player at the time. I was in another band called the Pandoras and I was sick of it. I hated it. I needed to leave. Melanie was also in the Pandoras. So when I wanted to start my own band -- 'cause I had all these songs -- I pretty much knew everybody, except for the drummer, that we ended up choosing, at the time. He eventually left the band and we got Roy, who we've known forever.

In the beginning of our career, we did some singles with different indie labels. We did something with Sympathy for the Record Industry, a single for Sub Pop, a single for A-go-go Records. Then we got signed to Warner Bros. We were on Reprise for two more records and then we were done. It was agreeable. We were ready to go our separate ways. We're still in print. They still press our records.

What's your first memory of wanting to become a performer?

When I was a little kid, I listened to little kids' stuff like Felix the Cat and Yogi Bear and The Flintstones. The Flintstones' record on Hanna-Barbera Records had some really cool guitar parts, some really twangy, cool, mystic kind of crazy guitar parts. I think that sucked me in a little bit, but I didn't really want to start playing guitar until I heard the Stray Cats. When I first heard the Stray Cats, I was like, "Holy shit. I love the way this guy plays guitar".

Beatles or Stones?

Of course, I loved the Beatles. I wanted to be like the Beatles or the Kinks or the Who. I kind of pick on the Stones. I never thought they were all that original. The Kinks were definitely the best in the late '60s of all of those bands. I'm not a big fan of late-'60s rock music. My favorite stuff is from '65 to 66.

Any musical guilty pleasures?

I try not to feel guilty about music I like. I'm not embarrassed about anything that I like. I don't even listen to rock music anymore. I listen to jazz more.

What's your biggest vice?

My biggest current vice would be coffee. I really like to drink coffee. It makes me kind of a spaz if I drink too much. It gives me a kick.

What's one of the weirdest things that have happened on tour?

One time in Germany, there was a ceramic sheet in this lobby at the hotel and I became fixated with the idea of this ceramic sheet going around with me. It was really heavy and I carried it up the stairs, knocked on peoples' doors with it in the middle of the night, and I eventually threw it out the window. I'm lucky I didn't kill anybody with this flying gigantic ceramic sheet coming out of the window. The next day, I had to pay for it. I just became totally obsessed with that sheet. It probably weighed 50 pounds.

First celebrity crush?

I think Warren Beatty. I also really liked Starsky from 'Starsky and Hutch.'

Sean Woosley is a contributor from Seed.com. Learn how you can contribute here.