Krist Novoselic

Krist Novoselic
Novoselic at the Experience Music Project in Seattle in 2008.
Background information
Birth name	Krist Anthony Novoselic II
Also known as	Chris Novoselic
Born	May 16, 1965 (1965-05-16) (age 46) Compton, California
Genres	Alternative rock, grunge, punk rock
Occupations	Musician, politician, songwriter, author, director
Instruments	Bass, accordion, guitar, vocals, farfisa organ
Years active	1987–present
Labels	Sub Pop, DGC / Geffen, SpinArt
Associated acts	Nirvana, Eyes Adrift, Sweet 75, Flipper, No WTO Combo, The Stinkypuffs, Sky Cries Mary, Aya, Foo Fighters
Notable instruments
Gibson Ripper Gibson Thunderbird Gibson RD Artist Ibanez Black Eagle

Krist Anthony Novoselic II ( /ˌnoʊvəˈsɛlɪtʃ/; Croatian: Novoselić; born May 16, 1965) is a Croatian-American rock musician, best known for being the bassist and co-founder of the grunge band Nirvana. After Nirvana ended, Novoselic formed Sweet 75 and then Eyes Adrift, releasing one album with each band. From 2006 to 2009 he played in punk band Flipper, also recording an album, and contributed bass and accordion to the song "I Should Have Known" from the Foo Fighters' 2011 record Wasting Light.

Apart from his musical endeavors, Novoselic has been active politically, including the creation of the political action committee JAMPAC. From November 2007 until September 2010, Novoselic wrote a weekly column on music and politics for Seattle Weekly's website.^[1] Since 2008 he has been board chair of the electoral reform organization FairVote.

Biography

Early life (1965–1986)

Novoselic was born to Croatian^[2][3][4] immigrants Kristo and Marija Novoselić in Compton, California. He lived there for one year, before his parents relocated to the Los Angeles Croatian neighborhood of San Pedro, California,^[5] where he remained for most of his childhood. He has two brothers, Robert Alan Novoselic and Dillon Malloy Novoselic, and in 1973, Novoselic's sister Diana was born. The Novoselic family moved to Aberdeen, Washington in 1979, due to rising property prices in California. In 1980, his parents sent him to live with relatives in Zadar, Croatia, then part of SFR Yugoslavia.^[6] There, Novoselic attended the gymnasium. Novoselic was already interested in bands like Led Zeppelin, Devo, Black Sabbath, Van Halen, and Aerosmith. He also enjoyed rock bands like Zabranjeno Pusenje, Prljavo Kazaliste and Azra. While in Croatia, he picked up an interest in punk rock, and discovered bands like the Sex Pistols and the Ramones.^[7] He has cited Paul McCartney, Geezer Butler, John Entwistle, and Gene Simmons as the fundamental influences of his bass playing.^[8]

Sometime later, Novoselic's brother Robert introduced him to his friend Kurt Cobain, who had noticed loud music coming from upstairs. Robert told Cobain that it was his older brother, who listened to punk rock. Cobain eventually befriended the elder Novoselic, as the pair ended up sharing similar musical tastes, including a fondness for local band The Melvins. The two had several mutual friends and began hanging out shortly thereafter. At one point, Cobain gave Novoselic a demo tape of his former band Fecal 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.

Nirvana (1987–1994)

Main article: Nirvana (band)

Novoselic (left) playing with Cobain while in Nirvana.

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 a Creedence Clearwater Revival cover band, in which Cobain played drums and Novoselic sang and played guitar. That band was short-lived as well.^[9] Some months later, Cobain and Novoselic met Aaron Burckhard. While the new band never used the name, it was the first incarnation of Nirvana.

Burckhard lasted only a few months and Melvins drummer Dale Crover filled in until Novoselic and Cobain met Chad Channing. The trio recorded their debut album Bleach, released in 1989. Channing left the band in 1990 and was briefly replaced by Crover and Mudhoney drummer Dan Peters.

Later in 1990, Melvins singer-guitarist Buzz Osborne encouraged Novoselic and Cobain to check out a punk band called Scream. The pair were impressed by their drummer, Dave Grohl. 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. A few months later, in the spring of 1991, the band recorded their major label debut, Nevermind, which launched the band as a worldwide phenomenon with their hit single "Smells Like Teen Spirit."

Nirvana ended abruptly in April 1994 following Cobain's death. For most of the rest of that year, Novoselic retreated from the spotlight. Novoselic and Cobain had been virtually inseparable for almost a decade, and the loss of his close friend was especially hard on him. One of few public appearances came that September at the MTV Video Music Awards, where the video for Nirvana's "Heart-Shaped Box" was awarded for Best Alternative Video. Novoselic took the opportunity to pay tribute to his bandmate and best friend.

Post-Nirvana (since 1995)

The following year, Novoselic continued to dabble in musical endeavors. He was offered the position of playing bass in a new band, the Foo Fighters, with friend and former bandmate Dave Grohl but both decided against it because they believed people would think of Foo Fighters as a new incarnation of Nirvana. Novoselic instead formed the band Sweet 75 in 1995, releasing a single self-titled album in 1997. In 2002 he performed uncredited background vocals on The Foo Fighters song "Walking a Line", written as a tribute to Cobain, during the One by One album sessions. The track is included on the One by One bonus DVD, as well as being an iTunes bonus track to the album.

In 1998, Novoselic directed his first movie, L7: The Beauty Process, a pseudo-documentary that utilizes concert footage taped in 1997 in three American cities. In 1999, he joined Jello Biafra and former Soundgarden guitarist Kim Thayil in the No WTO Combo. He then joined former Meat Puppets front man Curt Kirkwood and former Sublime drummer Bud Gaugh to form Eyes Adrift, which disbanded in 2003. This band was significant as it was the first official release in his career where he sang lead vocals. He also took a highly active role in the song writing process, co-writing several songs with Kirkwood.

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 recent years, Novoselic has 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."^[10]

In November 2006, it was announced that Novoselic would join Flipper, replacing Bruno DeSmartas on bass, for a tour of the United Kingdom and Ireland.^[11] He was a full time member of the band and had been working on their new album.^[12] On September 22, 2008, due to responsibilities at home, Novoselic announced his departure from the band.^[13] As a result, the band canceled the remainder of the tour. Rachel Thoele then replaced Novoselic.^[14] In 2009, he played a newspaper vendor in the movie World's Greatest Dad starring Robin Williams. In October 2010, Dave Grohl, former Nirvana band mate of Novoselic, announced live on BBC radio that Novoselic will be joining the Foo Fighters on their next album as a bassist and accordionist which was released in 2011: Wasting Light.^[15] Novoselic also played bass on children's music artist Caspar Babypants' (a.k.a. Chris Ballew of The Presidents of the United States of America's) 2010 album This Is Fun!, for a cover of the Nirvana song "Sliver."^[16][17]

Performance and recording with Foo Fighters

Novoselic's first experience with the Foo Fighters was performing backing vocals for a non-album track titled "Walking a Line," later released on a special edition of the band's album One by One. Later, during the encore of the Foo Fighters' secret show at Paladino's in Tarzana, California on December 22, 2010, the band, with Grohl on drums was joined onstage by Novoselic and the band's live guitarist Pat Smear for a version of Nirvana's "Marigold" a 1992 Grohl original, which was also a b-side on Nirvana's "Heart-Shaped Box", the first single from In Utero.^[18] Novoselic also recorded bass and accordion on the song "I Should Have Known", appearing on the Foo Fighters' 7th studio album called Wasting Light, released on April 12, 2011.^[19]

Political and Social Activism

In 1992, the Washington state legislature attempted to pass a bill called the Erotic Music Law. The law would allow courts to declare certain albums "erotic" by their content, and would make it illegal to sell those albums to those under the age of 18. A lobbying group called the Washington Music Industry Coalition formed as a response to the bill. Novoselic and Nirvana actively campaigned against the bill and performed a benefit concert for the lobbying group in September 1992.

In 1995, the Erotic Music Law was reintroduced to the Washington State Legislature as the Matters Harmful to Minors bill. Noting that the music industry had serious clout in Seattle given the success of the scene, Novoselic proposed creating a political action committee, which was named JAMPAC (Joint Artists and Musicians Political Action Committee). Over the next several years, JAMPAC fought a number of different issues, including the Teen Dance Ordinance, a 1985 law that severely limited the ability of minors to attend shows. With JAMPAC, Novoselic began to turn his focus more and more towards politics.

Novoselic remains active in politics as an elected State Committeeman, making appearances to advocate electoral reform (especially instant-runoff voting ^[20] and proportional representation) and running the website.^[21] He considered a 2004 run for Lieutenant Governor of Washington (as a Democrat, challenging an incumbent of the same party), but ultimately decided against it. He also joined the board of FairVote, then the Center for Voting and Democracy), and was appointed chair in January 2008.^[22] His first book, Of Grunge and Government: Let's Fix This Broken Democracy, was published in October 2004. It covers Novoselic's musical past, including Nirvana's rise to a world wide phenomenon of the early 1990s. ^[23]. It also covers his interest in politics, his support of electoral reform, and his belief in the need to return to grassroots movements and clean up politics overall.

Novoselic spoke on matters of electoral reform at the 2006 Libertarian National Convention. He supported Democratic Senator Barack Obama in the 2008 Presidential election,^[24] though it was erroneously reported in some media outlets that he had endorsed libertarian Republican Congressman Ron Paul.^[25]

He withdrew from the campaign for county clerk of Wahkiakum County.^[26] He was running under the "Grange Party." He is a member of The National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry.^[27] However, the Grange is not actually a political party. He was running in order to protest Washington State's system in which a candidate can claim any party as their own (real or fictional) without consent or support from the party.^[28]

Novoselic continues to support political reform, even looking at social networks such as Facebook and Twitter, as major factors in shaping the political future. ^[29].

Personal life

Novoselic has been married twice. His first wife was Shelli Dilley; he met her in high school, and they began dating in 1985. They were married in December 1989; they divorced in late 1999. In early 2004, Novoselic married artist Darbury Ayn Stenderu.^[30] He currently resides near Deep River, Washington, in rural Wahkiakum County, Washington.^[31]

He wrote a blog^[32] for the Seattle Weekly website from 2007 to 2010. He currently attends Lower Columbia College and is studying for a law degree.

Quotation

We proved that alternative music is a viable commodity.^[33]

Notes

1. ^ "Reverb – "Krist Novoselic" Archives – Seattle Weekly". Blogs.seattleweekly.com. http://blogs.seattleweekly.com/reverb/krist_novoselic/. Retrieved July 18, 2009. 
2. ^ "Krist Novoselic ne vjeruje Bushu" (in Croatian). www.index.hr (index). http://www.index.hr/xmag/clanak/krist-novoselic-ne-vjeruje-bushu/114008.aspx. 
3. ^ "Nirvanin basist hrvatskog porijekla duboko u politici" (in Croatian). www.tportal.hr (tportal). http://www.tportal.hr/showtime/glazba/24409/Nirvanin-basist-hrvatskog-porijekla-duboko-u-politici.html. 
4. ^ "Novaselići: Nismo ni sanjali da će nam sin postati rock zvijezda!" (in Croatian). www.zadarskilist.hr (Zadarski list). http://www.zadarskilist.hr/clanci/17042010/novaselici-nismo-ni-sanjali-da-ce-nam-sin-postati-rock-zvijezda. 
5. ^ http://serviette.ca/audio/interviews/mp3/media/krist2.mp3
6. ^ "The Krist Novoselic Dedication Page - www.novoselic.com". www.novoselic.com<!. http://www.novoselic.com/younger.php. Retrieved July 18, 2009. 
7. ^ "Krist Novoselic Biography – AOL Music". Music.aol.com. May 16, 1965. http://music.aol.com/artist/krist-novoselic/110291/biography. Retrieved July 18, 2009. 
8. ^ Novoselic, Krist. "The Daily Weekly: Krist Novoselic: My Favorite Bass Players (Seattle Weekly)". Blogs.seattleweekly.com. http://blogs.seattleweekly.com/dailyweekly/2008/01/krist_novoselic_my_favorite_ba.php. Retrieved July 18, 2009. 
9. ^ Azerrad, Michael (1993). Come as You are: The Story of Nirvana. New York: Doubleday. pp. 54–55. ISBN 0-385-47199-8. 
10. ^ Jasmin, Earnest. "Novoselic drops hint of making solo album". The News Tribune January 10, 2005.
11. ^ "Bring the Noise – Krist Novoselic to play with Flipper". Blogs.thenewstribune.com. http://blogs.thenewstribune.com/ej/?title=krist_novoselic_to_play_with_flipper&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1. Retrieved July 18, 2009. 
12. ^ Flipper Drafts Novoselic For New Album^{[dead link]}
13. ^ "Exiting the Flipper Universe". http://blogs.seattleweekly.com/dailyweekly/2009/06/exiting_the_flipper_universe.php. Retrieved June 18, 2009. 
14. ^ "News Ticker: Radiohead, Aerosmith, War Child and Flipper". rollingstone.com. September 22, 2008.]
15. ^ Up for Discussion Jump to Forums (September 14, 2009). "Foo Fighters Return, Dave Grohl Recruits Krist Novoselic". Billboard. http://www.billboard.com/news/foo-fighters-return-dave-grohl-recruits-1004124262.story?tag=hpfeed#/news/foo-fighters-return-dave-grohl-recruits-1004124262.story?tag=hpfeed. Retrieved July 18, 2011. 
16. ^ harms blog on December 9, 2010 (December 9, 2010). "107.7 The End » Krist Novoselic Helps “Caspar Babypants” Cover “Sliver”". Blogs.1077theend.com. http://blogs.1077theend.com/aharms/2010/12/09/krist-novoselic-help-caspar-babypants-cover-sliver/. Retrieved July 18, 2011. 
17. ^ "Caspar Babypants to rock Kirkland's socks off – Kirkland Reporter". Pnwlocalnews.com. November 22, 2010. http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/east_king/kir/lifestyle/110000669.html. Retrieved July 18, 2011. 
18. ^ Grierson, Tim (December 22, 2010). "Foo Fighters Secret Show Becomes Nirvana Reunion". About.com. http://rock.about.com/b/2010/12/22/foo-fighters-secret-show-becomes-nirvana-reunion.htm. Retrieved January 15, 2011. 
19. ^ Grierson, Tim (October 28, 2010). "New Foo Fighters Album Will Be a Nirvana Reunion". About.com. http://rock.about.com/b/2010/10/28/new-foo-fighters-album-will-be-a-nirvana-reunion.htm. Retrieved January 15, 2011. 
20. ^ Katherine Turman (January-February 2005). "Krist Novoselic: Smells Like Governance". Mother Jones. Opposing Viewpoints. http://0-ic.galegroup.com.ignacio.usfca.edu/ic/ovic/MagazinesDetailsPage/MagazinesDetailsWindow?displayGroupName=Magazines&disableHighlighting=false&prodId=OVIC&action=e&windowstate=normal&catId=&documentId=GALE%7CA126653168&mode=view. Retrieved 3 Oct. 2011. 
21. ^ "Wahkiakum Democrats Precinct Caucus". Fixour.us. http://www.fixour.us/. Retrieved July 18, 2009. 
22. ^ Kornelis, Chris. "The Daily Weekly: Smells Like a New Blogger: Krist Novoselic (Seattle Weekly)". Seattle Weekly. http://www.seattleweekly.com/news/blogs/dailyweekly/2007/11/smells_like_a_new_blogger_kris.php. Retrieved July 18, 2009. 
23. ^ "Recalling the spirit of `91". Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. New Zealand Herald. 24 Sept. 2011. http://0-ic.galegroup.com.ignacio.usfca.edu/ic/ovic/NewsDetailsPage/NewsDetailsWindow?displayGroupName=News&disableHighlighting=false&prodId=OVIC&action=e&windowstate=normal&catId=&documentId=GALE%7CA267813870&mode=view&userGroupName=usfca_gleeson&jsid=2f9dd3ab396cffb4d129b2e5fdc30a4d. Retrieved 10 Oct. 2011. 
24. ^ "Barack Obama For President". Blogs.seattleweekly.com. http://blogs.seattleweekly.com/dailyweekly/2008/02/barack_obama_for_president.php/. Retrieved August 10, 2011. 
25. ^ Bardsley, Garth (2008-02-05) 50 Cent, Dave Matthews, Perez Hilton, Others Endorse Candidates For Super Tuesday, MTV
26. ^ "Why I'm Dropping Out". http://blogs.seattleweekly.com/dailyweekly/2009/06/why_im_dropping_out_the_grange.php. Retrieved June 18, 2009. 
27. ^ "The National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia". En.wikipedia.org. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_National_Grange_of_the_Order_of_Patrons_of_Husbandry. Retrieved July 18, 2009. 
28. ^ Times. "The Spokesman Review, Former Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic running for Wahkiakum County clerk… . Ret. June 5, 2009". Spokesman.com. http://www.spokesman.com/blogs/olympia/2009/jun/04/former-nirvana-bassist-krist-novoselic-running-wahkiakum-county-clerk/. Retrieved July 18, 2009. 
29. ^ Carla Meyer (27 Sept. 2010). "Former Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic sees political potential in social networks". The Seattle Times. McClatchy Newspapers. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/musicnightlife/2013011568_novoselic27web.html. Retrieved 8 Oct 2011. 
30. ^ By MTV News staff report (March 10, 2004). "Soul Train Music Awards Lineup Announced – News Story | Music, Celebrity, Artist News | MTV News". Mtv. http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1485663/20040310/usher.jhtml. Retrieved July 18, 2009. 
31. ^ "The Daily News, Longview". http://www.tdn.com/news/article_23211373-6720-5482-a051-dfd870e757fd.html. Retrieved March 28, 2010. 
32. ^ "Novoselic's Blog on SeattleWeekly.com". http://blogs.seattleweekly.com/reverb/krist_novoselic/. Retrieved September 25, 2010. 
33. ^ Du Noyer, Paul (2003). The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Music (1st ed.). Fulham, London: Flame Tree Publishing. p. 101. ISBN 1-904041-96-5. 

References

• Bloch-Garcia, Peter. "Kick Out the Jams". Real Change News. 2000.

External links

• Krist Novoselic's blog at the Daily Weekly
• Krist Novoselic w/ Flipper
• Krist Novoselic at the Internet Movie Database
• Novoselic.com – a website dedicated to Krist Novoselic
• Krist Novoselic on Twitter
• Official forums

Persondata
Name	Novoselic, Krist Anthony
Alternative names	Novoselic, Chris
Short description	Croatian-American rock musician
Date of birth	1965-05-16
Place of birth	Compton, California
Date of death
Place of death