Members of the Troubled Bands Nirvana, the Meat Puppets, and Sublime Find a Way to Regroup

EYES OF THE STORM

Evan Serpick

Entertainment Weekly

September 6, 2002

Nirvana, the Meat Puppets, and Sublime share a few crucial elements: All three rock bands dealt in genius, drugs, and tragedy. Kurt Cobain killed himself after years of heroin use, Sublime singer Bradley Nowell OD’d, and the Meat Puppets’ Cris Kirkwood endured a long-term struggle with addiction, eventually leaving the band and losing his wife to an overdose.

In a redemption vein, members of these bands now share something else: a new group called Eyes Adrift. Meat Puppets frontman Curt Kirkwood (Cris’ brother), Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic, and Sublime drummer Bud Gaugh hooked up late last year and have recorded an eponymous CD on spinART, due Sept. 24.

“It came together really fast,” Novoselic says of Eyes. “Curt and I met, just to jam and have fun. One thing led to another, Bud came on board, and we began recording right off the bat.”

With its earnest folk and propulsive backdrops, Eyes echoes late Puppets. The lyrics, penned by Novoselic and Kirkwood, reflect their loss, confusion, and healing. “I could cut myself, but nothing would come out/’Cause the blood is frozen solid in my veins,” Kirkwood sings on “Solid”.

Novoselic bristles at Eyes Adrift being labeled survivors: “A lot of our press reads like a soap opera. But once people hear our music, it’ll be more on our terms. We’ll never forget where we came from or what we’ve gone through and who we’ve been with, but ultimately, we hope to stand on our own.”