Minutemen / Watt Chronicles Part 6
In January of 2023, I had the pleasure of interviewing one of my favorite musicians, Mike Watt, on my Pierre Pressure Podcast. That conversation sparked the idea for a musical collaboration. Now, after two years of hard work with many brilliant collaborators, the result is finally here. Working Batterie Volume One drops on April 4 via Clearly Records, and you can preorder the vinyl on Bandcamp today.
The idea for this album emerged during my interview with Watt when he noted that most music starts with guitar, piano, or vocals. He wanted to reverse that, making the rhythm section—drums and bass—the foundation of the harmonic and melodic structure.
As one of the world’s most revered bass players, Watt has been making some of the most creative and influential recordings, and furthering the possibilities of bass playing since the early ‘80s. From The Minutemen and fIREHOSE to countless solo projects and collaborations—including his Ballhog or Tugboat album which included Eddie Vedder, Frank Black, the Beastie Boys, and many others, to Porno for Pyros, Iggy Pop, MC5, and the phenomenal mssv—he never stops performing and recording.
I’ve been a die-hard fan since seeing The Minutemen live in 1984, and in 1993, I spent a day filming Mike in his hometown of San Pedro. The Minutemen showed me punk rock could be more than just anger and defiance—it could express deep political convictions and demand exceptional musicianship. Their esthetic has shaped my entire musical life and remains the standard I hold my own music to, no matter what genre I choose to express it with. They were able to voice dissent and anger with wit and fury and intelligence, while making some of the most complex and accomplished music imaginable. Mike Watt has kept that fire going ever since with his unbelievably prolific touring and recording schedule.
When you see Mike Watt’s creative output, you almost wonder if he’s cloning himself. The truth is, he still lives by the same ideals he embraced in the beginning of the punk movement that he and his bandmates George Hurley and D Boon helped create—staying true to their working class roots. They were relentless in their mission to bring their anti-war, anti-fascist, pro working-class message to everyone who would hear it. To this day to Mike watt, “working class” isn’t a costume—it’s a way of life. Watt has been working bass his whole life.
To set this recording in motion, I first curated a collection of drum tracks and sent them to Watt, reaching out to some of my favorite drummers—some I’d played with in bands going back to the 90’s, others newly recommended. As the tracks rolled in, I passed them to Watt, who recorded his bass lines at his San Pedro studio. When I received them back, these once-disparate drum tracks had come to life, perfectly charged by Watt’s bass. Every single one gave me chills.
From there, I reached out to collaborators who could put the parts on the car and make it race. The results were varied, surprising, and incredible. Much of the subject matter was anti-war, and anti-fascist, in keeping with the preoccupations of these troubled times. As the project progressed, I was honored to receive contributions from deeply accomplished musicians, including Nels Cline, Tony Scalzo, Georgia Hubley, Kenny Wollesen, and Robert Walter.
And I was extremely blessed to be put in contact with the indefatigable Alec Ferrell at Clearly Records, who saw the whole racetrack in his mind and was the perfect pit boss to get it out of the gate. This record would not exist without him
The rhythm section is the battery of the car—it drives the whole machine. Is it a coincidence that the French word for drum set is batterie?
So, here it is—Working Batterie, Volume One.
Thank you for hitching a ride with us!!