Bob Mould

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Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox musical artist Robert Arthur Mould (born October 16, 1960) is an American musician, principally known for his work as guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter for alternative rock bands Hüsker Dü in the 1980s and Sugar in the 1990s.

Early years

Mould was born on October 16, 1960,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> in Malone, New York.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He first started playing guitar in 1976 after being inspired by the Ramones. He said he "figured that if they could do it, anybody could."<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Mould lived in several places, including the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, where he attended Macalester College in Saint Paul.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> At Macalester, he formed Hüsker Dü in the late 1970s with drummer/singer Grant Hart and bass guitarist Greg Norton.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Mould and Hart were the principal songwriters for Hüsker Dü.

Musical career

Hüsker Dü

Template:Main Forming in 1979, Hüsker Dü first gained notice as a punk rock group with a series of recordings on the independent label SST Records.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 1986, they signed with a major record label (Warner Bros. Records), but found only modest commercial success.<ref>Template:AllMusic</ref> However, they were later often cited as one of the key influences on 1990s alternative rock, including bands such as Foo Fighters and Pixies.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In the late 1980s, Hüsker Dü broke up acrimoniously amid members' drug abuse, personal problems, disputes over songwriting credits, musical direction, and the suicide of the band's manager, David Savoy.<ref name="Mueller">Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Mould and Hart played together only once after the breakup for two songs at a 2004 benefit concert for an ailing friend, the late Karl Mueller of Soul Asylum.<ref name="Mueller" />

First solo period (1988–1991)

File:Bob Mould Pine City Farmhouse.jpg
Farmhouse in Pine City, Minnesota, where Mould sequestered himself to write his first solo album, Workbook

Just before Hüsker Dü broke up, Mould moved to a remote farmhouse in Pine City, Minnesota,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> having quit drinking and drugs, and wrote the songs that would make up his first solo album.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Released by the newly formed Virgin Records America label, 1989's Workbook eschewed Mould's trademark wall-of-noise guitar for a lighter tone. Drummer Anton Fier (of the Feelies and later the Golden Palominos) and bassist Tony Maimone (of Pere Ubu) served as Mould's rhythm section. The album peaked at number 127 on the Billboard 200 chart, and the single "See a Little Light" reached number 4 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

His 1990 album Black Sheets of Rain had a much heavier guitar sound, recalling Hüsker Dü's louder, angrier moments. According to the liner notes for the 2012 re-release of Sugar's Copper Blue, Creation Records president Alan McGee verified that total album sales were 7,000 copies.<ref>Template:Cite AV media notes</ref> Still, the album peaked at number 123 on the Billboard 200 chart, and the single "It's Too Late" reached number 10 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Mould also co-founded a record label, Singles Only Label, with Coyote Records label founder Steve Fallon. The label released singles from bands such as Daniel Johnston, Grant Lee Buffalo, Moby, Mojo Nixon, Morphine, Nikki Sudden, and R. Stevie Moore from 1989 to 1994.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Sugar (1992–1995)

Template:Main Mould then formed the group Sugar, with bassist David Barbe and drummer Malcolm Travis. Along with extensive touring, Sugar released two albums, an EP and a B-sides collection before breaking up in early 1995. Copper Blue (1992) was named as NMETemplate:'s 1992 Album of the Year, and was Mould's most successful commercial album, selling nearly 300,000 copies.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

While in the band Sugar, in 1993 he contributed the track "Can't Fight It" as a solo artist to the AIDS Benefit Album No Alternative produced by the Red Hot Organization.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 1994, he recorded "Turning of the Tide" for Beat The Retreat, a tribute album to the English guitarist and songwriter Richard Thompson.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Second solo period (1996–present)

In 1996, Mould returned to solo recording, releasing a self-titled album in 1996 on Rykodisc, often referred to as Hubcap because of the cover photo. Mould played all of the instruments himself, and programmed the drums instead of using a real drummer. The album peaked at number 101 on the Billboard 200 chart, and number 1 on the Heatseekers chart.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 1998, Mould released The Last Dog and Pony Show, his final album on Rykodisc (who had released all of the Sugar albums in the U.S.). The album was named as such because Mould decided that the tour that followed would be his "last electric band tour".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

After the tour, Mould took a break from the music world to get involved with another passion of his, professional wrestling, when he joined WCW as a scriptwriter in 1999 for a brief period.<ref name=ew2005>Template:Cite news</ref> Creative differences with some of the other writers led to Mould's leaving the company and returning to music. The liner notes for the 2002 album Modulate thank some of the wrestlers he associated with, most notably Kevin Nash and Kevin Sullivan.

During a stint living in New York City in the late-1990s, as he more fully embraced his identity as a gay man, Mould's tastes took a detour into dance music and electronica. Those influences were clear on his 2002 release Modulate, which featured a strong electronica influence to mixed critical reviews and poor fan reaction.<ref>Template:Citation</ref> One song, "The Receipt", was fairly straightforward, according to City Pages: it "can be taken as a barely veiled attack on Mould's old Husker Dü-mate Grant Hart."<ref>Template:Citation</ref> (In fact, another song on the album ["Trade"] had been written and performed live during his Hüsker Dü days.) In further pursuit of this sound, Mould also began recording under the pseudonym LoudBomb (an anagram of his name), releasing one CD ("Long Playing Grooves") so far under this name.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

File:Bob mould mccarren park pool.jpg
Mould at McCarren Park Pool in July 2007.

His next solo album, Body of Song, had been originally scheduled to closely follow the release of 2002's Modulate. Instead, Mould worked on the album for the next three years, resulting in a 2005 release. By this time, he had changed his mind on touring with a band, and announced his first band tour since 1998. The tour lineup included bassist Jason Narducy (of Verbow), drummer Brendan Canty (of Fugazi), and Mould's Blowoff collaborator, Morel, on keyboards.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

In addition to his solo work, Mould also worked as a live DJ in collaboration with Washington DC-area dance music artist Richard Morel, under the collective banner Blowoff. They frequently staged at the 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C. A Blowoff CD was released in September 2006, consisting of songs recorded together by the two. Mould has also done remixes for a variety of dance and alternative rock artists, including a remix of the Interpol song "Length of Love".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

District Line was released February 5, 2008. A little over a year later, on April 7, 2009, Mould released his next album entitled Life and Times in the midst of researching his life for an autobiography.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Mould ultimately wrote that memoir with Michael Azerrad, the author of Our Band Could Be Your Life and Come as You Are: The Story of Nirvana. The book, See a Little Light: The Trail of Rage and Melody, was published in June 2011.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

On August 6, 2012, Mould released the first single from his first album on Merge Records, Silver Age, on September 4, 2012.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It peaked at No. 52 on the Billboard 200 album chart, No. 12 on the Alternative Albums chart, and No. 3 on the Tastemaker Albums chart.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> In 2014 Mould released Beauty & Ruin and in March 2016, his album Patch the Sky was released.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref>

On October 25, 2018, Mould shared a new song, "Sunshine Rock" from his new album of the same name, arriving February 8, 2019, via Merge Records<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

On June 3, 2020, Mould released a new song "American Crisis" the lead single from his album Blue Hearts, released on September 25.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

On January 8, 2025, he announced a new album, Here We Go Crazy, coming out on March 7, and released the title track as its first single. He will be touring throughout the United States in support of the album.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In October 2025, Mould stated he would be reforming Sugar with Barbe and Travis with plans to gig in London and New York in May 2026.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Instruments

As a member of Hüsker Dü, Mould was known for playing Flying V–style guitars, mainly an Ibanez Rocket Roll Jr.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In 1988, Mould bought a blue Fender American Standard Stratocaster off the rack after playing it "for about 15 seconds, unplugged". The Stratocaster has been his electric guitar of choice since the breakup of Hüsker Dü around that time.<ref name=":1">Template:Cite news</ref> His favored acoustic guitar is a 12-string Yamaha APX.<ref name=":1" />

Collaborations

Mould has made various guest appearances throughout his career. In 1984, Mould played piano on Ground Zero's album Ground Zero.<ref name="Thirdav">Template:Cite web</ref> In 1991, Mould sang and played guitar on the Golden Palominos album Drunk with Passion on the song "Dying from the Inside Out". In 1992, he contributed vocals to the song "Dio" on the Throwing Muses album Red Heaven.<ref name="Thirdav" /> Mould performed the guitars for the soundtrack for the film version of Hedwig and the Angry Inch, released in 1999. In 2000, Mould sang "He Didn't" (written by Stephin Merritt) on the 6ths' album Hyacinths and Thistles.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He also contributed vocals to the 2009 Fucked Up cover of "Do They Know It's Christmas?"<ref name="Thirdav" />

In 2011, Mould performed on the Foo Fighters album Wasting Light, contributing guitar and vocals to the track "Dear Rosemary".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He made sporadic appearances with the band during their Wasting Light tour to perform the song on stage, including on the Conan O'Brien show.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In December 2017, Mould opened for the Foo Fighters in four states during their Concrete and Gold tour.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Personal life

Mould is gay.<ref name="pnt1994">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Though his sexual orientation had previously been an open secret, he was outed in the early 1990s in an interview in the music magazine Spin. Since then, Mould has been cited as a musical and social influence among other openly gay musicians. "Hüsker Dü changed my life. That was a huge influence on me," said Steve Brooks of Torche.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> "Before Rob Halford came out, there was Bob Mould. He wasn't very vocal about it, but I'm a big fan of his music. It was comforting — one of my favorite musicians was 'a gay!' Kick ass."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In April 2004, Mould was a co-organizer of the WEDRock benefit concert for Freedom to Marry. "WedRock" was a play on the word "wedlock". The event raised an estimated US$30,000. Mould also contributed the song "See a Little Light" to the 2006 album Wed-Rock: A Benefit for Freedom to Marry, an album to support in the legalization of same-sex marriage.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In interviews to promote his 2019 album Sunshine Rock, Mould revealed that he had been residing in Berlin, Germany, since 2015.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Template:As of he splits his time between San Francisco and Palm Springs, California.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In San Francisco, he specifically lives in the Castro District, famously known as San Francisco's gay neighborhood.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

File:Bob Mould 27.jpg
Mould performing in Lyttelton, New Zealand, November 2024

Mould is married to Don Fisher.<ref>Template:Cite Instagram</ref>

File:Bob Mould - First Avenue Star.jpg
Mould's star on the outside mural of the Minneapolis nightclub First Avenue

Mould's song "Dog on Fire" is the theme song for The Daily Show. He originally wrote the track for his third solo album, but cut it as redundant. The name was picked by mastering engineer Jim Wilson from an offhand comment Mould made in an interview. They Might Be Giants performed updated versions which were used in the 2000s, and the song was later remixed by Timbaland when Trevor Noah took over as host.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On December 19, 1996, Mould made a cameo appearance on The Daily Show Holiday Spectacular in an homage duet of "The Little Drummer Boy" with Mould playing the part of David Bowie to Craig Kilborn's "Bing Crosby".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The song "See a Little Light" has been used more than once in various television applications: It was used in the closing scene of the original un-aired test pilot episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> it was also used in the closing scene of the season 1 finale for 13 Reasons Why, it became one of the principal theme songs for the HBO series The Mind of the Married Man and was also used in a television commercial for TIAA-CREF (August 2007). Mould also composed the theme for the TLC program, In a Fix.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2011, Mould wrote his autobiography See a Little Light with Michael Azerrad.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

In 2001, Mould played lead guitar in the house band for the film of John Cameron Mitchell's Hedwig and the Angry Inch (musical), and on the film's soundtrack.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2003, Mould also participated in a Hedwig tribute album, Wig in a Box, on which he covered the song "Nailed".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

On September 29, 2005, Mould's song "Circles" was included on the TV series The O.C.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Mould appeared on an episode of Independent Film Channel's The Henry Rollins Show on June 15, 2007.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

On November 21, 2011, musicians such as Dave Grohl, Britt Daniel and Jessica Dobson of Spoon, Craig Finn and Tad Kubler of The Hold Steady, Randy Randall and Dean Allen Spunt of No Age, Margaret Cho, Jason Narducy, Jon Wurster of Superchunk, and Ryan Adams came together at the Walt Disney Concert Hall and played songs from Mould's career. During the concert, Mould discussed his then-forthcoming album Silver Age, involving Jason Narducy and drummer Jon Wurster (of Superchunk), and a limited tour of Sugar's debut album Copper Blue.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

Mould has been honored with two stars on the outside mural of the Minneapolis nightclub First Avenue,<ref name="FirstAveStars">Template:Cite web</ref> one for his solo work and one for Hüsker Dü. The stars recognize performers that have played sold-out shows or have otherwise demonstrated a major contribution to the culture at the iconic venue.<ref name="StarTribune2019">Template:Cite news</ref> Receiving a star "might be the most prestigious public honor an artist can receive in Minneapolis", according to journalist Steve Marsh.<ref name="MSPMag2019">Template:Cite news</ref>

Discography

Template:See also Template:Infobox artist discography

Studio albums

Year Information Chart positions
US
<ref name="billboard">Template:Cite magazine</ref> 		US Heat.
<ref name="billboard"/> 		US Ind.
<ref name="billboard"/> 		UK
<ref name=OCC>Template:Cite web</ref>
1989 WorkbookTemplate:Ref label
  • Label: Virgin
  • Released: April 1989
 127 – – –
1990 Black Sheets of Rain
  • Label: Virgin
  • Released: May 1990
 123 – – –
1996 Bob Mould
  • Labels: Creation, Rykodisc
  • Released: April 30, 1996
 101 1 – 52
1998 The Last Dog and Pony Show
  • Labels: Creation, Rykodisc
  • Released: August 25, 1998
 164 11 – 58
2002 Modulate
  • Labels: Cooking Vinyl, Granary Music
  • Released: March 12, 2002
 – 45 18 –
Long Playing Grooves (as 'LoudBomb')
  • Labels: Cooking Vinyl, Granary Music
  • Released: 2002
 – – – –
2005 Body of Song
  • Labels: Cooking Vinyl, Yep Roc
  • Released: July 12, 2005
 – 22 37 –
2006 Blowoff (with 'Blowoff')<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
  • Label: Full Frequency Music
  • Released: September 5, 2006
 – – – –
2008 District Line
  • Labels: Anti-, Beggars Banquet
  • Released: February 5, 2008
 191 5 24 –
2009 Life and Times
  • Label: Anti-
  • Released: April 7, 2009
 – 7 – –
2012 Silver Age
  • Labels: Edsel, Merge
  • Released: September 4, 2012
 52 – 13 –
2014 Beauty & Ruin
  • Label: Merge
  • Released: June 3, 2014
 38 – 5 96
2016 Patch the Sky
  • Label: Merge
  • Released: March 25, 2016
 82 – 6 54
2019 Sunshine Rock
  • Label: Merge
  • Released: February 8, 2019
 192 – – –
2020 Blue Hearts
  • Label: Merge
  • Released: September 25, 2020
 181 – – –
2025 Here We Go Crazy
  • Label: Granary Music
  • Released: March 7, 2025

Notes Template:Refbegin

  • ATemplate:NoteWorkbook 25 — A remastered version of Workbook including a second disc of live versions of the songs recorded after the original release in 1989 was released in 2014.

Template:Refend

Compilations and live albums

  • Poison Years (1994, Virgin)
  • Live Dog '98 (2002, Granary Music) (released under the name 'Bob Mould Band')
  • Live at ATP 2008 (2009, Granary Music) (released under the name 'Bob Mould Band')
  • Bob Mould + The Last Dog And Pony Show + LiveDog98 (2012, Edsel)
  • Distortion: 1989-2019 (Series of boxsets released 2020-2021, Demon Records / Edsel)

Singles

  • "See a Little Light" (1989) No. 4 US Modern Rock Songs<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
  • "It's Too Late" (1990) No. 10 Modern Rock Songs
  • "Egøverride" (1996)
  • "Fort Knox, King Solomon" (1996)
  • "Classifieds"/"Moving Trucks" (1998)
  • "Soundonsound" (2002)
  • "Paralyzed" (2005)
  • "The Silence Between Us" (2008)
  • "I'm Sorry, Baby, But You Can't Stand in My Light Anymore" (2009)
  • "The Descent" (2012)
  • "I Don't Know You Anymore" (2014)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
  • "Hold On" (2016)
  • "Voices in My Head" (2016)
  • "Sunshine Rock" (2018)
  • "What Do You Want Me to Do" (2018)
  • "Lost Faith" (2019)
  • "American Crisis" (2020)
  • "Siberian Butterfly" (2020)<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
  • "Here We Go Crazy" (2025)

Videos

Contributions

Various artist compilations including individual tracks by Mould:

  • No Alternative (1994) – includes "Can't Fight It"
  • Beat the Retreat: Songs by Richard Thompson (1994) – includes "Turning of the Tide" by Richard Thompson, performed by Mould
  • Wig in a Box (2003) – includes "Nailed"
  • Wed-Rock: A Benefit for Freedom To Marry (2006) – includes "If I Can't Change Your Mind (acoustic)"
  • 30 Days, 50 Songs (2016) - includes "In a Free Land (live)"<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Bands produced

References

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