Mark Arm

Biography

Although other Seattle rock bands received heaps more press coverage and racked up larger record sales than Mudhoney during the early '90s, the group is considered to be one of the most important and influential to hail from the area -- as their garage rock sound was copied numerous times over, as well as the snotty vocals of their singer, Mark Arm.

Born Mark McLaughlin, and hailing from just outside Seattle, WA, he eventually renamed himself Mark Arm and became a major fan of such punk outfits as the Dickies and Flipper, as well as such new wavers as Devo. Naturally, Arm began attending regional shows, including a local performance by T.S.O.L. in 1982, at which he met both future bandmate/Mudhoney guitarist Steve Turner and future Soundgarden guitarist Kim Thayil. The same year, Arm formed his first serious band, Mr. Epp and the Calculations, which apart from a compilation appearance and a 7" EP (Of Course I'm Happy, Why?) failed to issue a full-length, and broke up by early 1984.

During the last few months of the band's existence, Turner had been a member, and after their split decided to stick with his old pal Arm, first appearing together in the short-lived group Limp Richards, before forming Green River. Also including future Mother Love Bone/Pearl Jam members Stone Gossard (guitar) and Jeff Ament (bass), Green River (along with Soundgarden) are often credited as creating what would eventually become known as the "grunge" sound, as they mixed the proto-punk of the Stooges along with the metallic sludge of Black Sabbath and the arena rock of Aerosmith. But despite accolades, the band lasted for a total of three EPs, 1985's Come On Down, 1986's Dry as a Bone, and 1988's Rehab Doll, before splitting up. Afterward, Arm teamed up once more with Turner (who had left Green River shortly after their first release), in hopes of forming a band much more akin to the proto-punk/garage bands of yesterday rather than the heavy metal direction his former band was headed toward by the end. Joining the duo in the new project was bassist Matt Lukin and drummer Dan Peters (with Arm adding rhythm guitar to the mix), with their name being taken from an early-'60s movie from trashy filmmaker Russ Meyer, Mudhoney.

The quartet issued a steady stream of critically acclaimed albums, including such early classics as 1989's Mudhoney, 1990's Superfuzz Bigmuff (a compilation of early singles), and 1991's Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge, all of which were issued via Seattle's famed indie label Sub Pop. Due to the Seattle boom of the early '90s, Mudhoney were rewarded with a major-label deal (Warner Bros.) but failed to expand their fan base outside of their cult following, and by the early 21st century, began issuing albums on a much more infrequent basis. In addition to his Mudhoney duties, Arm has been a part of a variety of side projects over the years, including the Thrown Ups, Monkey Wrench, Bloodloss, the Wylde Ratttz, and the New Strychnines, in addition to guesting on albums by Alice in Chains and Gas Huffer, and even issuing an obscure solo single in 1990, Freewheelin' Mark Arm. ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide