Butch Vig

Butch Vig was the premier producer of the alternative rock boom of the early 1990s, helming records for bands including Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins and Sonic Youth, before finding success as a performer with the group Garbage. Born in the small dairy farm community of Viroqua, Wisconsin, Vig studied piano as a child, picking up the drums during his teen years; after two years as a pre-med student at the University of Wisconsin, he dropped out to pursue a career in music.

Recently he took time out of his busy schedule to play “EITHER/OR” with ARTISTdirect.

AD: Beer or Wine?

BV: Wine! I'm in love with Dan Duckhorn's wines lately: the Paraduxx, a red Zin blend, and the Duckhorn Sauvingnon Blanc! I always crack a bottle or two at a party, and my friend Mike X says that I'm becoming the Duckhorn distributor of Silverlake!

AD: On the Rocks or Straight-Up?

BV: Vodka on the rocks, sometimes with a splash of seltzer.

AD: Pizza or Sushi?

BV: Sushi...pizza makes me schluffy.

AD: Corn or Flour?

BV: Corn.

AD: The Onion or The Simpsons?

BV: Hard to choose, they both make me laugh. I'd have to say the Onion because we always have it lying around the studio.

AD: Stars Wars or Lord of the Rings?

BV: I'd have to say Lord of the Rings, but I'd rather vote for Harry Potter.

AD: Ashley or Jessica?

BV: I'll go with Ashley....she's a bit more of a beautiful mess.

AD: Favre or Marino?

BV: Are you kidding me? You're talking to one of the band members of The 6 Packers, who wrote the Lambeau anthem, Go Pack Go! Farve is so fun to watch....and Marino never did win a Super Bowl.

AD: Lakers or Packers?

BV: Oh man, now your really getting into it with me. As far as I'm concerned, the Packers are THE GREATEST TEAM IN THE HISTORY OF PROFESSIONAL SPORTS. Plus, being from Wisconsin and now living in LA, I take some pleasure in being a Laker Hater.

AD: Packers or Badgers?

BV: I'm a UW Badger alumni, so I watch some of the games. But at the end of the day, it's all about the Pack.

AD: Madison or Milwaukee?

BV: Madtown.

AD: L.A. or N.Y.?

BV: Silverlake, Los Angeles!

AD: Hot or Cold?

BV: I like it exactly 78 degrees...is that hot?

AD: Sunrise or Sunset?

BV: Sunset, I never see sunrise, unless I've been a bad boy.

AD: U2 or R.E.M.?

BV: Tough choice...I gotta go with U2 because they are still making great music, and in my eyes currently hold the heavyweight title: "The Biggest Band In The World". Plus, we've toured with them, they are super cool, and we got to fly on the band's personal jet! But I can't dis REM. Both bands set a standard for many aspiring musicians on how to carve out your own path in the music biz and retain your dignity.

AD: The Replacements or Husker Du?

BV: I'm a huge fan of the Replacements. Paul Westerberg is a brilliant songwriter.

AD: Smashing Pumpkins or Nirvana?

BV: I can't choose between them, it's like picking a favorite child. This one is a tie!

AD: Zwan or Foo Fighters?

BV: Man, you're really trying to get me into trouble aren't you. I'll go with the Foo's, cuz I gotta give Dave some props for playing on “Bad Boyfriend,” and we're going to be playing with them in Russia next month. But I heard Billy's new solo album and I really like it...lots of synths and electronics.

AD: Summerfest or Coachella?

BV: Summerfest. There are so many bands you can see over the course of a week, and the ticket prices are really a bargain. But if you want to see the hot bands of the moment, I'd go to Coachella. Now if they could only figure out how to get in and out of the festival site a bit easier.

AD: Producing or Performing?

BV: Producing, cuz I love being in the studio. But I still like performing because you get that endorphin rush from making a glorious noise and indulging yourself in front of an audience!

Click here to go to Garbage's page!

Butch Vig was the premier producer of the alternative rock boom of the early 1990s, helming records for bands including Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins and Sonic Youth, before finding success as a performer with the group Garbage. Born in the small dairy farm community of Viroqua, Wisconsin, Vig studied piano as a child, picking up the drums during his teen years; after two years as a pre-med student at the University of Wisconsin, he dropped out to pursue a career in music, drumming in a local band called Spooner. A fascination with electronic music led him to begin experimenting with synthesizers, and his interests soon led him into production. With Spooner bandmate Steve Marker, Vig bought an eight-track recorder, and in a rented warehouse began producing local punk bands. He also helmed the first three Spooner LPs. While Spooner were on hiatus during the mid-1980s, Butch played drums for the band Fire Town.

Recorded at Vig's Smart Studios in Madison, Wisconsin, Killdozer's 1989 LP For Ladies Only attracted the producer considerable attention throughout the indie rock community, and soon a fledgling grunge trio from Seattle named Nirvana travelled to Smart to record the demos for their upcoming major-label debut. Vig's production also graced the finished album, released in 1991 as Nevermind; as the single "Smells Like Teen Spirit" rocketed up the charts, labels scrambled to find other like-minded bands, and in large part the record's sound defined contemporary rock music throughout the first half of the decade. When the Smashing Pumpkins' debut Gish followed that same year, it was clear that Vig was the hot producer of the moment, and in quick succession he oversaw albums from Sonic Youth (Dirty), L7 (Bricks Are Heavy) and Gumball (Super Tasty).

After producing Smashing Pumpkins' best-selling 1993 effort Siamese Dream, Vig formed Garbage with Marker, soon recruiting bassist Duke Erikson and eventually vocalist Shirley Manson, formerly of the group Angelfish. While Garbage took shape, Vig continued his rigorous production schedule, working on projects including Freedy Johnston's superb This Perfect World, Helmet's Betty and Soul Asylum's Let Your Dim Light Shine. Finally, Garbage's self-titled debut appeared during the summer of 1995, immediately becoming a hit on the strength of well-received singles including "Vow," "Queer" and "Only Happy When It Rains." The group's success effectively curtailed Vig's production career as he focused more and more of his creative energies on writing and recording material for Garbage; their sophomore effort, Version 2.0, followed in 1998. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide