218: Steven McDonald (Redd Kross, Melvins, Off!)

The Trap Set with Joe Wong

Joe Wong

Joewong, Drums, Comedy, Performing Arts, Arts, Drummers

4.8 • 709 Ratings

🗓️ 24 July 2019

⏱️ 97 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

When he was eleven years old, Steven McDonald co-founded a band with his older brother, Jeff. That band, which soon became known as Redd Kross, became a fixture on the late 70s LA punk scene and--remarkably--is still active today. Steven tells Joe about: precociousness; opening for Black Flag at an eighth grade graduation party; the joy and pain that came along with identifying as a punk; having a romantic relationship with a 26-year-old woman when he was 13; hanging out with Raymond Pettibone; signing with a major label; working as an A&R consultant for major labels; how he reconciles his permissive childhood with modern parenting; playing with Melvins and Off!; working as a producer; and much more! This is an action packed, "triple-LP" length episode.

Transcript

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0:00.0	I was just deeply submerged in this subculture.
0:04.0	It was this bubble and that's all that mattered.
0:07.0	This is Joe Wong. Welcome to the Trap Set. I want to play something for you.
0:23.6	Come on down to the party underground. The ground with all the lost and found
0:38.3	Come on down
0:40.3	To the party underground
0:43.3	You're hearing the party underground
0:46.3	Featuring my guest
0:49.3	Stephen MacDonald on bass
0:51.3	Formed in 1978
0:53.3	When Stephen was 11 years old Red Cross quickly became a fixture on the
0:58.6	LA punk scene. Although there have been several aesthetic evolutions, lineup changes,
1:03.8	and a hiatus, Red Cross is still actively recording and touring over 40 years after its
1:09.6	foundation. Aside from Red Cross, Steven plays with punk heroes off and grunge progenitors Melvins.
1:17.6	He's also produced albums by bands such as the format and fun and worked as an A&R consultant for several labels.
1:25.6	The latest Red Cross album, Beyond the Door, will be available on Merge Records on August 23rd.
1:33.4	I spoke to Stephen in downtown Los Angeles.
1:37.5	And now my conversation with Stephen MacDonald. McDonald.
1:55.3	I'm from Hawthorne, California.
1:57.1	What did your parents do?
1:59.9	My father is a precision welder.
2:03.6	So there's a lot of aerospace industry down there in the South Bay. That's the sort of northern border of the South Bay area of Los Angeles.
	...

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