Credit: Joseph CulticeGarbage just released the 20th anniversary edition of their self-titled debut, but the band also is working on their next entirely new album. In fact, drummer Butch Vig says the band is about "90 per cent done" with what will be their sixth album.
"We've sort of narrowed it down to about 12 songs from maybe 20-plus jams we came up with," Vig tells Billboard. "About half of them sound like classic Garbage and half sound quite different -- not really experimental, but arrangement-wise we're just trying different things. The one thing that holds the songs together is [frontwoman] Shirley [Manson's] vocals, and her singing sounds amazing on all the tracks."
In the meantime, Garbage will be touring in support of their 20th anniversary on their 20 Years Queer tour, which kicks off October 6 in San Diego. The fact that Garbage has lasted 20 years is astounding to Vig.
"It was a grand experiment, and we had no intention of really making Garbage a full-time band," he says. "I certainly had no intention of going on tour," he adds, saying he mainly wanted to produce, not perform.
Vig was, and still is, known as a producer -- he worked on The Smashing Pumpkins' Siamese Dream and, most famously, Nirvana's Nevermind -- and he has continued to produce while drumming in Garbage. Most recently, he produced Foo Fighters' latest album, Sonic Highways, which, of course, was the subject of the Emmy winning HBO series, Foo Fighters: Sonic Highways. Dave Grohl has said that there will be a second season of Sonic Highways, of which Vig may once again be a part.
"Dave's told me different ideas, and I think HBO's got some different ideas," Vig says. "I think the Foos will definitely be involved in some level but it won't be the exact same format of the last series. As far as I know they haven't figured out exactly how they're gonna do it yet, but I'm looking forward to it."
"When it was done last time we were really bummed," he continues. "We were like, 'This has been one of the most interesting and unique projects I've ever worked on, and probably we'll never do something like this again.' We were completely spoiled 'cause it was such a gas so, yeah, I sure hope we do it again."
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