If you’ve ever looked up to grunge icon Kurt Cobain, you might want to pay attention to his taste in music—specifically to the band that made one of his favorite albums of all time. The Breeders have been making classic garageband grunge music for more than 30 years. As a girl-dominated band, they are sure to entice you with their sound. 

Formed by the ex-bassist of the Pixies, Kim Deal, The Breeders are a spinoff that currently consists of three women – Deal (obviously), her sister Kelley, Josephine Wiggs -and their male drummer Jim Macpherson, with different members coming and going over the years. The band has been making music together since 1989, with Kim Deal bobbing back and forth from the Pixies to The Breeders.

Their first album, Pod, came out in 1990 after being given an 11,000 dollar budget through 4AD (record label). Additionally, Steve Albini—who produced and recorded In Utero, Surfer Rosa, and Rid of Me –also produced Pod. While the album wasn’t necessarily the biggest commercial success, Pod was one of Cobain’s favorite albums, which speaks to the skill that the band has.  

What really put The Breeders on the map was Last Splash, their second album. Released in 1993, all of their biggest hits, like “Cannonball,” came off of that album. Beyond the hits, the album itself is a full 39 minutes of enticing girl-driven grunge.

Recently, Last Splash was re-released for a 30th anniversary edition of the album in September of this year. Along with a full remastered album, they put out two new singles: “Divine Mascis” and “Go Man Go.” The two new songs are notable because they are time capsule singles from 1993, that got cut from the album. 

“Go Man Go” was written by Kim Deal and Black Francis, and was originally meant for the Pixies. It is one of my favorites due to the fact the song is simple yet effective being only two minutes and sixteen seconds long. The lyrics are concise and the instrumentals are a paragon of repetitive rhythms.

“Divine Mascis,” the other recent release, features J Mascis from Dinosaur Jr. on lead vocals and is a remake of “Divine Hammer.” While the two are naturally similar, “Divine Mascis” has its own unique sounds. The original song is much more peppy to fit Deal’s vocal style, along with the lyrics being more complex. The Mascis version is a lot slower, and deeper, and has a far moodier sound and lyrics. Both songs would be superb introductions to The Breeders. 

Out of their extensive catalog of songs, some of my favorites are, “Do You Love Me Now?” and “No Aloha.” “Do You Love Me Now?” perfectly encapsulates the feeling of longing for a relationship, past or present. Paired with the slow build-up of the instruments and vocals, the whole song puts you straight into a ‘90s coming-of-age movie. “No Aloha” is a seemingly lighthearted song, especially with the opening line, “No bye, No Aloha.” However, further listening hints at a story about a girl, a rock promoter, and an unwanted pregnancy. Deal’s singsong voice beautifully contrasts the deeper storyline to create a song that keeps us listening. Additionally, other excellent songs are “Drivin’ on 9” and “Iris.”

Other than The Breeders’ triumph with Last Splash and the remastered version, The Breeders have been very active this year touring and performing across the country. In April they performed at the Coachella in California, and at Austin City Limits Music Festival in October where Dave Grohl joined them on stage to cover a Pixies song. The Breeders are also supporting Olivia Rodrigo next year for her Guts tour in California and New York. 

Even if The Breeders are some band from the ‘90s that Cobain and your parents probably liked, they continue to make waves and now is a great time to get into them.