J Mascis

Best known as the remote frontman of the influential indie trio Dinosaur Jr., J Mascis has also pursued a solo career and been an occasional producer and film composer. While his work with Dinosaur Jr. is dominated by his lackadaisical vocals and crushing, high-volume guitar work, much of his solo material has seen him going in different directions. Mascis' louder side made itself felt on two albums with his project J Mascis + the Fog, 2000's More Light and 2002's Feel So Free, and he revisited his back catalog in acoustic form with 2021's Fed Up and Feeling Strange: Live and in Person 1993-1998. But he also cut nuanced, semi-acoustic music with a more personal lyrical perspective on 2011's Several Shades of Why and 2024's What Do We Do Now.

Born December 10, 1965, in Amherst, Massachusetts, Mascis first emerged as a member of the hardcore unit Deep Wound before founding Dinosaur in 1984. When it was discovered that a San Francisco band were already calling themselves the Dinosaurs, Mascis and his bandmates changed their moniker to Dinosaur Jr. Over the course of acclaimed LPs like 1987's You're Living All Over Me and 1988's Bug, Dinosaur Jr. emerged as one of the most highly regarded bands in alternative rock, with Mascis' creaky, Neil Young-like vocals and monolithic guitar leads becoming primary influences on the burgeoning grunge movement. The group temporarily disbanded in 1989, largely to allow the legendarily non-communicative singer the opportunity to dismiss bassist Lou Barlow, who went on to form Sebadoh; in the meantime, Mascis sat in on drums with a series of bands, among them the Velvet Monkeys and GobbleHoof, even producing the latter's eponymous 1990 LP.

Upon re-forming Dinosaur Jr. in 1991 with the album Green Mind, Mascis scored Allison Anders' independent film Gas Food Lodging a year later, making a cameo appearance in the picture. He and Anders became regular collaborators in the years to follow, most notably on her feature Grace of My Heart. Mascis also produced records for pals including fIREHOSE (Mr. Machinery Operator) and Tad (Inhaler), and in 1996 issued his solo debut, an acoustic effort titled Martin + Me.

After 1997's Hand It Over, Dinosaur Jr. disbanded. Continuing with his personal musical eclecticism, J Mascis and his new outfit, the Fog, issued More Light in fall 2000. Featuring appearances from avant-garde guitarist Kevin Shields and Guided by Voices vocalist Robert Pollard, the record was a fine return to form that excited Dinosaur Jr. fans who had been disappointed with his acoustic record. A tour with Elf Power followed, featuring longtime friend Mike Watt on bass and Stooges guitarist Ron Asheton on several tour dates. It was his riff-heavy jams with Asheton and Watt, as well as several skydiving experiences, that inspired much of the music he started writing for his follow-up. (Iggy Pop also said the press attention the Mascis/Watt/Asheton tour received in the music press first made him consider the notion of reuniting the Stooges, which would happen in 2003.) When Mascis and the Fog stepped back into the studio, he kept the guest appearances down to a minimum and recorded Feel So Free for a 2002 release.

Over the course of the next ten years, Mascis devoted a good share of his time to drums, performing in Witch, Sweet Apple, and Upsidedown Cross. In 2005, after Merge Records reissued the first three Dinosaur Jr. albums, the original lineup of Mascis, Lou Barlow, and Murph reunited for a tour. It went so well that Dinosaur Jr. became a going concern again, returning to the studio to record a new album, 2007's Beyond, which became the first of a handful of new releases as the band toured and recorded on a regular basis.

After releasing an idiosyncratic tribute to an Indian spiritual leader, 2005's J + Friends Sing + Chant for Amma, Mascis struck a deal with Sub Pop and issued Several Shades of Why, an introspective and primarily acoustic set, in 2011. 2014's Tied to a Star found Mascis following a similar creative path, while he mixed acoustic and electric sounds on 2018's Elastic Days. In 2021, the three-volume live collection Fed Up and Feeling Strange: Live and in Person 1993-1998 materialized. The compilation included previously released live acoustic solo material from both Martin + Me and a 1993 show at CBGB's, as well as previously unreleased audio from a 1998 show in Denmark.

For his fifth solo album, What Do We Do Now, Mascis brought in more full-volumed drums and distorted electric guitar leads than on previous albums released under his own name. B-52s member Ken Mauri played keyboards throughout the album and Matthew “Doc” Dunn added steel guitar. The album was released on Sub Pop in February of 2024. ~ Jason Ankeny & Mark Deming, Rovi