“We’re Pretty Much Bored With That Phase Now”: Kurt Cobain’s 1993 MTV Brazil Interview

In this candid 1993 interview with MTV Brazil’s Zeca Camargo, Kurt Cobain discusses Nirvana’s upcoming album (which would become “In Utero”), his thoughts on experimental music, the band’s evolving sound, and his appreciation for Brazilian music. The conversation took place while Nirvana was in Brazil for the Hollywood Rock Festival.

On New Technology and Relaxation

The interview begins with Kurt showing off some curious gadgets he’d purchased, including a “Dreamer” machine with flashing lights and sounds designed to help with relaxation, stress relief, and creativity.

“It’s really amazing! It really works!” Kurt enthuses about the device. “It relaxes you. After a while, you don’t see red anymore, you see all these different patterns of different colors and stuff. It’s really neat!”

On Nirvana’s Next Album

When asked about the band’s studio time in Brazil, Kurt explains they were simply practicing and developing material for their next record:

“We’re just practicing. Just trying to make songs, because the studio was available and we just like to jam sometimes. So, we decided to do a little bit of pre-production for our next record, to see what the new songs would sound like recorded.”

Kurt reveals they had about 13 songs ready and would begin recording in February, giving themselves just two weeks to complete the album. “If we don’t do it in time, we’re not gonna put out an album!” he states firmly.

On Musical Direction and Evolution

Addressing rumors that the new album would be “heavier,” Kurt dismisses such simplistic characterizations and explains Nirvana’s evolving sound:

“I think we’re going in more of an experimental, New Wave type of direction… Have you heard the Incesticide record? That’s the kind of band we used to be. We used to be more, like, Gang Of Four, New Wave influenced. Like, more experimental, with more noise and different effects boxes and stuff.”

Kurt explains that Nirvana’s pop phase was partly an experiment to see if underground punk audiences would embrace a cleaner sound. “We’re pretty much bored with that phase now,” he admits, “because you’re really limited, especially when you’re a 3-piece, because there’s not much you can do with three chord guitar rock.”

On Playing Large Shows

Discussing Nirvana’s São Paulo show to 50,000 people, Kurt acknowledges the disconnect between the band’s intentions and the audience’s expectations:

“It’s flattering to know that we are affecting that many people, but I’m certain that a very good majority of the people had no idea what the fuck we were doing, you know?! They had no idea that we were doing New Wave covers, trying to have fun, trading-off instruments, and just trying to have a party atmosphere.”

The “In Bloom” Video: A Spontaneous Creation

When asked about the “In Bloom” video, which was number one on MTV at the time, Kurt reveals the spontaneous nature of its creation:

“I’m not really opposed to videos. I don’t hate them, sometimes they’re fun to do. Especially that video was fun to do, because it only took us 6 hours. Normally, a video will take the whole day… just, like, over and over and over… and we only had to listen to the song 4 times, it was great!”

Kurt explains that the concept came together spontaneously: “Courtney had brought some dresses with her, she was taking them to a friend’s house… or, no, she had borrowed some dresses from a friend of hers… and so, I thought, ‘Hey, let’s put some dresses on and dance around in those!’ and… everything was just pretty much spontaneous. The basic idea was just to do a video that looked like it came from the early ’60s or the late ’50s.”

The interviewer notes that there was another version where the band wore suits, and Kurt confirms they simply changed clothing for different segments of the same shoot.

On Working With Courtney Love

When asked about his creative relationship with Courtney Love, who was recording in the same studio in Brazil, Kurt offers a glimpse into their personal and professional dynamic:

“Yeah, we get in each other’s way every once a while!” he laughs. “Well, we just like to be together all the time, you know? We’re best friends, she’s my best friend. And so, when she’s playing music, I like to listen to it and maybe suggest some things. And she does the same thing with me too.”

Kurt explains that Courtney and her drummer Patty Schemel had joined them on what was primarily a vacation, with the studio time being “just a spontaneous thing, for them to just make a few demos and see what they’re gonna do with it.”

Discovering Os Mutantes and Arnaldo Baptista

In a particularly enthusiastic segment, Kurt shows off several CDs by Brazilian psychedelic rock band Os Mutantes, led by Arnaldo Baptista. He explains how he discovered them:

“My friend Bill Bartell, who is… he has a record label called Gasatanka Records. He was in White Flag and he’s friends with Redd Kross… He sent me a tape of the first 2 records a few weeks ago… about a month ago… and I really liked it and he said, ‘If you go to Brazil, you have to… you have to say to everybody that this is a great band!’ And I agree with him, I think that this is a very influential and cool band for the time…”

Kurt expresses admiration for the band’s revolutionary approach and DIY spirit:

“I respect them so much… from what I’ve read about them, they were very revolutionary. I mean, they made their own effects boxes, you know? They made their own fuzzboxes. And they were also really controversial, too, which was… they had a lot of guts to be doing stuff like that in the military society that was going on then! I just think it’s so cool!”

When asked if he could sense the Brazilian rhythms in their music, Kurt enthusiastically confirms: “Yeah, oh definitely. I can hear the rhythm and the influence in the music a lot.”

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This interview provides a fascinating glimpse into Kurt Cobain’s mindset as Nirvana prepared to record “In Utero,” an album that would embrace a more experimental and abrasive sound after the mainstream success of “Nevermind.” His comments on musical purity, video-making, his relationship with Courtney Love, and his genuine appreciation for Brazilian psychedelic pioneers Os Mutantes reveal a thoughtful artist engaged with music history and open to diverse influences.