Dinosaur Jr's Drummer Plays Mediator To Ease Band Tension

The success of Dinosaur Jr's comeback has been profound since bassist Lou Barlow rejoined the fold in 2005, but as he told this week's The Drum Media, you can thank drummer Emmett “Murph” Murphy for that.

The issues between J Mascris and Lou Barlow date back to the late-eighties when the latter exited Dinosaur Jr. While their reunion has healed some wounds, it seems the trio has their own unique way of dealing with their differences.

“None of this seems very likely, does it?” Barlow laughs. “Ten years ago, I would have said no (to the idea). When we put out some reissues in 2005, it seemed like a logistical or realistic notion to get the band back together. For me, I tried not to take it personally because I had spent so much time investing all this negative energy into my memories of Dinosaur Jr that it was an opportunity to change that. I thought it might be necessary, that it was something I should try to do; to put things right in my own head. It works for me, that's for sure.”

“Families are always different,” he says. “It's quite common to fight, or have brothers who haven't spoken in years. It depends on what your association with family is. When some people say family they immediately think of dysfunctionality, whilst others will be like, 'Oh, family!' as if it's this great thing where everyone is welcome. Then with Murph, his role is really unique – he is kind of like the glue that keeps it all together. He's the guy who talks to both J and I, we are both really close to him in our own way. J has worked out his own way of communicating with him, and what is needed with the drums, and he respects J and what he has to say immensely. But Murph and me, he's lived at my house for periods of time; he knows my family really well. With J and I, we are in our own little worlds, we're socially different people, and Murph is the social butterfly, the backbeat of it all.”

Read the full interview here.