Caropop Ep218-Ronnie Barnett opens up about Kim Shattuck and their lives together in The Muffs

Our guest this week was the bassist for one of the best pop-punk—or punk-pop—groups to come out of Los Angeles: Ronnie Barnett of the Muffs. For most of the time, they were a trio, with Roy McDonald on drums and Kim Shattuck playing guitar and applying her impassioned vocals to her tight, tuneful songs. Shattuck was the bassist for the L.A. band the Pandoras, and Barnett was a rock journalist in Houston when they met, and their fates intertwined in personal and professional ways. Barnett wound up in Los Angeles, and after Shattuck left the Pandoras, she fellow ex-Pandora Melanie Vammen launched the Muffs, with Barnett on bass and Criss Crass on drums. Barnett offers an origin story of that band name. After their initial indie singles—“New Love,” “Guilty” and “I Need You”—the Muffs signed with Warner Bros. Rob Cavallo co-produced the band’s 1993 self-titled debut album, which includes the singles “Lucky Guy” and “Big Mouth.” The following year Cavallo co-produced the blockbuster album Dookie from labelmate punk-poppers ‪@GreenDay‬. When Cavallo returned to co-produce the Muffs’ second album, 1995’s Blonder and Blonder, what had changed? For one, the Muffs were down to a three-piece that would remain intact from then on. For two, in 1995 the band’s most famous song was released, actually a cover. The Muffs’ punked-up version of ‪@OfficialKimWilde‬’s early ‘80s hit “Kids in America” played over the opening credits of the 1995 hit movie Clueless, kicked off the soundtrack album, later was featured in the videogame ‪@rockband‬ 2 and continues to be played in sports arenas. Yet the Muffs’ “Kids in America” never even was released as a single. Barnett explains. Barnett also reflects on the three-album ‪@WarnerBros‬ experience, the indie move on 1999’s Alert Today, Alive Tomorrow; how the Muffs’ approach changed for 2004’s Really, Really Happy, and why 10 years passed before the next album, 2014’s Whoop Dee Doo. In the meantime Shattuck became the ‪@PixiesOfficialTV‬ bassist for a chunk of 2013 before being fired. What happened there? The Muffs’ final studio album, No Holiday, came out October 18, 2019. That was 16 days after Shattuck died from complications of ALS. She was seriously ill throughout the recording of that last album, though she kept her struggles private, so the outside world was shocked to hear that she was gone at age 56. Barnett talks us through this heartbreaking period and the efforts to honor Shattuck’s legacy. He also discusses the Muffs’ intersections with the band ‪@ReddKrossBand‬ and the L.A. scene, his life as a record collector, and where he is now. There may be nothing more inspiring and entertaining than relaxed, candid conversations among creative people. Mark Caro, a relentlessly curious journalist and on-stage interviewer, loves digging into the creative process with artists and drawing out surprising stories that illuminate the work that has become part of our lives. Caropop is for anyone who wants to dig deeper into the music, movies, food and culture that they love. #RonnieBarnett #TheMuffs #KimShattuck #greenday #ReddKross #pixies #KimWilde #clueless #rockband #warnerbros #RobCavallo #ThePandoras #Caropopcast #MarkCaro Subscribe & donate at https://www.caropop.com/caropopcast