Seaweed (band)

Seaweed
Company type	Band
Industry	Music
Founded	1989
Defunct	2014
Headquarters	Tacoma, Washington, United States
Products	Music albums, singles
Number of employees	5–7 (band members)

Seaweed was an American alternative rock group originating from Tacoma, Washington, primarily active throughout the 1990s. Their musical style combined elements of rock subgenres such as post-hardcore and punk rock. The band was affiliated with notable record labels including Sub Pop Records, Merge Records, and Hollywood Records. Over the decade spanning 1989 to 1999, they produced six albums before taking a break until 2007, ultimately disbanding again in 2014.

Seaweed and Despised (1989–1991)

Established in 1989, the lineup featured vocalist Aaron Stauffer, guitarists Clint Werner and Wade Neal, bassist John Atkins, and drummer Bob Bulgrien—each member active in local bands during their high school years. Their musical inspirations ranged from Soundgarden and Nirvana to Black Flag and Hüsker Dü.

Their inaugural major tour was alongside Superchunk. Between 1989 and 1990, they released several singles before Tupelo Records—recognized for representing artists like Jawbreaker, Nirvana, and The Melvins—proposed releasing their first album. Rather than a traditional debut, Seaweed assembled these singles plus one new track into the album Seaweed, which became their first significant release.

In 1990, Seaweed signed with Seattle-based Sub Pop. Although Sub Pop initially intended to issue a single, the band advocated for a full album release. The compromise resulted in the EP Despised, containing six new songs produced by Jack Endino alongside four remixed tracks from Seaweed, which led to tensions with Tupelo. International versions of the EP omitted these four remixed tracks. This release also featured their first music video for "One Out of Four."

Weak and Four (1992–1994)

Continuing their partnership with Sub Pop, Seaweed unveiled their third major release and first full-length album, Weak, in 1992. Produced by Endino, the group supported it through an intensive U.S. summer tour and a brief European tour with Pavement, performing 69 shows over 71 days. That year also saw their appearance on John Peel's radio show. Following this demanding schedule, they returned to the studio to record their subsequent album.

After impressing Sub Pop with the self-produced single "Measure," Seaweed secured the label’s confidence to self-produce their 1993 album Four, marking their fourth major release. Sub Pop amplified promotional efforts by issuing multiple editions and including tracks on compilations. The band toured with both Bad Religion and Green Day, with Green Day’s bassist Mike Dirnt coining the tour nickname "The BadGreenWeed Tour." Notable songs from the album include the single "Kid Candy," which was featured in an episode of Beavis and Butt-head, and "Losing Skin," later included in the soundtrack for the video game NHL 2K7. Their rendition of Fleetwood Mac's "Go Your Own Way" appeared in the 1994 film Clerks as well as its soundtrack, having been released as a single the previous year.

Spanaway and Actions and Indications (1995–1999)

After completing their contract with Sub Pop, Seaweed transitioned to the major label Hollywood Records. Their 1995 album Spanaway represented their first release under a major label and became their most commercially successful record. The track "Start With" peaked at No. 38 on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart. Other promotional singles from the album included "Free Drug Zone" and "Magic Mountainman." That summer, Seaweed took part in the inaugural Vans Warped Tour, though they chose not to participate in subsequent editions. In 1996, they also supported Screaming Trees as an opening act. Despite Hollywood Records investing heavily in advance payments and marketing campaigns, the album's sales did not meet expectations, leading to the band’s release from the label after just over a year.

Shortly after, drummer Bob Bulgrien left the group and was succeeded by Alan Cage, formerly of Quicksand. Seaweed then signed with Merge Records, a label known for artists like Superchunk and Neutral Milk Hotel, which allowed for a seamless transition. Their final studio effort, Actions and Indications, was issued in early 1999; however, reduced visibility from earlier releases combined with touring exhaustion contributed to their decision to disband following a performance at a Merge Records anniversary event that summer.

Reunion (2007–2014)

Seaweed reunited intermittently beginning in 2007, including an appearance at Sub Pop’s 20th anniversary celebration in 2008. Jesse Fox joined the lineup on drums during this period. Although there were plans for a new album titled Small Engine Repair, it remained unfinished due to waning creative motivation and an unwillingness to commit to extensive touring. Select recordings from these sessions surfaced as the single "Service Deck"/"The Weight" in 2011, while "Rusty Ranch" was featured on the 2014 compilation MAWP Comp Volume 1. The band continued to perform at various shows and festivals through 2014, concluding with their final concert in May of that year. Frontman Aaron Stauffer later pursued a career in nursing and reflected on the physical demands involved with live performances.

Of their discography, only the 1999 album Actions and Indications has been reissued, including three previously unreleased bonus tracks.

Band members

Aaron Stauffer – vocals (1989–1999, 2007–2014)
Clint Werner – guitar (1989–1999, 2007–2014)
Wade Neal – guitar (1989–1999, 2007–2014)
John Atkins – bass (1989–1999, 2007–2014)
Bob Bulgrien – drums (1989–1996)
Alan Cage – drums (1996–1999)
Jesse Fox – drums (2007–2014)

Albums

Seaweed (EP) (1990, Leopard Gecko/Tupelo)
Despised (EP) (1991, Sub Pop)
Weak (1992, Sub Pop)
Four (1993, Sub Pop)
Spanaway (1995, Hollywood Records)
Actions and Indications (1999, Merge Records)

Singles

Seaweed 7" (1989, Leopard Gecko): "Inside", "Stargirl", "Re-think", "Love Gut"
Just a Smirk 7" (1990, Leopard Gecko): "Just a Smirk", "Installing"
Seaweed/Superchunk/Geek (1990, Leopard Gecko): "Patchwork"
Deertrap 7" (1991, K Records): "Deertrap", "Carousel"
Bill 7"/12"/CD (1992, Sub Pop): "Bill", "Pumpkin (Wwax)", "Squint: The Killerest Expression"
Measure 7"/12"/CD (1992, Sub Pop): "Measure", "Turnout", "Taxing" (demo)
Go Your Own Way 7"/CD (1993, Sub Pop): "Go Your Own Way", "Losing Skin" (remix), "Card Tricks", "She Cracked"
Kid Candy PROMO CD (1993, Sub Pop): "Kid Candy" (radio edit), "Sing Through Me", "Shephard's Pie"
Start With PROMO CD (1995, Hollywood): "Start With"
Free Drug Zone 7"/CD (1996, Hollywood): "Free Drug Zone", "Losing Skin" (live), "Baggage" (live)
Magic Mountainman PROMO CD (1996, Hollywood): "Magic Mountain"
Service Deck/The Weight 7" (2011, No Idea Records): "Service Deck", "The Weight"

Music videos

One Out of Four (1991)
Bill (1992)
Squint (1992)
Measure (1993)
Losing Skin (1993)
Kid Candy (1993)
Start With (1995)

Compilation appearances

The Estrus Lunch Bucket (Estrus, 1990) – track: "Bewitched"
Three's A Company (Simple Machines/Merge Records/Leopard Gecko, 1990) – track: "Patchwork"
The Estrus Half-Rack (Estrus, 1991) – track: "Foggy Eyes"
International Pop Underground Convention (K Records, 1991) – track: "Bill"
Fortune Cookie Prize (Simple Machines, 1992) – track: "Foggy Eyes"
Revolution Come 'n' Gone (Sub Pop, 1992) – track: "Baggage"
International Hip Swing (K Records, 1993) – track: "Deer Trap"
Alternative Route '94 (Cargo Records, 1994) – track: "Losing Skin"
Jabberjaw No. 4 (Mammoth Records, 1994) – track: "My Letters"
Jabberjaw No. 5 Good To The Last Drop (Mammoth Records, 1994) – track: "My Letters"
John Peel Sub Pop Sessions (Sub Pop, 1994) – tracks: "Sit in Glass", "She Cracked"
Music From the Motion Picture Clerks (Sony, 1994) – track: "Go Your Own Way"
West X North-South (Vagrant Records, 1995) – track: "Sing Through Me"
Oh, Merge (Merge Records, 1999) – track: "Brand New Order"
Nowcore! The Punk Rock Evolution (K-tel, 1999) – track: "Start With"
Patchwork Compilation (Mere Exposure Records, 2002) – track: "Days Missed Dearly"
Old Enough to Know Better (Merge Records, 2004) – track: "Thru the Window"
Sleepless in Seattle: The Birth of Grunge (Livewire Recordings, 2005) – track: "Losing Skin"
SP20: Casual Nostalgia Fest (Sub Pop, 2010) – track: "Baggage"
MAWP Comp Volume 1 (MAWP Tacoma, 2014) – track: "Rusty Ranch"
Merge Records Fall Sampler 2015 (Merge Records, 2015) – track: "Antilyrical"

External links