Primus primed for big return

Thirteen years have passed since Primus’ last album. But the alternative band is back with new music and a tour.     

“We’ve done two shows so far, and they’ve been great,” said Les Claypool, the band’s singer and bassist, during a stop in Pittsburgh in May. “It’s always nice to get the ball rolling when it comes to touring. After that, everything kind of falls into place.”     

Claypool, guitarist Larry LaLonde and drummer Jay Lane got back together in 2010 to write songs for what would become “Green Naugahyde.” Claypool said it was a good feeling to get back together with the guys and record as Primus.  

“We stopped making Primus records at the end of the ’90s,” he explained. “We just sort of hit the wall on personal and creative avenues. It wasn’t fun anymore, and we all agreed that it would be best to take a break.”     

While in the past Claypool was responsible for a lot of the music, he said during sessions for this album he encouraged the other members to bring ideas to the table.     

“Larry actually came up with a lot of songs on his own, and we were able to bring in a lot of material before we actually came into the studio,” he said. “It was important for all of us to want to make this album. We’ve all worked on our own in that 13 years and we felt like it was time for us to be Primus again.”     When it comes to recording, Claypool said that the band tends to record and not really have anything left over.     

He says with the 20th anniversary of “Pork Soda” coming up next year, the record company was talking about doing a special edition.     

“There has never been a lot of fluff or outtakes left over from our studio time,” he said. “When we get into the studio, we want to make a complete record. We only enter with a certain amount of songs, and usually have one to two songs left over.”     

Claypool said that when Primus is recording, it is difficult to rein in the band.    

 “We record with vintage gear,” he said. “We’re all pretty geeky when we see old gear. It’s from a time before us and yet it makes music sound better.”     

As Claypool nears his 35th year in the music business, he said it’s the variety that has kept him in the industry for so long.     

“I put so many pots on the stove,” he said. “There are a lot of pots that never make it to the front burner, but the ideas stick with me until I’m ready to unleash them.”