Why did Jason Everman leave the band Nirvana?

Grunge was brimming with memorable personalities. Although the movement didn’t last long, it thrived on larger-than-life lead vocalists and captivating musicians. Jason Everman might not be as well-known as some of his contemporaries, but his credentials speak for themselves. He has the distinction of being a part of both Nirvana and Soundgarden, although his tenure with both groups was brief, ending nearly as soon as they began.

Back in 1989, I, or should I say, a certain gamer, hopped on board with the legendary band Nirvana. Although I didn’t strum a single note on their iconic debut album, Bleach, I was officially recognized as their second guitarist. The funny thing is, I wasn’t even there when they recorded it! The credit was actually a shout-out from Kurt Cobain himself, a token of appreciation for the $600 I had contributed towards getting that album off the ground.

Everman was fired from Nirvana in 1989

In some live performances and cover tracks, Everman participated with Nirvana, which later appeared on various compilation albums. Unfortunately, Everman was let go from Nirvana in 1990, just a year before they gained worldwide fame with Nevermind and were revered as a trio. The reason for his dismissal appears to be that Everman’s moodiness didn’t align well with Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic.

During their 1989 tour, it was confirmed that Everman preferred to stay separate from the rest of the band, and after the tour ended, they concluded that it wasn’t a good match for them. Nowadays, among grunge enthusiasts, there’s a humorous saying: “How could one be too brooding for Kurt Cobain?” However, Everman demonstrated similar issues when he joined another iconic grunge group, Soundgarden, in the same year.

Switching from Nirvana to Soundgarden was a sweet gig change for me, stepping into Hiro Yamamoto’s shoes as their new bassist. I played on the 1990 EP “Loudest Love” and the home video “Louder Than Love”, but unfortunately, the group dynamics didn’t quite mesh. In the end, I decided to part ways with Soundgarden and joined OLD, contributing to their 1991 album “Lo Flux Tube”.

Everman now plays with Silence & Light

After his grunge days, Jason Everman’s life has intrigued many as it took an unexpected turn. In the new millennium, he enlisted in the Special Forces and served tours in Afghanistan and Iraq. He furthered his education with a Master’s degree in Military History from Norwich University, which he earned in 2017. Additionally, he was honored by being invited to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction for Nirvana back in 2014.

The musician, who also plays bass sometimes, had breaks when it came to recording music, but he resumed playing his instruments with the band Silence & Light in 2019. He has participated in both of their studio albums, with the most recent one being released in 2023.

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2025-03-25 22:00