Bob Mould Biography

While attending Macalester College and living in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, Mould met drummer / singer Grant Hart and bass player Greg Norton. The three of them formed Hϋsker Dϋ, a hardcore punk band which became known for its lightning fast tempos, dueling vocals, and wall of sound. As the band progressed, they developed a more melodic style, a sound that became a huge influence on alternative rock. Hϋsker Dϋ became one of the first underground rock bands from the 1980s to sign with a major label, Warner Bros. Hϋsker Dϋ broke up acrimoniously in 1988 due to personal clashes and drug abuse. Mould began a solo career, quickly releasing two albums, Workbook (1989), and Black Sheets of Rain (1990). In 1993, he submitted a song, Can’t Fight It, to No Alternative, an AIDS-benefit album.

In the mid-1990s, Mould formed another three piece rock band, Sugar, which became popular with college and alternative radio stations. Sugar released two studio albums and toured extensively before breaking up. After Sugar, Mould went back to recording solo, even exploring electronica and dance music. In 1999, he briefly took time off from music to become a scriptwriter for World Championship Wrestling. Mould’s sexual orientation had always been an open secret, especially in indie rock circles. However, he was outed in the early 1990s by Spin magazine. Now openly gay, Mould wrote about his sexuality and his music career in his autobiography, See a Little Light: The Trail of Rage and Melody, which was published in June 2011. Fun Facts: Mould’s song, Dog on Fire, is The Daily Show’s theme song. He played lead guitar in the house band for the film version of Hedwig and the Angry Inch.