What Were The Early Members Of Nirvana Before Their Breakthrough?

Back in the late '80s the band that became Nirvana felt more like a revolving cast than the trio most people picture. Kurt Cobain and Krist Novoselic were the constant heartbeat—Kurt on guitar and vocals, Krist on bass—but before the worldwide splash with 'Nevermind' they cycled through a parade of drummers and a brief second guitarist. The very first drummer to play with Kurt and Krist was Aaron Burckhard, a raw, chaotic presence who played on some of the earliest shows and rehearsals around 1987. Those early practices were more about loud experiments than polished songs, and you can hear that rough edge in the earliest demos that circulated in the Seattle scene.

Dale Crover from the Melvins popped in early on too; he recorded with them and helped shape their first proper studio feel on some 1988 tapes. After a handful of people came and went, Chad Channing became the most stable drummer through the 'Bleach' era—he’s the one who played on the 'Bleach' album (1989) and added a heavier, more restrained groove that anchored songs like 'About a Girl' and 'Negative Creep'. There was also Dave Foster for a brief spell and Dan Peters from Mudhoney, who famously played drums on the single 'Sliver' in 1990 for one night and one recording session. Then there’s the odd case of Jason Everman, who was credited as a second guitarist on 'Bleach' and even paid for the recording sessions, but he didn’t actually play on the album and was soon let go—later he went on to other life chapters entirely.

All of these early members left fingerprints on Nirvana’s sound before the commercial breakthrough. The darker, dirtier tone of 'Bleach' owes a lot to the rotating drummers and the punk/grunge nexus of Seattle musicians who guest-played and produced them; producers like Jack Endino also helped sculpt that sound. When Dave Grohl joined in 1990, his tight, powerful drumming and steady presence helped push the band into a new phase that culminated in 'Nevermind'. But I still love going back to those pre-breakthrough recordings—there’s an urgent, scrappier energy in them that feels like a band still discovering itself, and those early members were crucial to that discovery.

Quick run-through: before Nirvana became a global phenomenon with 'Nevermind', the core was always Kurt Cobain and Krist Novoselic, but the rest of the lineup kept changing. Aaron Burckhard was an early drummer around 1987, followed by short stints from people like Dave Foster and the heavy-hitting Dale Crover from the Melvins who recorded early demos with them. Chad Channing then solidified the rhythm section for a bit and played on the 1989 album 'Bleach', giving the band a darker, more sludgy groove. Dan Peters of Mudhoney filled in for the 'Sliver' single, and Jason Everman, although credited and even financing the 'Bleach' sessions, didn’t actually end up contributing musically on the record and left soon after. Those early members created the raw, gritty foundation that made the leap to the cleaner, polished sound with Dave Grohl’s arrival feel so dramatic. I still find the pre-fame era irresistibly urgent and a little more dangerous, which is exactly why I keep revisiting those old tapes.