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Photo credit: Rudy DeDoncker
Emerging from the Pacific Northwest in the late 1980s and exploding into the mainstream in the early 1990s, grunge was never just a genre—it was a rejection of excess. Stripped-down production, distorted guitars, introspective lyrics, and an unapologetically raw attitude defined a movement that pushed back against glam rock’s polish and commercial sheen. Bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, and later Bush, reshaped rock music by prioritizing emotion, authenticity, and weight over spectacle.
Though often associated with flannel shirts and Seattle rain, grunge quickly grew beyond geography. It became a global voice for disillusioned youth, addressing themes of alienation, identity, and vulnerability. What made grunge powerful wasn’t just how it sounded—but how honestly it spoke.
Bush and the Evolution of Grunge
When Bush emerged in the mid-1990s, the grunge movement was already undergoing change. As one of the most successful bands to carry the grunge torch beyond its initial wave, Bush helped translate the genre for a broader, international audience without abandoning its core intensity. Albums like Sixteen Stone and Razorblade Suitcase combined heavy, drop-tuned guitar riffs with melodic songwriting and emotionally charged vocals, earning the band multi-platinum success and a lasting place in rock history. Bush’s achievement lies not only in commercial success, but in adaptability. As musical trends shifted toward alternative, post-grunge, and modern hard rock, the band evolved its sound while retaining the grit and tension that defined grunge. This ability to grow without losing identity is a hallmark of grunge’s survival into the 21st century
Adapting to Modern Styles
Grunge has never been frozen in time. While the genre’s early aesthetic was raw and unfiltered, modern grunge-influenced artists incorporate contemporary production, tighter arrangements, and genre-blending techniques. Digital recording, expanded pedalboards, and modern amp modeling have altered how the music is made, but the emotional core remains unchanged.
Today’s grunge-inspired guitar work often blends:
Rather than fading, grunge has merged with modern rock, continuing to influence how bands approach heaviness, honesty, and restraint.
The Legacy: Artists Inspired by Grunge
The influence of the grunge era can be heard across multiple generations of artists, including:
Even outside of rock, grunge’s emotional directness has influenced songwriting approaches in pop, indie, and metal, proving its reach extends far beyond distorted guitars.
Introduction to the Interview: Chris Traynor
Few musicians embody the bridge between classic grunge and modern rock as seamlessly as Chris Traynor. Known for his work as the guitarist for Bush, as well as his contributions to bands like Helmet, Orange 9mm, and Institute, Traynor’s career spans decades of alternative music evolution. His playing reflects both the raw aggression of early grunge and the refined sensibilities of today’s rock production.
In the following interview, Chris Traynor discusses the lasting impact of grunge, how Bush has adapted its sound over time, and what it means to carry forward a genre built on honesty rather than trends. From guitar tone to songwriting philosophy, Traynor offers insight into how grunge continues to live—not as nostalgia, but as a living, evolving force in modern music.
Bush
After three decades, BUSH remain one of rock’s most enduring and dynamic forces. With over 25 million records sold, a GRAMMY® nomination, 1.1 billion streams, and 28 consecutive Top 40 hits (including eight #1s), the London-formed band continues to define modern rock. Their anthems “Glycerine,” “Machinehead,” and “Comedown” remain staples across radio and film, while their influence spans generations of fans. BUSH’s tenth studio album, I Beat Loneliness (2024), has already amassed 15 million streams and produced the band’s 8th #1 single on U.S. Active Rock Radio, “The Land of Milk and Honey.” Rolling Stone hailed it as “Post-grunge at its best with a high nostalgia factor.”
After a sold-out North American tour, BUSH are performing across Europe/UK, with 2026 global dates being confirmed, including their debut at the iconic Stagecoach Festival in April with more to come.
Bush is: Gavin Rossdale (vocals, guitar), Chris Traynor (guitar), Corey Britz (bass), and Nik Hughes (drums).
Needless to say it was an amazing opportunity to catch up with Chris Traynor of the Bush. Our Contributing Editor Leilani Kilgore sat down to gain insight into the world of this stellar guitarists.
INTERVIEW WITH CHRIS TRAYNOR AND GUITAR THRILLS MAGAZINE
Leilani: Hey Chris, thanks so much for chatting with Guitar Thrills magazine! I’d love to start with the topic of grunge. A lot of people credit the Pacific Northwest with its rise, but the genre is still hugely relevant. Why do you think grunge has stayed so present?
Chris Traynor: That's an interesting question. I consider grunge to come out of the Pacific Northwest as well, but what it what it did for sure was revolutionize the music industry. And I think there was a lot more openness to different kinds of music, especially that were popular and commercial at the time. So, for instance, in New York, grunge bands like Alice In Chains and Soundgarden and Nirvana started becoming more popular and mainstream because people all over the world were looking for bands playing different kinds of music. And bands that were coming out of New York at that time, like Helmet and Quicksand in that era, were totally different than the bands that were coming out of the Pacific Northwest. But because there was this openness to a new kind of music, I think it allowed guitar players to kind of be more expressive and expansive. So, it was an interesting time because it allowed and inspired me as a kid to play a different kind of music. It inspired me to reach for more vintage guitars. Back then it was cool to have guitars that didn't always function, maybe not every part of the guitar worked, because that was what we could afford. It also led to me experimenting with pedals. For instance, there are a lot of fuzz pedals now that are expensive, but when I was a kid growing up, some of those pedals were considered less valuable or old-fashioned. Sometimes all they needed was a little bit of electrical tape around the part that takes the 9-volt battery, and you could fix them yourselves.
So, I think it opened a world where there were more possibilities and people could express themselves in different ways. And that is how I think it relates to today. I find younger people are interested in asking things like how do people make these records and what kind of guitars they were using? My friend’s son calls me up and will ask me about Smashing Pumpkins, and he's like, what kind of pickup was this and how did they get this sound, and do you know about this pedal? It can make you feel old, but at the same time, it's nice to know what was happening, you know? And throughout, so I can say, oh, this pedal is like this pedal, or if you like this fuss pedal, this one is a similar circuit. Check this one out because it's, it's not as expensive now. And I think people are coming back to playing music more. And not being so precious about the recordings per se and not trying to have everything be as perfect. I think there's a limitation to digital music and it makes it more difficult to kind of get a 3-dimensional sound. So, I think kids are going to like older instruments, older effects. I do think that that was what the effect was and how it, um, basically to encapsulate. That the grunge explosion. That came out of the Pacific Northwest was really something that was brewing for a long time, but when major labels started taking notice of it and guitar companies started taking notice of it, it made people look for other things that might be happening. I remember Danny Goldberg, who was managing Nirvana.
At the time that they, I believe that they, um, or running a record label or something, he met with my band orange 9-millimeter. He wanted to sign us. And he told me that when Nirvana started to explode, he went in and had a meeting with, I think they were on Geffen or the record company and said, nobody does anything. Basically, don't get in the way of this thing that's happening that you don't understand. And I think that's also very wise to see at every different era. That kids are doing things in music now that adults don't completely understand and that's what needs to happen. They need to make their own music, and they need to make their music in a way that people don't quite understand and maybe cannot necessarily be commoditized. And I think that's also the spirit of grunge and what is coming across. And it happened overnight because Nirvana came to New York, and they played, I think it was the pyramid club, and there weren't very many people there, although, like the early Sex Pistols gigs, people claim to have been there when they might not have been. And then the very next year they were massive. So, it kind of happened overnight.
Leilani: You touched on the DIY side of grunge. Early on, did you have a “go-to” grunge rig, or were you piecing together whatever got you the sound?
Chris Traynor: Well, both. When you're starting out, there are things that you want, or you have an idea about what you want that you probably can't afford. Then there are things that you think you want and don’t work for you. But I would say that stereotypically, I used a Les Paul most of my career- I still have the same Les Paul that I used an Orange 9mm and Helmet and Gavin’s solo record. That guitar rips. I don't know if you know how I got that guitar, but my girlfriend at the time gave me $750 to go pay the rent. I walked past Carmine Street Guitars, and they had that Les Paul in the back for $750, so I just chose not to pay my rent. I bought that guitar. It was worth it. So, but for sure, fuzzes, right? My fuzz of choice was the green Sovtek fuzz. I have 2 of those, one of which I've had since I was a kid, and I like the Soviet era stuff because it’s a little bit rickety, so each one has their own character and there's, it's not, um, they leak noise. So, one of the interesting things is if you have those pedals, especially like a small stone, like a green small stone with a one switch. If you had that in a certain place and your chain would just be making the kind of ghosting, like, wishing kind of noise the whole time. Which is one of the things that corn did kind of earlier on in their live shows, they used that to ghost. So, I love that small stone. Those, I would say, we are 2 mainstays, and then like a chorus, if you ever did clean. And I happen to think that the, they're quite valuable now, but at the time, they weren't considered valuable at all as the boss E 2 was the, you know, that's like the king of those of choruses. Um. And I was, I just found a prescription electronics prototype pedal that I bought from the guy that was making that stuff. He came to a Helmet show with a bunch of pedals in a cardboard box, just piled on top of each other unceremoniously. I bought that pedal and put it on my board because it was the only one that made the fuzz sound fuzzy in front of all the gain that we were using on our amps. At one point I was selling the pedal because I haven't used it in a long time, and somebody was asking about the extra button.. I think that was also a cool thing that was going on because there wasn't a ton of money in make trying to make or replicate these effects. But people were doing for the love of it. There's still not a lot of money and it, but if I had like, and I was thinking, oh, if I had money and I could go back in time, what pedals would I buy? And I would still go with the green Sovtek fuzz pedal, because I know people love Ramshead pedals, and they seem to be more valuable, and that's more of like a Dinosaur JR kind of sound, but I think that the sound that I love from the 90s is more of that green kind of Sovtek pedal.
Leilani: Those big green Sovteks weren’t “cool” for a while, and now they’re back. Do you still use yours today—maybe more in the studio than live?
Chris Traynor: I bring it to the studio. Um, I don't use pedals live because I basically only use the Fractal. We've been touring for a long time, and over the years, I kept adding more things and having more amps and different combinations of microphones, and as you lose your tech and or your sound guy, it becomes harder for people to understand what you're trying to do. We would have sound guys who would be like, oh, I only like the nice Mesa amp, so I'm only mic’ing that. So, I wanted to basically just have a left and a right that I would give somebody and that was it. Every time I get a new tech, I say, don't touch anything - I'll do the programming so that I know what's coming out. I tell sound guys, if there's something not coming out that you want, don't EQ it. I’ll do it on my end because at this point in my career, I know what I want, you know? So back to that pedal. I just keep it. I keep a lot of loose pedals. Bob Rock kind of inspired me to do that when Gavin and I were making Love Remains the Same. Bob Rock came in and I thought, oh, this guy's going to have a sick pedal board, but he just had a bunch of pedals in a bag and a Velcro board that he would rip pedals off and put others down on at different times. That’s how I used to do it when I was a kid and there's a vibe to that. So, I basically just bring pedals to sessions now and don't have a board in a particular order.
Leilani: That makes total sense. Before you switched to Fractal live, what amps were you running onstage?
Chris Traynor: In Helmet, I used VHTs, before Stevie sold the company. We had some of the 1st Pitbulls ever made. And if I'm not mistaken, I believe the guy from Pennywise bought my VHTs and they're still out on tour. I also had cabinets made by Harry Colby. He was a guy in New York that repaired and hot-rodded amps. He did marshals for Eric Johnson and he did a lot of the amps for Sonic Youth. And stuff for Helmet, of course. So, I had these gigantic 4 by 12 cabinets, which I still have 2 of. But they're so massive that I just figured I was killing my guitar tech by having them lift them on stage every day, so I stopped using those. And then in Orange 9mm. The 1st amp that I had was and I rarely wish that I had equipment back, but it was a 1978 JMP fawn colored full stack Marshall, and it was so cool. And the guy who sold it to me was an older guy at the time who was retiring from being in an Iron Maiden cover band and nobody wanted to buy it. I got a good deal on it. And that was an incredible amp. But when we got a record deal, I had one of the 1st 3 Wagner Ecstasy amps. And then Reinholdt, when I was working in the studio with Dave Jordan, and we chose Dave Jordan because Dave had done Alice in Chains and Jane's Addiction, and he had a Bogner Fish. And Reinhold came in while we were recording and he said he was making a head. So, I bought one of the 1st couple heads that Reinhold had made. And then when I started touring with it, I was like, Ryan I wish this thing had a little bit more distortion. So, he came into the store where I bought it on a 10 speed and bicycle shorts and got out of soldering iron and changed the gain structure on my head for me.
Leilani: And you don’t have that amp anymore?
Chris Traynor: No- when I joined Helmet, Paige was very specific about what he wanted to hear. And I loved being in that band and I loved that band so much before I even joined it, that I was said, I'll use whatever you want, just give me the amps and I'll use it. So, all the stuff that I started using at that point in time was Harry Colby stuff, which sounded amazing. I don't really care so much about amps if I'm honest because I think the part kind of dictates the sound. And when I tried out for Helmet on the lower east side, I used an amp that I don't think had any distortion, honestly. But, you know, the riffs are so heavy and the tuning is heavy, so you can kind of get the point across.
Leilani: You were a fan of Helmet before joining—did stepping into that role feel intimidating, or just exciting?
Chris Traynor: I wanted to be in the band when Rob first joined. So, I was aware of the band when I was in high school. I kind of became aware of Helmet and Soundgarden at the same time, and I think Helmet at the time, that would have been strap it on. It was their 1st record that came out and I was just a massive fan. And Paige met with me. We had breakfast together and he said, I like you. I don't need to hear you play - if you could go play with those guys and they like you; you can be in the band. And I just knew the music; I've always felt like if you know the songs in your body, the playing is just easy. So, I wasn't nervous at all. I just kind of thought that was my gig, as presumptuous as it sounds. I thought I was meant to be in that band.
Leilani: Looking at your path—Orange 9mm, Helmet, Bush, Institute—would you call those the big career landmarks, or am I missing anything?
Chris Traynor: Even though the record that I did with Rival Schools came out later, that was personally a big part of my life as well.
Leilani: That’s a serious list. I also heard Bush’s latest single—killer riffs and tone. After 30 years, how do you keep that grunge authenticity feeling real today?
Chris Traynor: That’s a good question. Two things I think about that. One is that I've been doing this professionally for over 30 years and as a guitar player, the thing that was my initial impulse, the initial strike of joy, or the initial enthusiasm that brings you into wanting to pick up a guitar and wanting to make riffs. I think is what is special about every musician. And over the course of time, like moving around playing in different bands, doing sessions. playing one offs with different artists. I try to expand what I learned and what I could play and what I was capable of. And this is going to sound like a weird statement, but I think that that was not the best thing because I think expanding on who you are, rather than trying to be who you are not, is super important. And so, I'm just speaking anecdotally. My initial, I feel like my initial impulse towards music is who I am and is closer to what I am. I try to be truer to what inspired me to pick up the guitar and play in my bedroom and get a distortion pedal now more than I have in a long time. The other part of that is that, and I think I touched on this earlier, when you are recording in the modern way where your kind of maybe doing a part, you could be in someone's bedroom or recording on a laptop or even a smaller studio. It's different than when you went out and you toured with a band for a year and then you knew the parts and you guys could play it all together and you were feeding off each other in the room and staring at each other. So, I think it takes a lot more to have a sound jump out in the current format than it did before. And so, another thing I tell myself is to kind of think bigger. Like, how can I get this to sound bigger? How can I get this to sound more extreme? Um, how can I get the tone to be bigger? Like I switched over to baritones. Um, most of the guitars that I play in the set now are baritones. So, I'm always thinking about how I can make this sound bigger. So, I guess being true to my initial impulse, what inspired me? The initial bands that inspired me. And then how can I make that? sound bigger and broader in the modern context.
Leilani: For younger players who love grunge, what’s your advice for capturing that spirit without just copying the past?
Chris Traynor: Um, I don't know if this will help anyone, but I kind of got rid of, I have a studio, in my backyard, which I used to work out of a lot, now I just go up to just play guitar and hang out, but I took, My pro tools off of it because I found I had the most success and the most riffs used by sitting on my bed with a guitar and recording it on my iPhone. And then letting the idea sit and then see if it still moves me. And the other thing is, is that there used to be this old saying in hip hop that said if it isn’t moving you, it isn’t moving me. And if it isn’t moving me, it isn’t moving you. And so, I think if like you make something and it's not making you move, like that, it's not worth recording.
Leilani: Totally. That’s the point—if it doesn’t connect, it doesn’t connect.
Chris Traynor: Yeah, and you know when we're like thinking of, you ever been in the room with somebody and you're thinking about something, and then you blurt out like the middle of an idea or an idea 10 minutes into your own thought, where the person's like, what? It's called non sequitur, like they don't know what you're talking about, but you've been thinking about it the whole time. The same thing is true with your music. Like, you're thinking about it the whole time, like, you know the intricacies of it. You, you know what you're trying to get at. And sometimes, you buffer the idea with that, and other people may not get it. And when a song becomes successful or a risk becomes popular. You can't run around and explain to people, I was trying to do this, or it's like this, or I use this, like it must move people on its own. So, I think it’s just super important. However, much bigger you can make your idea, however, much more extreme you can make your idea. However, much cooler. You can make the sound, it's so important, you know, and once you get it, once you release a song, like, it's on its own. So, the only control and the only help that you can have, and nurturing is it is to make sure it like really moves you and it's big.
Leilani: Your riffs feel melodic but still aggressive. Over the years, has you’re playing approach changed much, or stayed consistent?
Chris Traynor: I have a, for the longest time, won't listen to a song before I go into the studio with Gavin. So, um, and I don't hold a guitar while I'm listening to music because I don't want the architecture of the instrument to influence my playing. I want an idea to pop in my head, and I must have, so I listen to music. With my eyes closed because I don't want people's body language or their enthusiasm about their song to influence me. I listen for what's missing. Now sometimes, nothing is missing. But other times there are things that you can do, and so I sing the idea almost always. I never play an idea. I have the idea in my head. I sing it out loud. And then I get it under my fingers on the instrument. Part of the reason being is because when we have our fingers on the instrument, we tend to Play notes sequentially up and down. But that’s not the way that we speak or that we sing. There are big jumps and there are pauses. So sometimes as guitar players, we spend so much time with the architecture of the instrument, and we spend so much time with our fingers and our muscle memory. That your brain, your idea, your soul, your idea isn't playing it. It's the mechanical aspect of the instrument. So that's what I would say. Try to come up with guitar parts without the instrument in your hand.
Leilani: Your ’73 Les Paul: is it still your go-to? What makes it so special?
Chris Traynor: It stays in tune. Eric Ron will tell you that it's one of the, out of all the artists that he's worked with is, is the, one of the only ones those old ones that, um, stays in tune. The fact that it has an ebony fretboard, it makes everything super clear. It's quite heavy and normally people. Don't. That isn't a quality that people look for in a guitar and certainly for live, I don't either, but there is something about a guitar being heavy, I think, adding to the clarity in recording. And it's got a thin, wide neck. Which is also something that I don't use, like, prefer to use live, but it just has a clarity in the chords.
Leilani: I remember you mentioning you like a little “fight” in a guitar—am I remembering that right?
Chris Traynor: Yeah, I don't like when things are, well, to be fair to myself, I don't want them to be out of tune. I don't want that to be the fight, but I don't like, when, um, Certain instruments feel clinical. Like I call them like uh, pediatric blues dad guitars, I won't name any brands. Like, you know? But they're just like, they're just too nice, you know, everything about them is too nice and too perfect. And so, it's not like, um, for me, that doesn't work. There's less relationship, but there are brands that specialize in having these guitars that play flawlessly.
Leilani: Totally fair. Does that “fight” relate to staying present onstage?
Chris Traynor: My live instruments are, like, as fine tune as they can, and I use telecasters and less pause, and those designs are, I think, amazing but old. So, they require, you know, they're finicky. You know, they're finicky, but, um, it's funny. No, I don't think it's funny. It's interesting and I like that you say presence because, um, the moment that my brain starts to operate on a show, I know I'm going to make a mistake. Anytime I get out of my body or like a connection with the people or with my spirit and my energy, and I start thinking about things in my brain, even if it's about the music or what comes next. Um, I know that's when I'm about to make a mistake. So, presence is super important presence in the body and knowing your guitar and having like a feel and a connection. For it is super important. We have a unique gift that has been given to us, whereas I tried miserably and failed at doing meditation at one point in my life, but I remember when people were teaching about it, they were talking about the way that time passes and presents, and as musicians, as guitar players, we can spend an hour, to an hour and a half , 2 hours on stage with people and it feels like 60 seconds because you were so present in that time. Or it feels like a long time because you're present and we have this beautiful gift that's given to us that allows us when we allow it to happen to be present and in the moment with other human beings.
Leilani: Grunge gets labeled as aggressive, but you’re describing peace and presence. How do those things go together?
Chris Traynor: I think that they go hand in hand. It's not curious about that, because certainly when I was younger, and I recognize still some part inside of me, there is some aggression, but when you're even playing really aggressive music, I notice it now, a friend of mine came in and I was like, you know, and I'm always trying to find these like younger, like, metal bands or whatever, and I was turning on music, they're like, what do you listen to? And I turned it on, they're like, oh, this messes with my nervous system. But it relaxes me because it's tuning into something that we have. Like, you know, like, um, especially when you're younger, like aggression, like, um, distrust of, you know, the things that people tell you are the way they are, wanting to find your own way, not being satisfied with the system that's laid out for you and what's available, like looking to create your own path, like, all those things are, You know, like, um, can cause aggression, can cause anxiety, um, depression. And so, people do music because that is the, you know, some people are drawn to because that can be like a medication. That's the answer. That's the process. That's in yoga. I don't do yoga. I don't, and I don't mean to sound like a hit even though I'm walking around and slides in my backyard with my dog in my garden. But like, that is why. We do it, like when I make heavy. When I'm playing heavy music, afterwards, like I just let out, I have this like endorphin rush. And it's healing to me. So, I do think that some people hear that music, and they're like, oh, this is disruptive, like, or this is aggressive. And like people are drawn to it because it does something to them. You know, it makes them feel better. They like it. That's why we do it. We like it.
Leilani: Last one: are there any newer artists you think are carrying the torch right now?
Chris Traynor: Um, there are younger artists that I really like and are doing cool things across multiple genres. Um, I like this guy in New York: Glom, G-L-O-M, and a song called Glass. I just saw him in his bedroom on his social media like playing this riff that I love. So, shout out to that. Other things that are less under the radar: I like Geese. obviously, that's not like under the radar. I loop Suffocate with Nocked Loose and Poppy - I love that. I love West Side, the full flower main band song into that. And then I just listen to like random heavy music that I don't know. You know, I don't know enough about them maybe to say, I don't know who these people are and what they represent or anything like that, but I'm just like rolling through listening to, um, cosmophobe, like just different, I don't, I don't even know who they are, but I just listen to these bands and I'm like, oh, I like this song. So, um, my playlist is of new liked songs is totally crazy. It goes between like Volt Thrower, Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, Sunkill Moon, Ailepsy, Black Sabbath. You know, Sonny Rollins. So, it's all over the shop.
Leilani: Thanks again for doing this interview with Guitar Thrills, it’s been such a pleasure. Is there anything you want to add or promote before we wrap?
Chris Traynor: I love it, and I have read stuff in guitar thrills before, and it's so cool, and I love what everyone's doing over there.
Conclusion
Grunge has proven itself to be far more than a moment in music history—it is a mindset rooted in honesty, emotional intensity, and resistance to conformity. While the genre has evolved alongside changes in technology, production, and audience expectations, its core values remain intact. Bands like Bush demonstrated that grunge could grow beyond its original boundaries, adapting to new eras without losing its raw power or authenticity.
The continued influence of grunge on modern artists speaks to its lasting relevance. From alternative rock to metal and beyond, the genre’s DNA can still be heard in the way musicians write, perform, and connect with listeners. Rather than existing as nostalgia, grunge lives on through reinvention—shaped by new voices but grounded in the same emotional truth that defined its origins.
As the interview with Chris Traynor reveals, the enduring spirit of grunge lies not in recreating the past, but in carrying forward its fearless approach to expression. In a constantly shifting musical landscape, grunge remains a reminder that authenticity will always resonate louder than trends.
