Primus have completed their first headlining tour with drummer John Hoffman, who has been plenty busy since his hire in January 2025. This latest tour spanned 25 dates in 24 cities over 35 days, in which the band played 47 different songs! We dig into those numbers, the stage production, and the general excitement from the fanbase as Les, Ler, and Hoffer made a mad dash across the United States to establish live rapport, continue to establish their foundation, and just perhaps, toss about some ideas that may become songs for a new record. 

WERE YOU THERE? Tell us about your experience @primustracks on Instagram, or primustrackspod@gmail.com

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Sometimes, Primus Tracks listeners have questions that we cannot answer, and that's when we fire up the Soya Signal for a round of your queries. Soya joins from yet another hotel room, this time teching for Oasis, and if you've seen their tour schedule, you know the man has some time to fill. Questions this time range from Primus lyrics to beer to skateboarding to perms and Taco Bell.

Do you have a question for Tim Soya? Leave a voice mail or send a text to 337-514-7692 - it's an unmonitored number, so there's no chance anyone will actually answer. Get your question in early for the next round. 

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Tim Wright drummed in Primus from 1986-1988 as Primus gained a larger following in the Bay Area, and played a key role in helping advance the band's fortunes via endless practice and rehearsals and a grinding gigging schedule. Tim shares sme wild stories from that time period, the origins of his nickname, and some watershed moments from his own band, Curveball. Thanks to Tim for taking the time. Great talk!


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Jordan Kravitz recently joined the Primus crew to photograph some 2024 dates, including New Year's Eve. He's currently out capturing the band on numerous dates of the 2025 Onward & Upward tour, bringing us our first comprehensive look at John Hoffman in the Primus drum chair. Jordan disucsses how he got the gig, his approach to capturing the energy and presentation of the music, dealing with dim stage lighting, and how being a fan of the music impacts his shots.

Find Jordan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thevicariousobserver/
and his website: https://www.jhkcreativephotography.com/

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Dave Kloc is a prolific artist who designs posters for a wide variety of artists, but when PRIMUS comes calling, he ups his game. Enjoy a peek behind his creative process and unique approach to making these lasting images. This episode is best experienced on video at patreon.com/primustracks

Find Dave at www.davekloc.com and @davekloc on the socials. 

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We conclude our Of Whales And Woe coverage with this sendoff instrumental that airs a bit of mystery with its abrupt conclusion and sound samples/field recordings. We take a stab at what it might all mean, but perhaps it's just a bit of wordplay. Final thoughts on OWAW, and a preview of what's to come.

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Sam Stewart of Flagman returns to discuss Filipino Ray, an acrobatic bass jaunt that comprises the penultimate track of Of Whales and Woe. The bass lines go hard, but there is a lot of open space as well, which can be tricky for many musicians. Sam helps us with those intricacies, and regales with his own tales of whales and woe around procuting and hearing this record for the first time. We also share what we know about Ray Wing, the lyrical subject of the song, who Les played with in the Tommy Crank Band in the 1980s. Plus, can we borrow your old iPod cable? Thanks. 

Find Sam @salmonsamstew and @flagmanband on Insagram.

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We all know about the South Park theme, but were you aware that Les Claypool wrote and performed the theme to Robot Chicken, another long-running animated television program? Probably. We discuss his involvement in the show theme, its inclusion on this record, and Frankie takes the "miscellaneous instrumentation" quiz. 

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The hips of the record have arrived! This utterly accessible, catchy track doubles as a slice-of-life study of a commercial fisherman, whose solace is the sea, despite its diminishing economic returns. We weigh how officially unofficial this track stands as a Fisherman's Chronicle, and and explain why it's the most-performed track from the record, although that's fairly clear to aficionados. 


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The great Kello Gonzalez returns to the podcast on short notice to discuss Nothin' Ventured, which we interpret as our version of a Les Claypool motivational speech, particularly because the spirit of the song (bass solos) and lyrics (taking risks to achieve something) mirrors what LEs did with his career path. IT's also chock-full of cultural idioms amd a sneaky masturbation joke; everyone's favorite Claypoolism. 

Kello demonstrates the "five minute" interpretation of the bass line, and we dig into taking risks, the rewards, and why it matters. 

Find Kello on Youtube and Instagram. 

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Les Claypool's ode to his wife, Chaney, starts side two of Of Whales and Woe, and there's certainly no woe to be found in this joyous track, which reflects the irrational emotional highs of fulfilled love, through the Claypool lens. Josh, a native Iowan, sheds some light on the lyrical references and discusses agricultural exports, because that's all Iowans talk about aside from the weather. 

We also play an excerpt from Les's book tour in Iowa City. That evening was captured by the radio program Live At Prairie Lights and is archived here: https://digital.lib.uiowa.edu/node/797265

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This week, we offer up a commentary track on the hour-long Primus Interstellar Drum Derby finale. Receiving this much video footage of the band auditioning, practicing, rehearsing, jamming, and recording music is so rewarding after years of shelved video-based projects. 

You can join in the fun by simply listening in, syncing the youtube video with the podcast ep at the 12:52 mark in the audio, or viewing the synced video at the Patreon site (see "Burn your money" link below).

Drum derby finale

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NEW TRACK ALERT! 

Primus have released Little Lord Fentanyl, the first track to include newly-minted drummer John Hoffman. The track was a part of the final drum auditions for Hoffman and Borlai, who each composed drum tracks for the song. We discuss the workings of the tune and the lyrical content in a knee-jerk reaction mode, and what it possibly portends for Primus. 

Little Lord Fentanyl: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4NGvSR2waU

Drum Derby finale: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFtaNtSYNYA

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Today's track tells the tale of Richard McCaslin, a self-proclaimed superhero, who, disguised as the Panthom Patriot, invaded the Bohemian Grove in search of child sacrifices and other horrific crimes...in the off-season when the economic and political elite were not present. We provide the background on the story, as does Les Claypool in our associated live cuts. We also have with us regular contributor Matt Hunter, who models the bass riff, discusses the dynamics of the song, and helps us find where the pinky finger fits into the whole thing, as Les infamously broke his pinky finger during filming of a movie, and was unable to play this tune on tour for weeks as a reult. Lots to explore in this one - don't get radicalized!

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The great Gene Meyer (@genemeyelol on the socials) of Bandit fame returns to the pod to discuss Vernon the Company Man. We get literary with some associations to Kerouac, Ginsberg, Arthur Miller, but we even it out with jokes about PRimus shirts being more effective than chastity belts. This tune is certainly a unique departure in terms of this record, but also for Claypool in general, thanks to excellent tabla and sitar provided by Mike Dillon and Gabby La La, respectively. Dig?

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We tackle the title track this week with the help of old friend Lalo Fierro, who, even as a seasoned gigging bassist, maintains an uneven relationship with Claypool's bass playing, mostly due to its unpredictable nature, which is emblematic of today's track. We also consider the eternal question: Do you humor the crusty old guy's stories, or do you not engage? Plus, commentary on the recently completed drum search series (more to come?!) and killer live cuts. 

Buy me a theremin.

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After the bicep of One Better, we head straight to the crotch for Lust Stings. Les seems to want to highlight the body parts that the people want to see. Lust Stings gleefully swamps the listener with percussion and instrumentation that makes you want to take a hot shower, and adds to it off-putting yet matter-of-fact lyrics about the spread of STI. While all of that doesn't sound too appealing, it all comes together to create a unique experience in the catalog. Make good choices, kids!

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The great Luke Bemand returns to Primus Tracks to tackle One Better, the "bicep" of the Of Whales and Woe record. Luke shows us how Les flexes all over this track, and it's not limited to bass, as Les provides drums and guitar in addition to his usual bass and vocals. Luke also brings some commentary from Mike Dillon, who stars on the track.This is a Frankie favorite, so get ready for some fanboy business. Plus, Cold War stories? Sign me up! 

Find Luke on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lukebemandbass/

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Les Claypool followed up his Electric Apricot jaunt with a collection of taut, focused tunes in 2006's Of Whales And Woe record, which largely sees Les on his own in the studio, laying down bass, guitar, drums, percussion, and vocals for these tracks, and guest turns from the mighty Mike Dillon, Skerik, and Gabby La La. We discuss the album's backdrop, the physical releases, the Fancy touring band to spawn from this record, and turn some attention to the album opener, Back Off Turkey, an ambient track in which Les got to goof around with his children. Climb aboard!

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We are thrilled to speak with Soya and Steve Freeman, aka Extrakd, who has created loads of diverse music over the years with the likes of Brain, Disk, Mirv, Ler, and Buckethead. We tread some of the history and releases from the 90s and 00s, but hone in on Mars Mechanics, which has a new album titled In Through The Drive Through. The record is primarily arranged and performed by Steve, Brain, and Mirv with guest turns from Skerik and Ler. Each Mars Mechanics release has its own musical theme; the latest has a 1970s Miles Davis foundation, and the outcome is a high-energy dose of unmistakable majesty. Plus, Steve tells us about some projects that have yet to be made public, and may hold the key to understanding the tornado of urine (details in episode). 

Tracks sampled in episode, in chronological order:

• Its Brain (Mars Mechanics)
• Technology Doctor (MIRV)
• Darkside Whiplash (El Stew)
• Surf Mission (El Stew)
• B-boy Showcase (El Stew)
• The John Rocker Redemption Clause (No Forcefield)
• Claudius The God (No Forcefield)
• 9a (Mars Mechanics)
• Gonzography (Mars Mechanics)
• Don't Bite Contradiction Bomb (Gonervill)

Find Mars Mechanics on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mars_mechanics/

Mars Mechanics Music
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXl_huq832S_MOC4OoCzgPw
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3sZiGJ55DnYXBpoBwYTqKE
Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/mars-mechanics/1468632210

Mars Mechanics Merch: https://mdpe.shop/collections/marsmechanics

El Stew - No Hesitation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y415bfxzoNc

No Forcefield - Lee's Oriental Massage https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZqCqfViCug

No Forcefield - God is an Excuse https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7-bbaQUS04

Marsupial's Belly Flop Breaks - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4NQyZoYmj0

PhonosycographDISK Live at Slim's - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAKc2PAOkxk&t=7s

Lom.