(Credits: Far Out / Nirvana)
Wed 11 March 2026 20:30, UK
Even though his talents far surpassed many of his peers, it was clear that Kurt Cobain was not the sort of individual who was cut out for showcasing his brilliance on a grand scale.
Nirvana’s debut album, Bleach, brought them a little bit of attention, but not exactly the sort that might drive someone to the point of insanity with its intensity. For the time being, they were a cult band operating on the fringes of a developing grunge scene that was gaining attention from the mainstream, but hadn’t quite managed to break through to a wider audience.
It was their second record, Nevermind, that pushed Cobain over the edge, with it being regarded as a generation and genre-defining record that was doing its best to usher rock music into a new era. With this came an influx of attention in the direction of the singer, guitarist and songwriter, with many hailing him as being a singular and visionary talent who was capable of steering the future of music in an exciting new direction, but with this comes the pressure of being placed under the microscope.
In Utero was his attempt to turn the band away from stardom, but even his attempts to make something uncommercial ended up with him being praised, and it’s ultimately what sent him spiralling into a further depression, unable to cope with the intensity of what was required from him, not just as a musician, but a poster-boy for the rapidly growing phenomenon.
While he was still alive, he regularly used to speak about the artists who had inspired him, and while some of them were well-known acts who had also endured long periods of fame, such as The Beatles and REM, some were more cultish acts who weren’t admired as much during their active years and only received more attention after they disbanded.
It was this that he seemed to desire, being appreciated as an artist and nothing more, with a lot less of the pressure being placed on him from the mainstream press, and during a 1993 interview, he argued that he’d happily trade places with his favourite artists if it meant he could have the pressure taken off him.
“Cult bands seem to have a very steady lifestyle,” Cobain argued. “They don’t have the hassles of being a celebrity, and they’re almost guaranteed to sell the same amount of records to the same people every time. Those people are really devoted to them, you know.”
He continued, naming two acts in particular as being in this enviable position. “I kinda envy bands like the Pixies or Iggy Pop,” he added. “People who have had pretty much the same fans or people who can appreciate the music on that level, because they don’t have to deal with all the other bullshit that gets in the way.”
Obviously, these acts were hailed, but not in the same way as Cobain was at the time, and for him to have been able to achieve what he had done as a songwriter without the fame would perhaps have saved him from feeling trapped by his notoriety.