Big Business (band)

Lore & Background

Big Business released their first Tour EP in 2004, and the vinyl version of their first album, Head for the Shallow, on February 22, 2005, through Wäntage USA. The CD version was released by Hydra Head Records. In late 2006, after relocating to Los Angeles, Warren and Willis both became members of the Melvins, first appearing on (A) Senile Animal. The tour titled 'The Double-Drumming Rock for Peace Tour' featured Warren and Willis playing a set as Big Business before being joined by Dale Crover and Buzz Osborne for a set as the Melvins.

After releasing Here Come the Waterworks to critical acclaim, Big Business was given an opening spot on the summer leg of the Tool tour. Toshi Kasai played guitar for Big Business throughout this tour as a touring guitarist and engineer.

Reader's Guide

Big Business occupies a distinctive niche in American stoner/sludge metal, known for their bombastic and frantic sound built around a bass-and-drums core. Their significance lies in their long-running collaboration with the Melvins, with both members joining that band in 2006 and appearing on multiple Melvins albums. The band's shifting lineup—from duo to trio to quartet and back to duo—reflects an adaptable approach while maintaining their core identity. Their discography spans six studio albums, with later releases on Joyful Noise Recordings and Gold Metal Records. The band's legacy includes critical acclaim for Here Come the Waterworks and a notable opening slot on a Tool tour. Their music continues to be characterized by heavy, driving rhythms and Warren's distinctive bass and vocal work.

Did You Know?

• Big Business was founded in 2004 by bassist/vocalist Jared Warren (Karp) and drummer Coady Willis (The Murder City Devils).
• Both Warren and Willis became members of the Melvins in late 2006, first appearing on (A) Senile Animal.
• The band's third album, Mind the Drift, was produced by Phil Ek, who also produced their two previous albums.
• In 2016, Warren and Willis were no longer part of the Melvins, and Big Business began touring as a two-piece again.

Formation & the Duo Ethos

Big Business emerged in 2004 from the collision of two Seattle-based musicians: Jared Warren, a bassist and vocalist, and Coady Willis, a drummer who had already made his name with The Murder City Devils. From the very start, the project was defined by its skeletal two-piece structure—bass and drums carrying the entire sonic weight. Their sound, rooted in stoner and sludge metal, leaned heavily into what could be described as bombastic and frantic energy, a quality that set them apart even within a genre already known for heaviness. While the core remained a duo throughout most of the band's history, they were never entirely isolated; guest guitarists and keyboardists would periodically step in to flesh out the live and recorded sound. The band initially called Seattle home before relocating to Los Angeles in 2006, a move that would reshape both their musical partnerships and their trajectory. This lean, high-octane approach became the defining architecture of everything Big Business would go on to produce.

The Melvins Orbit

The move to Los Angeles in late 2006 opened a remarkable chapter: both Warren and Willis joined the Melvins, first contributing to the album (A) Senile Animal. This dual membership produced one of the more unusual touring concepts in metal history. The Double-Drumming Rock for Peace Tour saw Warren and Willis perform a full Big Business set, after which Dale Crover and Buzz Osborne would join them onstage to deliver a Melvins set—effectively merging two bands into one four-piece performance. During that same tour, frequent Melvins collaborator David Scott Stone filled in on guitar and Minimoog Voyager, a role that carried over into the studio for the 2007 release Here Come the Waterworks, where he played on every track. That album's critical success earned Big Business an opening slot on the summer leg of Tool's tour, with Toshi Kasai handling guitar duties. After the fall US leg concluded, the duo turned their attention to recording material for the Melvins' Nude with Boots, released in July 2008. This period of overlapping commitments defined the band's mid-period identity.

Albums, Labels, and Shifting Lineups

Big Business's recorded output spans six studio albums across a variety of labels. Their debut, Head for the Shallow, arrived in January 2005 with the vinyl pressing on Wäntage USA and the CD on Hydra Head Records, the latter of which would release the next two full-lengths. Here Come the Waterworks (2007) and Mind the Drift (2009) were both produced by Phil Ek, giving the group a consistent sonic signature across that three-album run. Lineup evolution tracked alongside these releases: Toshi Kasai was formally introduced as the third member in March 2008, and Scott Martin joined in October 2010, prompting the band to describe themselves as a power quartet. Battlefields Forever (2013) marked a shift to Gold Metal Records, while Command Your Weather (2016) and The Beast You Are (2019) both came through Joyful Noise Recordings in tandem with Gold Metal. Guest guitarists—including John Devoy, Dave Hernandez, Dale Crover, and Joe Preston—added texture to various recordings and live shows, ensuring the duo's core sound could expand without losing its identity.

The Long Tail: Tours, Podcasts, and the Return to Two

After a period of expanded lineups, Big Business quietly reverted to its original two-piece format around 2016, with no formal announcement or press release explaining the shift. The band continued to tour in the years that followed, sharing bills with acts like Torche and Thrones in the summer of 2011, and Red Fang and American Sharks in the spring of 2014. Their discography kept growing through EPs and singles, including Tour EP V in 2021 and a 2018 compilation titled Solid Gold Metal covering material from 2004 to 2009. In the podcast and interview space, both members have been vocal about the band's history. Coady Willis appeared on Conan Neutron's Protonic Reversal in April 2019 to discuss the making of The Beast You Are and offer a broader career retrospective, and also made an appearance on The Vinyl Guide around the same period. In 2020, Jared Warren sat down for a long-form interview on the same podcast, reflecting on his work with the Whip, Big Business, and his years with the Melvins.