Jason Everman Went from Being in Nirvana and Soundgarden to Being an Army Ranger

Who is Jason Everman Went from Being in Nirvana and Soundgarden to Being an Army Ranger?

Taken from JRE 1968 w/Jason Everman:

Topics and Timestamps

• 01Jason Everman played bass for Nirvana during the 'Bleach' era before being kicked out of the band
• 02He later joined Soundgarden as a guitarist and appeared on their albums
• 03After leaving music, Everman enlisted in the Army and became a Ranger, serving in combat zones
• 04He discusses the stark contrast between the music industry and military life and discipline
• 05Everman talks about finding purpose and meaning through military service after the chaos of grunge
• 06He reflects on his relationship with Kurt Cobain and the Nirvana experience
• ▶Jason explains his time as bass player in Nirvana during the Bleach era0:05:30
• ▶Discussion of getting kicked out of Nirvana and the emotional impact0:15:45
• ▶Jason talks about joining Soundgarden as guitarist0:25:20
• ▶The decision to enlist in the Army and leave the music industry0:40:00
• ▶Detailed breakdown of Army Ranger training and combat deployment experiences0:55:15

The Show

Jason Everman's life reads like two completely different movies spliced together. One minute he's playing bass in one of the most important bands in rock history, and the next he's jumping out of helicopters as an Army Ranger. The dude literally went from the Seattle grunge scene to combat deployments, and Joe spends the episode trying to understand how that actually happens.

Everman was there during Nirvana's early days, playing on 'Bleach' and the initial 'Nevermind' sessions. He got the ax from the band, which at the time probably felt devastating, but in retrospect turned out to be one of those weird plot twists that redirected his entire life. After that, he bounced into Soundgarden as a guitarist, so he wasn't just some random dude who happened to be in Nirvana. He was legit embedded in the Seattle sound.

But here's where it gets wild. Instead of riding that wave or desperately trying to recapture his music glory, Everman made the decision to join the Army. Not as some publicity stunt or creative research project. He actually enlisted and went through Ranger training. He served in actual combat situations, which is about as far from the music industry as you can possibly get.

The conversation bounces between his music days and his military experiences. Everman talks about the discipline, the brotherhood, and the sense of real purpose that military service gave him compared to the drug-fueled chaos of the grunge scene. He's not bitter about getting booted from Nirvana, but he's clear that the music industry was a trip he eventually needed to exit.

Joe seems genuinely fascinated by the contrast. Here's a guy who could have milked the Nirvana connection for decades, done reunion tours, cashed checks at every nostalgia festival. Instead, he chose something harder, more dangerous, and arguably more meaningful to him. It's the kind of life story that doesn't fit neatly into any single category, which is probably why it makes for such compelling conversation.

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