Krist Anthony Novoselic (; born May 16, 1965) is a Croatian American musician, politician, and activist. Novoselic co-founded and played bass on every album for the rock band Nirvana.
Novoselic and Kurt Cobain formed the band Nirvana in 1987, soon recruiting drummer Aaron Burckhard, who was the drummer of the group until October 1987. Through the late 1980s, Nirvana established themselves as part of the Seattle grunge scene, releasing three albums between 1989 and 1993. Nirvana abruptly ended in 1994 following the death of Kurt Cobain. Novoselic has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Nirvana, and has also received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award as a member of the band.
After Nirvana disbanded, Novoselic formed Sweet 75 in 1995 and Eyes Adrift in 2002, releasing one album with each band. From 2006 to 2009, he played in the punk rock band Flipper. In 2011, he contributed bass and accordion to the song "I Should Have Known" on the Foo Fighters' studio album Wasting Light. From 2017 to 2020, he played bass and accordion for the band Giants in the Trees.
Outside of music, Novoselic has been active politically. From 2007 through 2010, he wrote a weekly column on music and politics for the Seattle Weekly website. Novoselic has served on the board of the electoral reform organization FairVote and has served as its chair. In 2020, he became board chair of Zócalo Public Square. He joined the Forward Party in 2023 and became the party's leader in Washington after the resignation of Chris Vance. In 2024, he founded the Cascade Party of Washington.
Tap on any album for track list.
Nirvana’s 1991 Paramount concert is now available on ARTE’s YouTube, featuring Krist Novoselic’s bass at the heart of the explosive set.
Julien’s Music Icons auction will include historic basses played by Krist Novoselic, Alphonso Johnson, John McVie, and others.
Discover the greatest bass lines of 1991 featuring Flea, Les Claypool, Victor Wooten, and more. From jazz to grunge to hip hop, these grooves defined an era.
Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic has had several projects over the years, and now he’s unveiled a new one. His new group, Bona Fide Band, features himself on bass with Screaming Trees drummer Mark Pickerel, vocalists Jillian Raye and Jennifer Johnson, and guitarist Kathy Moore.
In this new “Keep It Groovy” bass lesson, Ryan Madora digs into one of Nirvana’s biggest hits, “Come As You Are.” Learn some of the theory behind Krist Novoselic’s bass line, which is perfect for working on your pick technique.
