Shirley Manson has been through the trenches. Thirty years in the game, multiple reinventions, a James Bond theme that was once critically savaged but is now a fan favorite—Garbage has survived it all. And yet, when their label came knocking about a new compilation, she wasn’t exactly jumping at the chance. “We got talked into it,” she admits, which is about as honest a take as you’ll get from a rock star who’s been doing this long enough to see the industry eat itself alive and then regurgitate it on streaming platforms.
The result is Anthology, a collection that spans their entire career, highlighting both the hits and the overlooked gems. The irony? The band can’t even release it in the U.S. thanks to record label bureaucracy. “To be told you can’t release your own songs is devastating,” she says, summing up an industry that seems increasingly indifferent to the artists who built it. Despite this, the album is already being embraced by fans, who recognize that Garbage’s deep cuts deserve just as much love as their radio staples.
Manson reflects on the rollercoaster of longevity. There was the brief stint where they were “erased from musical history,” the financial chaos of trying to tour in a post-pandemic world, and the bizarre corporate indifference to new music from veteran acts. “They’d rather work a new band than one like us,” she says, “which is short-sighted, considering we’re still here and people still care.” Case in point: No Gods No Masters got some of the best reviews of their career, proving that they’re not just riding on nostalgia.
Touring has been its own battle. Opening for Alanis Morissette and Tears for Fears made financial sense, but when they attempted a small headlining run, COVID took them down. “We lost an arm and a leg,” she says bluntly, painting a bleak picture of what it’s like to be a band in the 2020s. Rising costs, venue cuts on merch sales, and the near impossibility of securing buses make it a nightmare even for established acts. “I feel so bad for young bands. We’ll be fine, we’re cockroaches. But for them? I don’t know how they’ll survive.”
And yet, Garbage is forging ahead. They’ve already started their eighth studio album, though Manson admits following up No Gods No Masters is daunting. “I have things I want to say, things I need to get off my chest,” she says, treating each record like it could be her last. Their refusal to stagnate is part of what’s kept them interesting. “We never want to make the same record twice,” she says, acknowledging that while their sound evolves, their essence remains.
And what about the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? “We don’t give a f***,” she laughs. “We’ve never been Grammy darlings, we’ve never been on those lists. But we’ve lasted. And honestly, that’s the real win.”
If you needed a reminder of why Garbage still matters, Anthology is proof. If you needed a reminder of why the music industry is a mess, well, Shirley just laid it all out for you.
Listen to the interview above and then check out the video below.
