Mick Harvey has addressed the possibility of rejoining Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds. And in classic Harvey fashion, he kept it pretty concise.
“There’s no plans. It’s not off the table, but it’s not on the table. There is no table,” he told Blunt Magazine in a recent feature interview.
Harvey’s relationship with Cave goes back more than 45 years. From The Boys Next Door to the unhinged brilliance of The Birthday Party, and then into the more sprawling, gothic sprawl of The Bad Seeds, he’s been a critical part of Cave’s evolution. As co-founder, arranger, producer, and multi-instrumentalist, Harvey helped shape the band’s identity through its most iconic records—Tender Prey, The Good Son, Murder Ballads, The Boatman’s Call—before quietly stepping away in 2009.
His departure wasn’t explosive, but it was definitive. And now, 15 years later, fans still wonder if a return might ever happen. Harvey’s answer? Not no, not yes—just a calm, philosophical shrug. “There is no table.”
In the same interview, Harvey opened up about his collaboration with the late Ollie Olsen and his broader creative outlook. “Ollie said to me, ‘Make art, not music,’” Harvey explained. “So that’s what I try to do.”
That sentiment sums up Harvey’s post-Bad Seeds life. He’s released a string of solo albums, composed film scores, and worked closely with PJ Harvey and other long-time collaborators. While Cave’s work has grown more theatrical and orchestrated, Harvey’s remained minimal and grounded—more about texture than drama.
Still, the mark he left on the Bad Seeds is undeniable. The sonic restraint, the quiet tension, the structure holding the storm together—that was Harvey. Whether or not he ever returns doesn’t really matter. He helped build the house. He doesn’t need to live in it forever. Plus, he’s just released a new album with his collaborator Amanda Acevedo entitled Golden Mirrors (The Uncovered Sessions Vol. 1). I think he’s doing just fine.
Read Blunt’s full interview with Mick Harvey here.
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