Soundgarden guitarist Kim Thayil discussed the Seattle scene in a new AL.com interview.
“I love Sub Pop for so many reasons. These guys are our peers. They’re former classmates at college. Former workmates. In one specific case, Bruce Pavitt, the founder of Sub Pop, he’s a childhood friend from Park Forest, Ill. I went to school with him. He was a student of my mother’s. I’ve known him forever. One of his brothers played in a band with me. His other brother was like my best friend through high school. And Jonathan Poneman, Bruce’s partner, started working with Bruce over the release of our first album. It was Bruce’s label, then Jonathan wanted to put our a record by us.
The next year, they opened up an office and started a bank account, and they got their business license and that was it. The partnership was born. So we have a very intimate relationship with the genesis of Sub Pop. They were very helpful and supportive of us. Bands that have been on Sub Pop in the early days were all our friends and peers — Nirvana, Mudhoney, Swallow, Tad, The Fluid.
Of course, they got their deal with Warner Brothers sometime in the 90’s and started branching out and signing more artists and international artists. But they’re a lot bigger now. I’m less acquainted with artists in their catalog than I was in their first five years. Because of that, they probably figure stronger than any other institution with our history. The house engineer Jack Endino, that’s the guy we just had remix “Ultramega OK.” The house photographer Charles Peterson did the cover photo for “Screaming Life” and “Louder Than Love.” I knew him in college, back before Soundgarden existed or Sub Pop became a record label. It’s pretty crazy.
I’m skipping so many things. I was a DJ at the University of Washington’s radio station. That’s were I met Jonathan Poneman. Guys in Green River and Mudhoney worked there. So it’s a thing. I think Seattle is small enough that if you were involved in the underground or indie music scene here, you knew everybody else. That’s kind of changed. That’s due to the gold rush that Seattle became. It became perceived as an active mind for musicians and corollary industries from around the country and around the world.”
