I can fully understand [that] artists want to be able to pay their bills. As a fan of art, and art as a way to shift dialogue and address cultural issues, there's a part of me that's really, really saddened by that and can't really relate to it.

There's no school you can go to where you can study how to run a record label. Every day was a learning experience.

People are hard-wired for tribal identity.

I had no real photography experience, thankfully. I consciously took a lot of crowd shots. I was influenced by Seattle photographer Charles Peterson, who always seemed to incorporate fans in his live band shots.

The idea of having an indie rock "career" while living in a remote backwater like Seattle was too ridiculous to contemplate. It was simply about having adventures, one day at a time, one song at a time.

I love the dynamic contrast between the spontaneous shots and the more formal, pro-rock-star photos.

I think in times of crisis it's the artists' responsibility to dig a little deeper.