In eras past, mainstream culture was blandly, blindly complacent, so underground music was angry and dissatisfied. But now, mainstream culture isn’t complacent, it’s stupid and angry; underground culture reacts by becoming smarter, more serene. That’s not wimpy—it’s powerful and productive.

Critics and fans use the music of their youth as reference points. For years, people seriously wondered who "the next Beatles" were going to be, and classic rock bands were the de facto yardstick for rock quality.

I just wanted to tell the story of a bunch of musicians who had never had their story told before. There's no preaching or theorizing.

People didn't get to see how other towns interpreted the underground ethos, and so they developed their own unique versions of it.

I have this theory, bands with enigmatic lyrics attract crazies.

There's no law that says anybody has to do an interview.

Just as not all popular albums are wonderful, not all wonderful albums are popular.