Q&A with Sub Pop's Jonathan Poneman

Q: What is Mark Arm's job title for his "day job" with Sub Pop, and how would you describe him as a worker?

A: His title is "walking boss," and he's an inspired worker.

Q: Which band to come out of Seattle in the last five years has impressed you the most?

A: I can think of several: Grand Archives, Band of Horses, Unnatural Helpers and Fleet Foxes. Sex Vid are from Olympia, but count them in there, too. Blue Scholars, Arthur & Yu, the Moondoggies, the Can't See and the Pica Beats.

Q: Was there ever a point when you thought the rumors that Sub Pop would go under might come true? If so, what year was it?

A: Going under? No, that never had to be entertained. Those rumors were the byproduct of people having fragments of information and drawing grim conclusions. There were times, however, when I thought about snuffing it. Life is short, and being a label owner stopped being fun for quite a while. But I'm happy to report that the fun — and the magic — is back!

Q: Has the move from the hard garage-grunge rock of the early to mid-90s to the Shins/Band of Horses/Iron & Wine current sound been an intentional one, or an accident?

A: A little of both, really. Sub Pop's musical identity is merely the result of what is turning us on at any given time. There's never a strategy involved.

Q: What do you consider your biggest mistake in music — something you'd love to go back and change?

A: Musically speaking, the mistakes are from long ago and, blessedly, remain obscure. From a management perspective, I feel like I've made many more mistakes. I don't regret any of the signings per se. If nothing else, our musical missteps make for good joke fodder.

Q: Which Sub Pop band, over the years, do you think has been most underrated — the one band you wish more people were turned on to?

A: Zumpano, the Scud Mountain Boys and Les Thugs. I am an undying champion of Les Thugs.

Q: Who is the best guitar player you've ever seen live?

A: James "Blood" Ulmer, Johnny Ramone and Steve Turner.

Q: What do you think makes Phil Ek (Shins, Band of Horses, Mudhoney, etc.) such a good producer?

A: Reverb. No, I'm kidding. Phil works with great bands and coaxes the best performances out of them. Simple as that, really.

Q: Have you ever been tempted to move to L.A.?

A: Never once.

Q: How did the Nirvana demo tape come to you, and what made you think it was something — a particular song, the voice, a vibe ?

A: Jack Endino made a copy of the Kurt Cobain demo for me. There was no "Nirvana" yet. Jack didn't really know what to make of it other than to know that it was special and awe-inspiring. I was definitely grabbed by Kurt's voice. It was so emotionally versatile. There were some great songs as well. But it was different. There was an confident quality that most other demos lacked. It was singular at a time when many regional bands were all starting to ape each other.

Q: What do you think Kurt Cobain would think of Sub Pop 2008?

A: He'd be encouraging Sasha Morgan to take over. Sasha, among her many other talents, is Sub Pop's receptionist. Apparently, Kurt has come to her in dreams, telling her that she should take over Sub Pop. That sounds like Kurt.

Q: There's been a lot of talk about Seattle politicians making this city very unfriendly toward music. What is your reaction?

A: I think that it's more complicated than club noise. Our city is being "developed" in a way that is gradually bleeding the city of many of its most desirable qualities. An ugly, crowded, mismanaged city is not necessarily a bad thing for music — look at NYC in the '70s — but when the essential vibe of a city is lost, you can't bring it back. I think that Seattle runs the risk of losing everything at the hands of developers. It's sad.

Q: If Sub Pop would have flamed out in the early '90s, what would you be doing now?

A: I'd be the sassiest hobo on the block.

Q: What practical advice do you have for young musicians and bands aspiring to make a career in music?

A: Don't waste time. Play, record, self-promote and make music available for people to stream, download or purchase at a record shop. Your time is now!

Q: What's the one Sub Pop record that makes you think, "Well, it was a total pain, but it was sure worth it!"?

A: It's funny, the successful ones usually come together the easiest. I remember when Sebadoh's "Bakesale" was recorded — arguably their breakthrough album — the band originally went in to record a couple of demos, and a week later they had a fully recorded and mixed album. It was seemingly quite effortless. And that one, to this day, is one of my favorite records.

Tom Scanlon: 206-464-3891 or tscanlon@seattletimes.com