Prompt Cast
The Rise, Fall, and Rebirth of Sub Pop Records
TLDR Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman founded Sub Pop Records in Seattle, shaping the grunge music scene, but faced challenges like losing Nirvana to a major label and internal disagreements. Despite near-collapse, the company experienced a revival with bands like The Shins and The Postal Service, leading to a successful 30-year journey.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman founded Sub Pop Records in Seattle, helping to shape the city's grunge music scene and influence American culture.
06:29
Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman both had a strong passion for music from a young age, with Bruce selling Christmas cards to buy his first record player and Jonathan immersing himself in the music scene in Detroit before eventually moving to Seattle.
13:13
Bruce Pavitt started a show called Subterranean Pop at Chaos Radio, which prioritized independently produced records, leading to the creation of a zine that eventually morphed into a mixtape.
19:31
Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman joined forces to transition Sub Pop from a hobby run out of an apartment into a real label with an office, focusing on the emerging Seattle music scene and releasing records from bands like Green River and Soundgarden.
26:40
Bruce and Jonathan joined forces after Jonathan invested some leftover money from his birth into the Soundgarden project, leading to the release of records from Green River and Soundgarden that marked the beginning of Sub Pop's success.
34:08
Mint Mobile offers wireless plans starting at $15 a month with unlimited talk, text, and data, providing quality service and savings.
41:21
Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman met with Kurt Cobain and Krist Novoselic of Nirvana at a coffee shop, where they discussed the possibility of working together.
48:44
Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman signed Nirvana after seeing them play live and released a single that received a tremendous response, leading to a contract with the band.
55:51
Nirvana's success with their album "Bleach" led to major label interest, eventually signing with Geffen, causing shock and disappointment for Sub Pop Records.
01:02:46
Sub Pop Records faced disappointment as Nirvana signed with another label and their departure was sensed to lead to major success.
01:10:08
Sub Pop Records founders had different visions for the company's growth, leading to tension and eventual estrangement between them, with one wanting to keep it small and focused on Seattle bands while the other aimed for expansion.
01:16:42
Tension and eventual estrangement between Sub Pop Records founders was fueled by a shift in culture and personal disagreements, leading to significant challenges and near-collapse of the company in the late 90s.
01:24:22
Sub Pop Records experienced a turnaround with the success of bands like The Shins and The Postal Service, while the reconciliation between founders Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman was facilitated by time and shared appreciation for the company's evolution.
01:31:43
Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman reflect on the challenges and successes of their 30-year journey with Sub Pop Records.
Categories:
Business
