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Sub Pop Records

also referred to as: sub pop

28 statements across 3 episodes · 7 bullish · 1 bearish · 4 people on the record · first statement Jun 1, 2020 by Jonathan Poneman · said 103 times in 11 episodes since 2020 · across every show →

Mentions by year

brought up most by Guy Raz (66), Bruce Pavitt (19), Jonathan Poneman (14), Mac McCaughan (3), Ethan Diamond (1)

tap a year for its mentions
0050410082020202120222023202420252026episodesmentions
0482020202120222023202420252026episodes it came up in
007.541582020202120222023202420252026episodesmentions per episode
2026 1 mention in 1 episode
2022 1 mention in 1 episode
2021 8 mentions in 2 episodes 4 per episode
2020 93 mentions in 7 episodes 13 per episode

every mention, scene by scene, with the transcript →

Everything said about Sub Pop Records, oldest first

Jun 1, 2020
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Poneman: Krist Novoselic demanded a recording contract by banging on Pavitt's windows
“One evening, Chris Novoselic went over to Bruce's house and started banging on the windows, demanding a recording contract.”
Jonathan Poneman Jun 1, 2020 ▶ 46:13 Sub Pop Records: Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman
Jun 1, 2020 positive
Assertion Supported
Pavitt: Sub Pop took off in 1987 via dual record promo
“This decision was made in spring of 87, and when the Green River Record Release Party happened in June of 87, by that time we had the Soundgarden single pressed, so when we mailed out the Green River EP to radio stations and press and so forth. We included the…”
Bruce Pavitt Jun 1, 2020 ▶ 26:06 Sub Pop Records: Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman
Jun 1, 2020
Assertion Supported
Pavitt: John Peel said Sub Pop had most distinctive sound since Motown
“He literally said Sub Pop has the most distinctive regional sound since Tamla Motown.”
Bruce Pavitt Jun 1, 2020 ▶ 50:06 Sub Pop Records: Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman
Jun 1, 2020 neutral
Assertion Supported
Pavitt: Nirvana's Sub Pop debut album Bleach has sold two million copies
“Yes, and then our Bleach album, I think at this point it sold like two million copies”
Bruce Pavitt Jun 1, 2020 ▶ 1:02:39 Sub Pop Records: Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman
Jun 1, 2020 neutral
Disclosure
Poneman: Invested $10,000 in childhood savings bonds to fund Sub Pop
“There were savings bonds. And there was around nine or 10,000 dollars.”
Jonathan Poneman Jun 1, 2020 ▶ 25:06 Sub Pop Records: Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman
Jun 1, 2020
Assertion Supported
Pavitt: Sub Pop's Lamefest was Moore Theater's first local sellout
“The record release Party for Bleach was actually our Lamefest showcase at the Moore Theater with you know, seating 1500 people. It sold out, it was the first show in the history of the Moore Theater that had sold out a local show.”
Bruce Pavitt Jun 1, 2020 ▶ 51:21 Sub Pop Records: Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman
Jun 1, 2020 negative
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Poneman: Post-Nirvana, we paid $150k for bands that previously cost $2k
“Well, there were bands who, before Nirvana had their explosive success, we would have signed for 2000 dollars. In one particular case, I signed one of those bands for 150,000 dollars.”
Jonathan Poneman Jun 1, 2020 ▶ 1:15:23 Sub Pop Records: Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman
Jun 1, 2020
Disclosure
Poneman: Warner deal proceeds went directly to the founders, not Sub Pop
“Similarly, the deal was done with Bruce and myself, singularly. It was not done with SubPop, so the money went directly to Bruce and myself.”
Jonathan Poneman Jun 1, 2020 ▶ 1:08:37 Sub Pop Records: Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman
Jun 1, 2020 neutral
Assertion Partly supported
Pavitt: Mudhoney's 'Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge' sold 100,000 copies
“We were releasing a record by Mudhoney called Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge that sold a 100,000 copies, and that came out at the same time.”
Bruce Pavitt Jun 1, 2020 ▶ 1:03:00 Sub Pop Records: Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman
Jun 1, 2020
Assertion Supported
Pavitt: Nirvana's debut album Bleach sold 40,000 copies through word of mouth
“It eventually sold up to around 40,000 copies, and there was just a lot of word of mouth.”
Bruce Pavitt Jun 1, 2020 ▶ 52:01 Sub Pop Records: Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman
Jun 1, 2020
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Poneman: Kurt Cobain regularly insisted Nirvana should sell a million records
“Kurt would Tell me regularly. We should be selling a million of these. And I'd be going, you don't understand, you know.”
Jonathan Poneman Jun 1, 2020 ▶ 52:54 Sub Pop Records: Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman
Jun 1, 2020
Assertion Supported
Poneman: The Postal Service's 'Give Up' is Sub Pop's second best-selling album
“Second best-selling.”
Jonathan Poneman Jun 1, 2020 ▶ 1:18:46 Sub Pop Records: Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman
Jun 1, 2020
Assertion Contradicted
Poneman: Sub Pop pioneered direct COD retail sales for US indie labels
“And at the time, independent record labels weren't doing this in the United States. We all figured that we needed to have a relationship with a distributor to get our records into the stores. But Bruce and I picked up the phone, and we decided to start selling…”
Jonathan Poneman Jun 1, 2020 ▶ 33:28 Sub Pop Records: Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman
Jun 1, 2020
Disclosure
Pavitt: Firing four key employees triggered departure and co-founder estrangement
“The firing of four employees that I thought were very valuable to the company, and I was very traumatized by that. I was very, I can't even put it into words, but . I couldn't process that, and I was very upset, and I think that was really what led to our estr…”
Bruce Pavitt Jun 1, 2020 ▶ 1:11:21 Sub Pop Records: Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman
Jun 1, 2020 positive
Insight
Pavitt: Sub Pop succeeded by shamelessly seeking publicity, unlike other punk labels
“Sub Pop is, is a known brand, in part due to the fact that we were relentless and shameless in seeking media attention. That was just what we did. Other indie slash punk labels would shy away from that, but we didn't.”
Bruce Pavitt Jun 1, 2020 ▶ 1:05:15 Sub Pop Records: Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman
Jun 1, 2020
Insight
Pavitt: Intuitive founders excel at creation but suffer in corporate structures
“And a personality such myself that is somewhat intuitive and improvisational does very well in the birthing of a company, but when it comes to administrative, and when things become more departmentalized, it's a little bit soul crushing.”
Bruce Pavitt Jun 1, 2020 ▶ 1:10:41 Sub Pop Records: Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman
Jun 1, 2020
Disclosure
Poneman: Early Sub Pop funding relied on pitching personal connections on hype
“Bruce and I basically hit up everybody we knew for money at one point or the other, and it was a business proposition that was driven by hype.”
Jonathan Poneman Jun 1, 2020 ▶ 27:53 Sub Pop Records: Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman
Jun 1, 2020
Insight
Poneman: Running Sub Pop was easier broke than funded
“In some ways it was much easier to run the label with no money than it became when we had some money.”
Jonathan Poneman Jun 1, 2020 ▶ 1:07:17 Sub Pop Records: Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman
Jun 1, 2020 positive
Assertion Supported
Pavitt: Retaining royalty points on Nirvana's major-label records earned Sub Pop millions
“So, the way things played out, we had points because of the contract on Nirvana's records, so we went from having no money to actually having millions of dollars.”
Bruce Pavitt Jun 1, 2020 ▶ 1:02:20 Sub Pop Records: Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman
Jun 1, 2020 positive
Assertion Supported
Pavitt: Borrowed $5,000 from a customer to press Sub Pop 100
“I borrowed 5000 bucks to put it out. It did wind up selling 5000 copies and Those were really good numbers at that time.”
Bruce Pavitt Jun 1, 2020 ▶ 18:47 Sub Pop Records: Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman
Jun 1, 2020
Assertion Supported
Pavitt: Nirvana shopped their 1990 Butch Vig sessions secretly to major labels
“So we sent Nirvana there in 1990, I believe it was May. They were supposed to record their next album, and that tape wound up being a demo that got shopped to Majors, unbeknownst to myself and John.”
Bruce Pavitt Jun 1, 2020 ▶ 53:50 Sub Pop Records: Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman
Jun 1, 2020
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Pavitt: Sub Pop had under $100 the week 'Teen Spirit' shipped
“There was a point in time in August of 1991 where we literally did not have a hundred dollars in the bank, ok? And that's the week that Smells Like Teen Spirit got shipped out to radio.”
Bruce Pavitt Jun 1, 2020 ▶ 1:23:26 Sub Pop Records: Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman
Jun 1, 2020
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Pavitt: Sub Pop signed Nirvana using a 20-cent photocopied library contract
“John's true genius was to go to the library and photocopy a generic contract, use a little whiteout, and for you know, 20 cents worth of copies, we were able to get a contract with Nirvana that is essentially the reason why we're talking to you today.”
Bruce Pavitt Jun 1, 2020 ▶ 47:08 Sub Pop Records: Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman
Jun 1, 2020 positive
Assertion Partly supported
Pavitt: Borrowed $3,000 from his father to release Green River's debut
“I called up my dad, and borrowed 3000 dollars, and got Dry as a Bone, the first Green River record, out.”
Bruce Pavitt Jun 1, 2020 ▶ 21:04 Sub Pop Records: Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman
Jun 1, 2020 positive
Opinion
Poneman: Mudhoney remains Sub Pop's ultimate flagship house band
“Mudhoney ended up becoming, and still is to this day, the ultimate, or the flagship, or they're the sub-pop house band.”
Jonathan Poneman Jun 1, 2020 ▶ 31:33 Sub Pop Records: Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman
Apr 8, 2021
Assertion Supported
Bandcamp hosts almost 10,000 independent record labels
“So we were, at this point, we have almost 10,000 independent labels on the site. So Sub Pop, Merge, ATO Ninja Tune, Relapse just Loads and loads of independent labels.”
Ethan Diamond Apr 8, 2021 ▶ 8:51 How I Built Resilience: Ethan Diamond of Bandcamp
Dec 6, 2021 neutral
Assertion Not checkable as stated
McCaughan: 1989 Sub Pop visit was as fans, not to get signed
“One of my friends from school, Aubrey Summers, was friends with them just from growing up, I guess, from high school or something like that, and so it wasn't like, oh, you can get your band signed, it was just more like, we're fans of Mudhoney and Sub Pop, and…”
Mac McCaughan Dec 6, 2021 ▶ 23:52 Merge Records: Laura Ballance and Mac McCaughan
Dec 6, 2021 positive
Insight
McCaughan: Record labels represent a shared aesthetic voice, not just manufacturing
“I thought of a label as the kind of aesthetic umbrella of, like, a certain group of artists. In other words, like, when I thought of record labels, I thought of For AD, or Sub Pop, or Discord, or Teen Beat Records. Like, they each had their own kind of voice”
Mac McCaughan Dec 6, 2021 ▶ 30:51 Merge Records: Laura Ballance and Mac McCaughan
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