Tony Kiewel Runs The Label That Gave The World Nirvana. He Remains Indie Music’s Most Passionate Supporter

Meet the man who keeps the influential indie record label Sub Pop, well, poppin’

Epitomising the very essence of 90s slacker culture, Tony Kiewel says: “I’m really so worried about what I believe to be my inherent laziness that I have to channel whatever interests and passions I have into my living. I feel like that’s the only chance I’ve got.”

It’s a relatable sentiment and, coming from the head of one of the most recognised brands in music history, a hugely refreshing one.

In fact, during our entire 45-minute chat there’s not one sentence of corporate word salad or PR-crafted, on-brand messaging. With his shoulder-length hair, on-trend beard and chatty demeanour you’d be forgiven for mistaking him for a regular punter at a gig or, perhaps, a member of the band. In both his super-friendly vibe and appearance he resembles fellow Seattle son Dave Grohl, frontman of Foo Fighters and former Nirvana drummer.

But Tony is actually the president of the massively influential and important indie music label Sub Pop Records, where he’s worked for over two decades. This is the label that shook the staid, corporate-popular music scene of the 90s like a violent earthquake when it released debut albums from bands like Soundgarden, Mudhoney and, most devastating to corporate rock of all, Nirvana.

Most indie labels that make their mark on the world carve a niche alongside the popular music of the day; think the UK’s Factory Records, America’s Motown Records or our very own Flying Nun.

Sub Pop, on the other hand, almost singlehandedly destroyed entire genres. Its onslaught of late 80s-early 90s grunge releases proved nothing less than a king hit to the dominating stadium rock and hair metal of the era. While stadium rock eventually got up and rallied a decade or so later, fans of leopard print spandex and big fluffy hair are still waiting for the hair metal revival.

Tony is in Aotearoa this weekend for the Going Global Music Summit. This invaluable annual event, now in its 12th year, sees prominent figures in the international music industry come together to participate in talks and panel sessions that give a rare peek behind the curtain of the biz at the highest levels. Best of all, these sessions are open not just to musicians and local industry folk but to anyone interested in heading along.

“I’m excited to selfishly take any opportunity to hang out and talk about our friendship and working relationship,” he smiles.

Tony has a long history with the Conchords, being the one who signed them to Sub Pop before they went stratospheric. He heard about them from a friend who had learned about them from his wife. At the time Sub Pop had just tested the comedy waters with a record by alternative comedian David Cross, most famous for Mr Show and Arrested Development. The album had been a huge hit so they were keen to do more. Even so, the concept of a musical comedy act was a red flag.

“I went to see them feeling a little sceptical because, you know, there was an unwritten rule that comedy and music should not mix,” he grins. “But it was immediately apparent that this was very, very special. Very funny but also amazing songs. The rule went straight out the window.”

Sub Pop would release The Distant Future EP in 2007 for which the Conchords won a Grammy. Two more albums followed, their self-titled debut in 2008 and I Told You I Was Freaky in 2009.

Other bands that Tony has signed to Sub Pop over the years include indie favourites The Postal Service and Father John Misty, Brazillian new rave band CSS and recent alt-rock act Bully.

So for any hopeful musos aspiring to land a coveted spot with the label, he has some simple advice.

“You must be interesting and you can’t be an asshole,” he laughs. Actually wanting to hang out with the band plays a big factor in who Sub Pop works with. He also looks for great songwriting and gets very invested in lyrics.

“I like lyrics that make me think and give me something to hold on to. Or that I don’t understand, but can’t stop them rolling around in my head,” he explains. “I do like an exciting rock band. Historically, that’s probably what Sub Pop is still most known for. But the best way is to just make so much noise that we can’t miss you.”

“We’re an indie label dedicated to supporting and helping artists develop audiences. I don’t care how many monthly listeners you have on Spotify. I don’t care how active you are on TikTok. I care about ‘Do I like the song?’.”

A common dream of passionate music fans is to start their own indie label. Tony is supportive of people inspired by the stories behind labels like Sub Pop but wants to ensure they understand the reality.

READ: Olivia Rodrigo, Pop’s Brightest New Hope, Just May Be A Rock Star

“I don’t want to discourage anybody from doing it because I believe in the importance of indie music, and specifically independent record labels. I genuinely believe that they fill a very specific role within the broader ecosystem of the music community, which is reinvesting revenue in developing talent. What we do with Nirvana Bleach money is give it to a new artist who has zero followers. I believe that’s a part of our mission.

“I want to encourage everybody to jump in and try to do it. Yes, it’s cool to have good taste and pick out cool things and try to help; the one thing a lot of people who try to do this forget is that you’re also signing up to do math forever.

“Your first and foremost responsibility is to take the money, do the math and pay those people reliably. Don’t take that lightly. You’re going to bring money into the equation of your friendship and your fandom. That’s a really serious responsibility. A lot of people get blinded by how fun and exciting it is to support good art and take their fandom to another level that they can sometimes misunderstand what the responsibility is.”

Basically, there’s a lot more math than you might expect. In fact, it’s mostly math. He’s struck by a thought and laughs as he highlights a previously untold danger of running a music label.

“I’m now weirdly, super into analytics. I’m an embarrassment to 25-year-old me.”

Tony’s a good dude and clearly a passionate music fan. Exactly the kind of person who should be running a music label. He takes the Sub Pop ethos seriously, is committed to pouring resources into nurturing and growing their stable of artists and truly believes in the power of music to do good in this world. The only time he’s short of words is when asked what Sub Pop means to him personally.

“I should have a good line for that, especially after 23 years,” he smiles. “But it’s also, perhaps to an unhealthy degree, become so enmeshed in my own personal identity that it’s really hard for me to even kind of step back. The first word I think of is opportunity. I always wanted to do what I do now. And the idea that I could do it at Sub Pop… I wouldn’t have dreamed it possible.

“But also, the opportunity that was granted to me is the ability to grant opportunities to artists. What an insane gift that is. It’s not lost on me how special that is.”

Tony Kiewel is appearing in three panels during the Going Global Music Summit over the weekend. For tickets and the full programme, visit Goingglobal.co.nz.