Originally published in Warp, 1994

Microphone connoisseur and billiardsman Steve Albini has recorded albums for the Pixies, Nirvana, the Jesus Lizard, and PJ Harvey. He doesn’t know when to keep his mouth shut, so he’s lost work for commenting pointedly on sleaze in the music business. In the high-quality ultramodern band Shellac, he plays guitar and sings, Todd Trainer plays drums, and fellow recording ace Bob Weston plays the bass.

Did you quit playing guitar after Big Black or Rapeman broke up?

No, I just didn’t have any reason to keep on it, because I wasn’t in a band. I found an excuse every year or so to do something informally with someone else. Not having a band, your skills slip pretty dramatically. It took me a long time to get back in the groove.

Did Shellac begin informally?

Very informally. It was just me and Todd, and we would get together and play every two or three months. A friend of mine called Camilo Gonzales played bass with us for a while.

What’s the story with the first Shellac album?

It’s pretty good, I like it a lot. It’s called Shellac at Action Park.

You’re putting out vinyl a few months earlier than CDs, is that right?

Yes, in my opinion vinyl is absolutely a better and more permanent format for music. We’re spending a fortune having very high quality mastering, metalwork, pressing, very thick records being made. You would think that sounding better, being more permanent, durable and prettier, and being cheaper would be enough reason to buy vinyl rather than CD. But I think if we make it a really special item, that will kick enough people in the ass.

I’m not sure that people are more interested in quality than convenience.

That’s true, but people that are serious about music and enjoy it on a more involved level than just throwing something on while they do the dishes, they will gravitate towards vinyl records.

Is it hard to keep perspective recording with two engineers in the band?

The studio is really just a glorified rehearsal space for us. There’s no attempt on our part to sculpt a new personality for the band, we’re just basically documenting what we’re doing at the moment.

What have you learned from the bands you’ve worked with in the studio?

I’ve come to appreciate how distinct a personal vision can be, even if the music it’s reflected in is quite mundane. I’ve also learned that it’s very easy to be overwhelmed by your music. Watching bands socially, in the studio, I see them torture themselves over the tiniest, most insignificant decision. Their world shrinks in the studio. I’ve learned things to do, I’ve learned things not to do, and I’ve learned to appreciate things that I wouldn’t have appreciated otherwise.

How do you feel about being a singer?

I don’t really consider myself a singer. I consider myself a vocalist in a rock band, which is a far cry from being a singer. The vocals provide an immediately identifiable human element. I’ve always figured as long as the vocals provide a convincing emotional footing, the literal meaning of the words is trivial. I think Jon Spencer from the Blues Explosion is a really astounding vocalist at times. You get a clear picture of his enthusiasm for what he’s doing.