Pearl Jam’s Stone Gossard Talks About How Radio Helped Grunge Rise

2012-05-11

Story by Cat Badra

Pearl Jam guitarist has fond memories of the Seattle public radio station that helped launch grunge rock

Pearl Jam guitarist Stone Gossard is speaking out about his support for public radio over the years. Gossard fondly remembers when the University of Washington’s KCMU, Seattle’s public radio station, took a chance on Seattle’s budding grunge rock scene in the ’80s and early ’90s.

“It’s pretty much a no-brainer for us to say we’re interested in showing our support publicly,” Gossard told Billboard of the group’s support of Public Radio Music Month. “There are such a variety of different entities out there that aren’t typical commercial radio stations that are having an impact.

“[KCMU successor KEXP] is probably one of the most influential music design organizations out there in terms of their impact in Seattle, but also their impact worldwide… And the model that they’re working with… which is they’re trusting their DJs to an enormous degree to create this blend that people are going to love… Their fans are supporting it.”

He added that public radio plays songs that he feels have a strong connection with the audience. “And that’s a huge key, that you can create something with its own fingerprint that people will feel a real emotional connection with that they will support it without a typical selling detergent model sort of rock radio. That’s exciting. That’s pretty cool.” To read the rest of the chat, which also includes an interview with Death Cab for Cutie’s Chris Walla, head to Billboard.