Sleater-Kinney, Kennedy School, Portland, OR, May 2005: This was a particularly tough shoot for me. It was an editorial piece timed with the release of The Woods and I went down to Portland with the writer and SK's Sub Pop publicist. I've been a diehard SK fan since Dig Me Out and although I can't count the number of shows I've been to on two hands, it was the first time I had taken their portrait. We went out to dinner the previous night and Janet took us to Tennessee Reds for drinks and a game of pool afterwards.A The band was hesitant to do the interview for reasons I won't go into, but they ultimately agreed. One of them still wasn't on board and was vocal about her frustration and reluctance during the shoot the next morning. It was interesting to see the three of them process their decision and disagreement together as a band right in front of me.A  Although it was all very civil and respectful,A  I can't say I was too surprised when they announced The Woods would be their final album.

We shot at the Kennedy School, a hotel set in an elementary school built in 1915 that is decorated to maintain all of its scholarly charm.A I started the shoot by asking the band to write a timeline of their history on the blackboard.A I then photographed them in front of it. Carrie helped lighten the mood by making faces and raising her hand like an eager student, which got everyone laughing.

The Gossip, Club Luxx, Brooklyn, November 2002: This show was a day or two after the YYYs but not part of CMJ. The Kills and Raveonettes opened. A Club Luxx was small and cavernous with a tiny stage just a few inches off the ground.A  It may have been a secret show because turnout was modest at best and included Nick Zinner and Creation Records founder Alan McGee.A There were a couple low wattage red bulbs that lit the stage and I patiently waited until someone stepped into the light to get a decent exposure.A A Beth was wearing a homemade white t- shirt paying homage to the Slits.A This shot was taken just before she ripped it off.

What Made Milwaukee Famous, Seattle, WA, 2006: This wasn't planned.A  When you shoot in multiple outside locations and are chasing light, finding a place to change on the run can be tricky. These guys from Austin were laid back and easy going. They didn't bat an eye to doing a full wardrobe change behind a building sign on the UW campus.A  I was sorting through film and gear when someone on my crew poked me on the shoulder.A They had all just dropped their drawers at the same time. I ran over and took two quick frames before they got back to business.

Death Cab for Cutie, Showbox, Seattle, WA, February 28, 2003: This was their first Seattle show with new drummer, Jason McGerr, and everyone was excited to see how their first tour with him would shake out. I remember spending part of their set that night behind Chris Walla's amp, catching moments where he seemed completely taken over by the music, eyes closed, head back, arm driving up and down his guitar. Everyone in the band has a very fluid style of playing.A  Each has a certain sway, or dance they naturally do while playing. Here, Ben powers through.

The Thermals, Showbox, Seattle, WA, February 28, 2003: The Thermals had just released a remix of their 4-song demo, the No Culture Icons (which includes the Everything Thermals theme song, my personal favorite), and were opening the show for Death Cab.A  Ben Barnett from Kind of Like Spitting had joined the band on guitar and brought his own stamp of frenetic energy to the performance.A  One moment I had him framed up with Hutch and KathyA  in the shot and the next his back was on the ground, with his chucks dangling in the air where his torso had been. The Thermals go right to your head. The Thermals have sex in your bed. Everything in circles...

Telekinesis, Vashon Island, January, 2009: The time I had with the full band was limited, so my assistant Sarah and I were doing our best to keep on schedule.A  We were heading to one of our Vashon locations and I was riding in the passenger's seat of Michael's van, going over the sequence of the day.A  At one point I turned back to talk to Sarah and saw these brown trees muted by fog dissappearing behind her head.A  Uhh, we have to stop. It'll be quick.A  Michael pulled over, I grabbed the camera and didn't even bother to take a polaroid.A  We were back in the van and on our way in under 3 minutes.

Aqueduct, Seattle, 2004: Barsuk hired me to take promos of Dave from Aqueduct (aka AqueDave) for the Pistols at Dawn EP, his first release on the label. I had been listening to my advance copy non-stop the week leading up to the shoot and it took a huge amount of restraint not to sing it as much as I had been around the house, in the car, in the shower. The song Tension was (and is) a particular weakness of mine and I have a tendency to interpret the chorus as a lounge singer would (try it, it's fun). He had been running his hands through his hair earlier in the shoot and by the end he had given himself quite the Elvis pompadour. We played it up a bit with the glasses next to a tile wall that had similar colors.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Irving Plaza, NYC, October 31, 2002: They headlined the CMJ Touch and Go showcase and were selling/celebrating the Machine EP release a few days early. The place was packed and their set was intense.A  They were still riding the wave of their first release (self-titled EP) and it was a treat for me to see them play in their hometown and watch Karen O rally the crowd like I hadn't seen at their Seattle shows. She sported her usual Christian Joy custom couture, with words like sigh hidden within the panels of the skirt. Brian, the drummer, was dressed as Karen. I was probably one or two people back on stage left, but the crowd was a moving beast and I didn't have both feet on the ground for more than 1/15 of a second.A  Flash was a necessity.

Cave Singers, The Smoke Farm, Arlington, WA, May 2007: Derek approached me about shooting their album cover while I was photographing their April 21 KEXP in-studio with Hannah Levine.A He wanted a shot of the three of them embracing, group-hug style, and bounced the idea off of me to see if I could come up with a location.A I convinced them to take the drive with me up to the Smoke Farm and had them hug in a number of different settings, with this clearing being my favorite and the first.A The exposures were long and required the guys to keep still, almost in a meditative manner. There is something calm and peaceful about the three of them - so natural - while the forest and grass surrounding them seem almost alien.A  I've always thought of the band here as the eye of the storm. At the end of the shoot we put the camera on timer and I joined the hug. This shot almost didn't make the cover. Two of the guys favored another version from the day of them under a large tree, bodies close to unidentifiable. I gave my opinion and had to sit back with fingers crossed. I don't remember if one of them changed their mind or if it was the label that swayed the vote, but I know everyone was happy with the decision in the end.