“I just knew I had to be ready to go, and when Kurt was on his A-game, we had to hit ‘record’.” “When I went to do Nevermind, I had an idea of what it was going to be like,” Vig said.

Nirvana were adamant that Vig was still their top choice and so, by the time it came to begin recording sessions in May 1991, Vig was already familiar with the material and the band’s methods. Geffen Records was chosen from the majors that courted them, and the label proceeded to suggest a list of big name producers that should helm their forthcoming album. Though the notion rankled with Kurt Cobain, who was resolutely punk rock at heart, signing with a major could afford the group the means with which to reach a much larger audience. The only option was to seek a major label that could afford to do so. If they wanted to leave Sub Pop, Nirvana would have had to buy their contract out. First was the departure of their drummer, Chad Channing, who had played on the demos and was replaced by Dave Grohl. Since recording those songs – which included early versions of Nevermind cuts “Polly,” “Breed,” and “Lithium” – Nirvana had some adjustments to contend with. “They had been driving in the Sub Pop van… so they had been playing shows, and by the time they got into the studio they were in dire need of a shower and a hot meal.” Choosing a label

“They were pretty scruffy and grungy when they showed up,” Vig recalled of their first meeting. Listen to Nirvana’s “Come As You Are” as part of the 30th anniversary editions of Nevermind here.

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