We’re often asked why we chose the name “Needmore” for our company. (Okay… once or twice.) Actually, the name “Needmore Designs” is a tribute to Robert Pollard’s (of Guided By Voices fame) music publishing company Needmore Songs. It seemed to me that it sounded good. And if our friends The Thermals can claim that they signed to Sub Pop because of comedian David Cross, we could name ourselves after a rock musician’s publishing company.

More trivia: An article posted on the band’s site provides a motive behind the name that I wasn’t aware of:

The name was a take-off on Needmore Road, the bustling auto tributary clearly visible from Pollard’s back yard. Since those days in the early 80’s, the singer, songwriter, and former elementary school teacher has proven himself to be one of the most prolific songwriters of the post-punk era. In that light, Needmore Songs takes on a highly ironic tone.

Unrelated trivia: You can still see a video I made for The Thermals long ago, mostly from footage of a very early show of theirs at Stumptown Coffee Roasters, filmed by the shop’s owner Duane Sorenson.