This interview originally appeared in the Chicago print edition of The Onion A.V. Club.

Calls to sound the death knell of the music industry have rung far and wide since the beginning of the decade, but one rogue gang of hardcore music nerds have quietly carried on without much regard for the drama on the charts. With the 2006 launch of Daytrotter, a website devoted to hosting unique in-studio performances by both blog darling bands and hopeful newcomers, they’ve redirected more than just van-and-trailer combos towards the BFE outpost of Rock Island, IL. By offering touring artists the opportunity to spend one day recording four tracks of their choosing in a studio gluttonously stocked with uncommon instruments and vintage gear, the Daytrotter crew is pushing creativity in independent music beyond the constraints of the record industry. Though much of the staff is finally able to call Daytrotter a full time gig, the unwavering goal of the project – helping bands to help themselves - has been consistent since the very first session. Founder and main man Sean Moeller recently let the A.V. Club pick his brain about how bands can keep gas in the van and PBRs in the green room, what it feels like to be compared to the great John Peel, and why anyone would choose to pay rent in Brooklyn.

AVC: Beyond getting to watch your favorite bands record in a studio just about every day, what’s the most interesting thing about operating Daytrotter ?

Sean Moeller: In the beginning, we didn’t know what kind of impact Daytrotter would have, but getting to know these bands in a more intimate way has built a lot of really great friendships and we’ve started to realize that we can have an impact in more ways that just having a cool website.

AVC: What kind of impact?

SM: For most of these people, the band is their full time job. When they tell us that something like Daytrotter helps them further the band and make the most of their time on tour, it feels good to know that we’re helping. More and more, bands have to think like that – they can’t do all of the late nights and partying because being on the road is the only way they’re making money – and our hope is that there will continue to be opportunities for hard working bands to do something like [a Daytrotter session] and really maximize their time on the road. Touring is not only how bands make money these days, but it’s their version of presidential campaign stumping – it’s where they meet people, it’s where they make friends, its where they’re taking advantage of generosity. If you stay on someone’s floor, they’re usually fans for life.

AVC: Daytrotter’s growth has been mostly organic. How did it happen and how do you plan to continue growing the project?

SM: We have some pretty big plans for the next year, basically to help bands make more money, and I think they’re going to make a one-day stop at Daytrotter worth it for pretty much anybody. When we first started, it was more or less “come in and record some songs, we’ll throw them up on this website and hopefully people will check them out.” It’s to the point now where we know people are checking them out, and most bands that come in and record don’t want to leave. They’re out there telling their friends who they tour with, who tell their friends, and it just grows by word of mouth. It’s great for us, but when it’s all said and done it’s ultimately benefitting musicians who are out there working every day.

Keep reading Talk to Me: An interview with Daytrotter’s Sean Moeller

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