Being an indierocker is confusing. You're steeped with integrity, but success means selling out to Dreamworks. You're equally steeped with emotion, but must give the impression of being as cool as ice. This conflict runs deep, especially for local musician Sean Brooks (aka Minmae) who has agreed to pontificate on the troubling existence of the indierocker.

On the Press...

"It doesn't really matter whether people go to the show or not, it just matters that we get press, so that we get talked about. Part of being an artist is manipulating the press. Like Andy Warhol, the whole purpose of his scene was to get noticed."

On T-Shirts and Stickers...

"Minmae doesn't make stickers or T-shirts. No paraphernalia. I don't do it because it's been done so many times before. I mean why don't you just have tube socks and pens? It's the idea that bothers me, that having a T-shirt with your name on it is going to make you more popular. I mean, you'd need to make at least 500 T-shirts to have any kind of an impact."

Integrity

"Integrity needs to be defined by each individual. I don't think you need to be anti-corporate or whatever. I mean, big deal that The Shins got a whole bunch of money from McDonald's. I'm not going to say that if Matador wanted to sign me tomorrow I wouldn't do it. But if they said they wanted to make T-shirts and stickers, well, I'd probably say no. I'd just say I want to go on tour, get paid, and have my record in every store they could even put me in Kmart."--KATIE SHIMER