Paradise Found

But the Velvet Teen didn't have that. Nagler and his brother recorded all of Elysium on a PowerBook G4 for approximately 10 grand.

Today, having succeeded at going it alone these past few years, the band members aren't itching to sign a big contract anytime soon.

When the major labels came a-knocking, Velvet Teen did the unimaginable. They walked away.

Details

The Velvet Teen performs July 31 at Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studios, with Polar Bears.

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More About

• The Velvet Teen
• Judah Nagler
• Chris Walla
• Petaluma
• Rick Rubin

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"We're always open to offers," Staples says, "but it's still not the most tempting thing. I mean, we're traveling to Japan and stuff on our own; we can do things on our own. It can only get more profitable on our own. We're not going to fall all over ourselves trying to get major-label attention. If they really want us, they know how to get ahold of us."