‘He’d offset the intensity by setting his feet on fire’: PJ Harvey, Mogwai and more on Steve Albini

‘He showed me the studio could be approached like a guitar or any other instrument’ … Albini at Electrical Audio. Photograph: Evan Jenkins/The Guardian

PJ Harvey

I wanted to work with Steve from the moment I heard Surfer Rosa by Pixies. I had never heard anything as powerfully moving, both emotionally and sonically, and knew I wanted to hear my songs within that sound – a sound so alive, it was as if you were there in the room while the blaze of emotion was taking place.