As the leader of Superchunk and the co-founder of Merge Records, Mac McCaughan is a key player in the history of American indie rock.

He tells Steve about how hardcore inspired him to start his own band in the ’80s, and how it also informs Superchunk’s new politicized album, “What A Time To Be Alive,” which will be out in early 2018. He also talks about how the Internet affected the uniqueness of underground culture — basically, it ruined everything, he says, though it’s still possible to carve out safe spaces for special things to happen.