High school best friends David Kramer, Sammy and Tahli Harkham opened the Family Bookstore in Los Angeles in 2007. An unpredictable mix of No Age gigs, art shows by Will Oldham’s mum, all nestling up to a Richard Brautigan novel, Family (and its new gallery Hope) immediately created a hub for the city’s feverish underground creative movement. “None of us had any idea about running a bookstore. I’ve been fired from pretty much every retail job I’ve had. Some things are just too rad to say no. You kind of forget that feeling of staleness or hopelessness. It’s like everyone’s living the American dream.”

Name a person or organisation that shares your DIY ethos, and explain why?
My partner in Hope Gallery is Cali Dewitt who is the guy behind the Teenage Teardrops record label. Why I like his label is the same reason he is perfect to work with at Hope - Teardrops is about putting out records he personally loves, by people he personally loves. His label is almost autobiographical, a personal narrative in itself. I like the idea of running a label, shop, gallery, venue, or really any job as a very personal expression.

Do you think the recession has helped or hindered your creativity? Why?
It's definitely a drag, but it also forces you to be creative and push harder, do more shows and events, make more stuff. I've been trying to ignore it, like “all that stuff has nothing to do with me and my people”, but that approach has become near impossible as so many of my friends are getting fucked. Try to remember all this trouble has nothing to do with us as people.

Music for a revolution - what song sums up your attitude?
Family Bookstore Records just put out our first 7" of a band called Asdsska, which is Aska Matsumiya and David Scott Stone who both play in The Sads. The instruments are a modular synthesizer and a grand piano and Aska's vocals. The b-side is called ‘We Feel it More Than They Do’.

What other period inspires you the most, and why?
I'm really into biblical times, the idea of serving in a temple, and having a God who actually reveals himself from time to time. I like the idea of incense offerings being burned to float through an entire city and pilgrim festivals where everyone in the country comes and camps in the big city and gets festive.

Family  Bookstore Top 5

Kramers Ergot 7
My partner in Family, Sammy Harkham edits this kind of annual anthology of comics. This one is kind of a landmark in comics publishing as it's the size of a gigantic newspaper, or two skateboards side by side. Chris Ware actually included a life-size newborn baby in the centre of his strip. Artists include Ben Jones, Geoff Mcfetridge, CF, Dan Clowes, Adrian Tomine, Shoboshobo.

Hot Coals Only
By Peter Sutherland
This is the catalogue of his solo show at my gallery, Hope. It’s not minimal – there’s 100s of photos. Peter’s my favourite photographer - loads of bearded men, ramshackle cars, rural graffiti and anthropomorphic-looking dogs.

I Have a Room with Everything
By Melanie Bonajo
Published by Capricious, who do the great photography magazine. This is a book of Bonajo’s art, which I love because it’s so funny, and seems like Bonajo finds it the most funny. There’s photos of Bonajo’s dad poking his head out of the book of a car and sculptures made up of people squashed between layers of mattresses, like burgers.

Ablutions
By Pat Dewitt
I read this novel in one sitting, partly because I was so engrossed and also because there were scenes pretty hideous and I wanted to get through them as quickly as possible. Compellingly gnarly. It details the downward spiral of an alcoholic bartender and the way he describes the customers, his romantic encounters, and his own self loathing is always hilarious.

Nobody Told Me There’d Be Days Like These
By Amanda Maxwell
This is a book of short stories from Australian publisher Serps Press, and has watercolour illustrations by Sarah Larnach. It’s another small press, handsome book. I believe the packaging of fiction is just as important as the actual prose - form is content. The stories are unselfconscious and read like memoir. Very funny little observations of catching the tram and going to the beach.

Read more of the YCE feature here.