The Grateful Dead recently began a long reissue series that will rerelease deluxe versions of each of the band’s studio albums and singles and will stretch into 2039. In a new interview with Billboard, Dead archivist David Lemiuex of the Dave’s Picks series talked about the new reissues, his ascent to the title of archivist, the Dead vault and more.

Lemieux begins by talking about the Dead’s early live and studio work, referencing the recently released reissue of their self-titled debut, saying that, in the early days, the band was “focusing on how tight they could be” but that the studio version of “Viola Lee Blues” began to hint at the longer form improv that would become the band’s legacy. “It hit a couple of peaks that I call ‘the frenzy point,’” Lemieux says.

He also speaks on his early days as a Dead tape collector and his gradual rise to archivist, remembering his awe of late Dead archivist Dick Latvala, along with mentioning the massive vault of Dead tapes that sits in storage in Los Angeles. “Visually, unless you’re a Deadhead, it’s not that exciting,” Lemiuex says. “It’s thousands and thousands of tapes on shelves.”

The archivist also touches on the boost that Fare Thee Well gave to the visibility and modern popularity of the Grateful Dead and notes that the plans for future releases include four Dave’s Picks and one larger box set per year.

Read the full interview here.