“The first time I ever recorded, which was into my boom-box, I was like, 'Wow, check that out.' It sounded great. The narcotic of it was so intense - it was pleasurable. I was like, 'You sound like a band.' Then I ended up spending the rest of my life trying to chase that initial high again.” TryingFirstsSoundLike YouBandFirst TimeBoxesSpendingIntenseChecksWowInitialsNarcotics Author:Ian MacKaye
“Music is a language and different people who come along are each using that language to do something different, but all coming at it in a similar vein inasmuch as it's always community based and for the most part nonprofit. Most bands don't ever come within a mile of profit - clearly these people are not playing music to make money.” PeopleDifferentLanguageCommunityBandMusic IsProfitMilesMaking MoneyVeinsDifferent PeoplesPlaying MusicNonprofits Author:Ian MacKaye
“I've had people call me from bands that are very popular, and they're like, "What do we do? We want to do what you do." It's almost impossible to do what I do, because you would have to start in 1980. You can't just do it.” PeopleWantImpossibleBandCall MeJust Do ItVery Popular Author:Ian MacKaye
“Minor Threat was an important band, believe me that it was important it in my life, but it belongs to an era that no longer exists. I'm not nostalgic. I think music today is much more important, because something can be done about it.” ThinkingBelieveImportantDoneTodayBandThreatErasBelieve In MeMinorsNostalgic Author:Ian MacKaye
“My focus is always on the day. What I've done behind me, I try to have respect for it, and keep an eye on it, and make sure it isn't abused, and obviously be thoughtful about it, because it's all real to me. I'm basically in every band I ever was in, and the songs, I still mean them all.” TryingMeanStillsRealDoneEyeSongBehindsFocusBandThoughtful Author:Ian MacKaye
“When children start to speak they find their own voice by imitating the sounds around them. It would follow that bands do the same. Bands will find their own voice at some point.” ChildrenSpeakSoundVoiceBandImitating Author:Ian MacKaye
“I'm basically in every band I ever was in, and the songs, I still mean them all. I don't take anything back, so I do look after them to some degree. But my main focus is on what I'm doing now.” LooksMeanStillsSongFocusBandDegrees Author:Ian MacKaye
“Trenchmouth, really great band. Here's a photo of them in 1979 playing the Valley Green projects. It was an incredible, unusual experience. We ran a cord through the window and plugged the PA and amps into that and played right in the courtyard. It was an incredible experience. It was just local kids.” KidsBandProjectsWindowGreenIncrediblesLocalsRanValleysUnusualReally GreatCords Author:Ian MacKaye
“We had punks literally protesting Fugazi. I respect a boycott. I respect a conscionable boycott, but of all bands to boycott? Fight crime. If you really want to get out there, go fight crime.” IfsWantFightingCrimeBandPunkBoycott Author:Ian MacKaye
“I'm not talking about what came later [after the American underground punk scene], indie music, or whatever you want to call it, but the music that came before that - that's an important story. So many interviews with musicians get the time or context wrong. You have these older bands, usually men, who tell stories about "Oh, we got into this huge fight, this guy punched that guy," that's the wrong sort of story. My view of the time is truly pioneering.” MenWantImportantStoriesGuyFightingViewsTalkingHugeBandMusicianInterviewsThis GuyThat GuyNot TalkingPioneeringIndie Music Author:Ian MacKaye
“You had bands like D.O.A., or Black Flag, and a whole network opened up to trailblazer a counter culture movement. I'm more interested in the less sensational type of stories.” WholeStoriesCultureBlackMovementTypeBandFlagsSensationalTrailblazersCounter Culture Author:Ian MacKaye
