“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
“Record labels have enjoyed a 100-year monopoly of selling plastic and now they're up against a different format.” YearsDifferentRecordsSellingEnjoyedLabelsPlasticMonopolyFormatRecord Labels Author:Ian MacKaye
“"Straight Edge" was a song about my life. There was no structure, no premise as if I was forming a club. There were no tenets. I mean I wrote a song called "Straight Edge," I'll take that, but the song was about my life the way I wanted to live it.” IfsWayMeanWantedSongStructureEdgesClubsPremisesStraight Edge Author:Ian MacKaye
“For most people who have or who do identify as or with [song] Straight Edge, I feel like for most people, they're just trying to do the right thing.” PeopleFeelsTryingSongEdgesRight ThingStraight Edge Author:Ian MacKaye
“Structures can be manipulated for ill as well, especially when people are dealing with issues of power, or control, or violence.” PeopleWellsIssuesViolenceStructureIll Author:Ian MacKaye
“I mean, why do people fight over sports? Because of the framework, the schematic of sports, those particular people seize upon these opportunities to be violent. And the number one problem using the same framework would be religion.” PeopleMeanProblemWould BeFightingOpportunitySportsNumbersParticularViolentFramework Author:Ian MacKaye
“I'd much rather talk to a 30-year old that survived rough times in their lives [practicing Straight Edge] rather than someone that was harmed by a culture of violence.” YearsCultureViolenceEdgesRoughSurvivedRough TimesStraight Edge Author:Ian MacKaye
“I'm a fifth generation Washingtonian and I was born and raised here. My kid's a sixth generation Washingtonian. Honestly I wish people didn't move because I love the people of the city.” PeopleKidsMovingWishBornCitiesGenerationsRaisedHonestlyFifthBorn And Raised Author:Ian MacKaye
“In high school, I was on the youth advisory council for the Mayor's Office of Los Angeles, and that was kind of my first experience in the bureaucratic system. We tried to get things done, and nobody was really interested in getting anything done.” FirstsKindDoneSchoolYouthOfficeHigh SchoolLos AngelesCouncilThings DoneMayorsAdvisory Author:Rashida Jones