When you're in a band and write a song on your own, it isn't fully realized until it goes into somebody else's… — Ian MacKaye Copy Share Image
I stand behind all the lyrics I've ever written; I don't have a problem with that. — Ian MacKaye Copy Share Image
The American underground punk scene, though, is a story worth remembering. — Ian MacKaye Copy Share Image
Record labels have enjoyed a 100-year monopoly of selling plastic and now they're up against a different format. — Ian MacKaye Copy Share Image
1991 for some people was a significant year in terms of punk rock. It was the year "punk broke". — Ian MacKaye Copy Share Image
Every song I ever wrote, I wrote to be heard. So, if I was given a choice that 50 years from now… — Ian MacKaye Copy Share Image
Yeah, if someone's selling downloads and collecting money for our songs I would be unhappy about that but if they're trading it… — Ian MacKaye Copy Share Image
Major labels didn't start showing up really until they smelled money, and that's all they're ever going to be attracted to is… — Ian MacKaye Copy Share Image
Minor Threat was an important band, believe me that it was important it in my life, but it belongs to an era… — Ian MacKaye Copy Share Image
For most people who have or who do identify as or with [song] Straight Edge, I feel like for most people, they're… — Ian MacKaye Copy Share Image
I consider the piano my 'main' instrument and have been playing for as long as I can remember. It seems to me… — Ian MacKaye Copy Share Image
I feel completely fortunate to have this outlet for something I don't really feel like I have a choice in, to make… — Ian MacKaye Copy Share Image
I think what we took away from first hearing about the punk stuff in England and then the early American punk stuff… — Ian MacKaye Copy Share Image
Music is a language and different people who come along are each using that language to do something different, but all coming… — Ian MacKaye Copy Share Image
I'm all for file sharing. That's great - as long as people are prepared for the significant consequences. One is that music… — Ian MacKaye Copy Share Image
I always appreciate when people save, and more importantly, share. As we speak, there are people in this world - mostly men… — Ian MacKaye Copy Share Image
I think that the idea of straight edge, the song that I wrote, and the way people have related it it, there's… — Ian MacKaye Copy Share Image
I work at a record label where I have archives. These things [memorabilia] occurred and are important to somebody, and they're important… — Ian MacKaye Copy Share Image
The Fugazi Live Series site, when we realized the Internet, the way it works - the speeds and its development - made… — Ian MacKaye Copy Share Image
Guy Picciotto had a really sound point: Live albums basically have bands playing songs that are available on studio records, and what… — Ian MacKaye Copy Share Image
My focus is always on the day. What I've done behind me, I try to have respect for it, and keep an… — Ian MacKaye Copy Share Image
There are certainly good examples of incredibly brilliant, beautiful music that has been made commercially available and sold everywhere. But I would… — Ian MacKaye Copy Share Image
I never, ever had it in my mind that I wanted to be in the record industry, because I still contend that… — Ian MacKaye Copy Share Image
Basically we just created our own label, but again we just did it to document our own music and create our own… — Ian MacKaye Copy Share Image
In the late 90s, there was a reverse. Everyone would stand stock still and be so attentive and quiet. But then, it… — Ian MacKaye Copy Share Image
As far as the bands that are reforming now, it's always nice to see old friends and hear some of those great… — Ian MacKaye Copy Share Image
"Straight Edge" was a song about my life. There was no structure, no premise as if I was forming a club. There… — Ian MacKaye Copy Share Image
I work so I don't need to make rent through my songs, and I think if more people engaged with music without… — Ian MacKaye Copy Share Image
I'm basically in every band I ever was in, and the songs, I still mean them all. I don't take anything back,… — Ian MacKaye Copy Share Image
With Napster and the sharing of music, of course, there are going to be people who exploit it. Greed has no end.… — Ian MacKaye Copy Share Image
I'm not talking about what came later [after the American underground punk scene], indie music, or whatever you want to call it,… — Ian MacKaye Copy Share Image
I consider the guitar a tool for the most part. I do pick up the acoustic now and then, I certainly don't… — Ian MacKaye Copy Share Image
You can hear a real shift. You listen to the late 80s recordings, you'll hear us engaging with the audience, dealing with… — Ian MacKaye Copy Share Image
People ask me: ‘What is punk? How do you define punk?' Here's how I define punk: It's a free space. It could… — Ian MacKaye Copy Share Image
All we wanted to do was to make live records all available. For us, the idea is to make it all available… — Ian MacKaye Copy Share Image
Truth is, right now two bombs could drop out of the sky and blow up this house and whatever building you're in and just… — Ian MacKaye Copy Share
The thing is, people can't complain about profit-oriented moves if they're only interested in profit themselves. You can't have it both ways. If they're… — Ian MacKaye Copy Share
What people don't understand is that the underground that existed was created in the early 80s and was thriving throughout the 80s. Until the… — Ian MacKaye Copy Share
I think that people are constantly thinking about capturing things that they're not actually present for the moment they're trying to capture. I'm quite… — Ian MacKaye Copy Share
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… — Ian MacKaye Copy Share
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… — Ian MacKaye Copy Share
The Corcoran show was actually almost a reportage. The exhibit was, in many ways, pretty unique. It was one of the first pieces about… — Ian MacKaye Copy Share
The Fugazi Live Series site, when we realized the Internet, the way it works - the speeds and its development - made it possible… — Ian MacKaye Copy Share
I'm always happy when I hear about people selling records or selling books or selling movies. It makes me proud of them. — Ian MacKaye Copy Share
An unlocked door means that, occasionally, you might get a devil come in, but a locked door means you have thousands of angels just… — Ian MacKaye Copy Share
I consider the piano my 'main' instrument and have been playing for as long as I can remember. It seems to me that I… — Ian MacKaye Copy Share
I work so I don't need to make rent through my songs, and I think if more people engaged with music without needing it… — Ian MacKaye Copy Share
Guy Picciotto had a really sound point: Live albums basically have bands playing songs that are available on studio records, and what example can… — Ian MacKaye Copy Share
I think that the idea of straight edge, the song that I wrote, and the way people have related it it, there's some people… — Ian MacKaye Copy Share
![“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.” quote by Ian MacKaye](https://sms4smile.com/q/img-quotes/243/ian-mackaye-3369_edges_for-most-people-who-have-or-who-do-ident_137475.png)
![“I work at a record label where I have archives. These things [memorabilia] occurred and are important to somebody, and they're important to me. I find the record industry largely repellent. This music, the Teen Idles, all of that stuff, is important to me. I don't have lawyers, an agent or a…” quote by Ian MacKaye](https://sms4smile.com/q/img-quotes/96e/ian-mackaye-3369_agents_i-work-at-a-record-label-where-i-have-ar_1847246.png)
![“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…” quote by Ian MacKaye](https://sms4smile.com/q/img-quotes/c05/ian-mackaye-3369_band_i-m-not-talking-about-what-came-later-af_3099050.png)
