--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Basically we just created our own label…" description: "\"Basically we just created our own label, but again we just did it to document our own music and create our own thing, so the major labels were just alw..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/593/ian-mackaye-3369_again_basically-we-just-created-our-own-label_2556675.png" --- # Basically we just created our own label, but again we just… ![“Basically we just created our own label, but again we just did it to document our own music and create our own thing, so the major labels were just always out of our picture, we're not interested.” quote by Ian MacKaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/593/ian-mackaye-3369_again_basically-we-just-created-our-own-label_2556675.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/593/ian-mackaye-3369_again_basically-we-just-created-our-own-label_2556675.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/593/ian-mackaye-3369_again_basically-we-just-created-our-own-label_2556675.png) > “Basically we just created our own label, but again we just did it to document our own music and create our own thing, so the major labels were just always out of our picture, we're not interested.” [Ian MacKaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mackaye/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. DIY artists label their work to retain control, bypassing major industry gatekeepers. **In simple terms:** Create your own label to stay independent. Key Takeaway Establish self‑managed distribution channels. Themes independence DIY music industry Mood defiant empowered Type philosophical practical When to use this quote - indie music production - online distribution - artist collectives Key Concepts entrepreneurship creative control subculture Questions to Reflect On - Can DIY sustain long‑term success? - What resources are needed? A Different Perspective Major labels still dominate distribution networks. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Again](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/again/) [Always](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/always/) [Basically](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/basically/) [Create](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/create/) [Created](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/created/) [Created Label](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/created-label-1570067/) [Did](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/did/) [Document](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/document/) [Interested](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interested/) [Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/just/) [Label](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/label/) [Label Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/label-just-390708/) [Labels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/labels/) [Labels Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/labels-just-1570066/) [Major](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/major/) [Major Labels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/major-labels/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Not interested](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/not-interested/) [Our](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/our/) [Out](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/out/) [Own](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/own/) [Picture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/picture/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) [Thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thing/) [Were](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/were/) ## Related quotes > [I truly believe, as an institution, most major labels should just die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moby/i-truly-believe-as-an-institution-most-major-labels-should-just-die/) [Moby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moby/) > [Major labels just lost their way. It's like the housing bubble. They lost a sense of the fundamentals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/win-butler/major-labels-just-lost-their-way-it-s-like-the-housing-bubble-they/) [Win Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/win-butler/) > [“Labels are just labels, just handles to let us grasp things, pick them up, turn them over in our hands.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-mcintyre/labels-are-just-labels-just-handles-to-let-us-grasp-things-pick-them/) [Jason McIntyre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-mcintyre/) > [The thing with labels is they're not for you, they're for other people. Like labels are just a word for other people to understand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shailene-woodley/the-thing-with-labels-is-they-re-not-for-you-they-re-for-other-people/) [Shailene Woodley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shailene-woodley/) > [The bad-boy label is just an assumption.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-brand/the-bad-boy-label-is-just-an-assumption/) [Russell Brand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-brand/) > [My label is just "good farming", which isn't something you can put on a t-shirt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-berry/my-label-is-just-good-farming-which-isn-t-something-you-can-put-on-a/) [Wendell Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-berry/) > [I think some people think I'm, like, anti-label, and I'm not. I just wanted to sign a deal when the time was right. I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iggy-azalea/i-think-some-people-think-i-m-like-anti-label-and-i-m-not-i-just/) [Iggy Azalea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iggy-azalea/) > [I think people like to label everything. I just think it's comfortable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-norton/i-think-people-like-to-label-everything-i-just-think-it-s-comfortable/) [Jim Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-norton/) > [I don't know what my label is. I just think of myself as a plain forward. I like to think I have some finesse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-malone/i-don-t-know-what-my-label-is-i-just-think-of-myself-as-a-plain/) [Karl Malone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-malone/) > [If anything, I'm the most hesitant to bring on a label. That terrifies me. I think people believe major labels are linked to success.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/verite/if-anything-i-m-the-most-hesitant-to-bring-on-a-label-that-terrifies/) [Verite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/verite/) > [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 money-that's the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mackaye/major-labels-didn-t-start-showing-up-really-until-they-smelled-money/) [Ian MacKaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mackaye/) > [I hate labels because it should be just music. I don't see anything wrong with disco. Call it anything. It's music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jackson/i-hate-labels-because-it-should-be-just-music-i-don-t-see-anything/) [Michael Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jackson/) > [A lot of big labels will just sign bands like a write off.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-rich/a-lot-of-big-labels-will-just-sign-bands-like-a-write-off/) [Adam Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-rich/) > [Those labels that they give you, just because they don't understand. If you look past this moment you'll see you got a friend when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-forgotten/those-labels-that-they-give-you-just-because-they-don-t-understand-if/) [The Forgotten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-forgotten/) > [You're not a combination of all your labels. You just are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-bradley/you-re-not-a-combination-of-all-your-labels-you-just-are/) [Ruth Bradley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-bradley/) ## More by Ian MacKaye > [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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mackaye/truth-is-right-now-two-bombs-could-drop-out-of-the-sky-and-blow-up/) [Ian MacKaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mackaye/) > [I think it's my nature to engage in things that are more difficult.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mackaye/i-think-it-s-my-nature-to-engage-in-things-that-are-more-difficult/) [Ian MacKaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mackaye/) > [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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mackaye/the-thing-is-people-can-t-complain-about-profit-oriented-moves-if/) [Ian MacKaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mackaye/) > [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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mackaye/what-people-don-t-understand-is-that-the-underground-that-existed-was/) [Ian MacKaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mackaye/) > [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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mackaye/i-think-that-people-are-constantly-thinking-about-capturing-things/) [Ian MacKaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/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… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mackaye/i-d-much-rather-talk-to-a-30-year-old-that-survived-rough-times-in/) [Ian MacKaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/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… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mackaye/for-most-people-who-have-or-who-do-identify-as-or-with-song-straight/) [Ian MacKaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mackaye/) > [The Corcoran show was actually almost a reportage. The exhibit was, in many ways, pretty unique. It was one of the first pieces about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mackaye/the-corcoran-show-was-actually-almost-a-reportage-the-exhibit-was-in/) [Ian MacKaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mackaye/) > [The Fugazi Live Series site, when we realized the Internet, the way it works - the speeds and its development - made it possible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mackaye/the-fugazi-live-series-site-when-we-realized-the-internet-the-way-it/) [Ian MacKaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mackaye/) > [I'm always happy when I hear about people selling records or selling books or selling movies. It makes me proud of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mackaye/i-m-always-happy-when-i-hear-about-people-selling-records-or-selling/) [Ian MacKaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mackaye/) > [An unlocked door means that, occasionally, you might get a devil come in, but a locked door means you have thousands of angels just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mackaye/an-unlocked-door-means-that-occasionally-you-might-get-a-devil-come/) [Ian MacKaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mackaye/) > [I consider the piano my 'main' instrument and have been playing for as long as I can remember. It seems to me that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mackaye/i-consider-the-piano-my-main-instrument-and-have-been-playing-for-as/) [Ian MacKaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mackaye/) > [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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mackaye/i-work-so-i-don-t-need-to-make-rent-through-my-songs-and-i-think-if/) [Ian MacKaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mackaye/) > [Guy Picciotto had a really sound point: Live albums basically have bands playing songs that are available on studio records, and what example can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mackaye/guy-picciotto-had-a-really-sound-point-live-albums-basically-have/) [Ian MacKaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mackaye/) > [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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mackaye/i-think-that-the-idea-of-straight-edge-the-song-that-i-wrote-and-the/) [Ian MacKaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mackaye/) [Explore all 132 Ian MacKaye quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mackaye/) ## More Again quotes > [The one thing that I keep learning over and over again is that I don't know nothing. I mean, that's my life lesson.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwayne-johnson/the-one-thing-that-i-keep-learning-over-and-over-again-is-that-i-don/) [Dwayne Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwayne-johnson/) > [I've always been interested in photographs, collecting them not systematically but randomly. They get lost, then turn up again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-g-sebald/i-ve-always-been-interested-in-photographs-collecting-them-not/) [W. G. Sebald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-g-sebald/) > [I say this about everything: when I was on 'Neighbours,' I said, 'These are the best years of my life!' When I was filming…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-robbie/i-say-this-about-everything-when-i-was-on-neighbours-i-said-these-are/) [Margot Robbie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margot-robbie/) > [I don't think you should ever say, 'This is the last time'. Music isn't like that. You'll be sitting there not wishing to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-daltrey/i-don-t-think-you-should-ever-say-this-is-the-last-time-music-isn-t/) [Roger Daltrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-daltrey/) > [I don't know about writing. It's quite lonely. You have to have a lot of patience with yourself. I don't know if I could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-wilson/i-don-t-know-about-writing-it-s-quite-lonely-you-have-to-have-a-lot/) [Ruth Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-wilson/) > [Inspiration comes from so many sources. Music, other fiction, the non-fiction I read, TV shows, films, news reports, people I know, stories I hear,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trudi-canavan/inspiration-comes-from-so-many-sources-music-other-fiction-the-non/) [Trudi Canavan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trudi-canavan/) > [You couldn't get me to go travel around and sit in a hotel room again. I have no interest in doing that. So everybody's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-everly/you-couldn-t-get-me-to-go-travel-around-and-sit-in-a-hotel-room-again/) [Phil Everly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-everly/) > [In theater, one of the biggest problems when you're rehearsing comedy over and over again is that you stop laughing at each other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-ashley-carter/in-theater-one-of-the-biggest-problems-when-you-re-rehearsing-comedy/) [Lauren Ashley Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-ashley-carter/) > [I'd like to do some female roles again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cameron-mitchell/i-d-like-to-do-some-female-roles-again/) [John Cameron Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cameron-mitchell/) > [Death is a sniper. It strikes people you love, people you like, people you know - it's everywhere. You could be next. But then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/death-is-a-sniper-it-strikes-people-you-love-people-you-like-people/) [Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/) > [Well, a lot of our concerts do okay, and I know we still get royalty checks which still isn't that important, but again, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-johnston/well-a-lot-of-our-concerts-do-okay-and-i-know-we-still-get-royalty/) [Bruce Johnston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-johnston/) > [Oh wow, you know what's wrong with all these families on TV? All these kids say stuff no kid would say. Stuff grown-ups want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/macaulay-culkin/oh-wow-you-know-what-s-wrong-with-all-these-families-on-tv-all-these/) [Macaulay Culkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/macaulay-culkin/) > [We must resist the temptation of once again turning America into the traditional bogeyman of the left.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giorgio-napolitano/we-must-resist-the-temptation-of-once-again-turning-america-into-the/) [Giorgio Napolitano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giorgio-napolitano/) > [We won the Europa League in 2013 and it was an amazing night, an amazing feeling. 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