--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I never identified with 'indie,' I don't…" description: "\"I never identified with 'indie,' I don't like that word.\" — Rostam Batmanglij" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a67/rostam-batmanglij-3648_identified_i-never-identified-with-indie-i-don-t-li_919353.jpg" --- # I never identified with 'indie,' I don't like that word. ![“I never identified with 'indie,' I don't like that word.” quote by Rostam Batmanglij](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a67/rostam-batmanglij-3648_identified_i-never-identified-with-indie-i-don-t-li_919353.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a67/rostam-batmanglij-3648_identified_i-never-identified-with-indie-i-don-t-li_919353.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a67/rostam-batmanglij-3648_identified_i-never-identified-with-indie-i-don-t-li_919353.jpg) > “I never identified with 'indie,' I don't like that word.” [Rostam Batmanglij](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rostam-batmanglij/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker rejects the label “indie” because it feels in or misrepresentative of their artistic identity. **In simple terms:** Rejecting a label that feels inaccurate. Key Takeaway Embrace your own definition of identity. Themes identity labels authenticity Mood reflective defiant Type personal cultural When to use this quote - music industry - artist branding - personal expression Key Concepts self‑definition cultural categorization Questions to Reflect On - How do labels shape your creative choices? - What alternative terms could better describe your work? A Different Perspective Labels can limit perception and marketability. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Identified](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/identified/) [Identified Indie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/identified-indie-1410797/) [Indie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/indie/) [Indie Don](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/indie-don-1410798/) [Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like/) [Like Word](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-word-280749/) [Never](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/never/) [Word](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/word/) ## Related quotes > [It's been awesome going indie. I don't need to be on a major label. I love not having to walk into a specific radio…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mat-kearney/it-s-been-awesome-going-indie-i-don-t-need-to-be-on-a-major-label-i/) [Mat Kearney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mat-kearney/) > [Whether I'm on a major or an indie, I don't think this is important, but at the same time I do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devendra-banhart/whether-i-m-on-a-major-or-an-indie-i-don-t-think-this-is-important/) [Devendra Banhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devendra-banhart/) > [You are at the mercies of the dailies. With an indie you don't have that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dianne-wiest/you-are-at-the-mercies-of-the-dailies-with-an-indie-you-don-t-have/) [Dianne Wiest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dianne-wiest/) > [I don't like the word 'villain' or 'heavy.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-lorre/i-don-t-like-the-word-villain-or-heavy/) [Peter Lorre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-lorre/) > [If someone was like, 'Describe yourself in one word,' I would never say, 'Handsome.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-harding/if-someone-was-like-describe-yourself-in-one-word-i-would-never-say/) [Ian Harding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-harding/) > [I don't like the word 'ladylike.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emilia-wickstead/i-don-t-like-the-word-ladylike/) [Emilia Wickstead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emilia-wickstead/) > [All too often, the word 'religion' has become identified with those promoting a frankly anti-scientific view of nature and of our place in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-r-miller/all-too-often-the-word-religion-has-become-identified-with-those/) [Kenneth R. Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-r-miller/) > [COWBOYS, just like the word says.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wayne/cowboys-just-like-the-word-says/) [John Wayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wayne/) > [I like the word f-k. F-king deal with it and move on to the first f-king question you have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ozzy-osbourne/i-like-the-word-f-k-f-king-deal-with-it-and-move-on-to-the-first-f/) [Ozzy Osbourne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ozzy-osbourne/) > [A day-time song like 'Word Starts Attack,' I want to make your heart blow up and make you want to punch the air with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-marr/a-day-time-song-like-word-starts-attack-i-want-to-make-your-heart/) [Johnny Marr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-marr/) > [The word 'fashion' I don't like because fashion is something that's over in six months. I'd like to find a word that's more timeless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dries-van-noten/the-word-fashion-i-don-t-like-because-fashion-is-something-that-s/) [Dries van Noten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dries-van-noten/) > [I don't like the word 'futurists.' I think we should be 'nowists.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joichi-ito/i-don-t-like-the-word-futurists-i-think-we-should-be-nowists/) [Joichi Ito](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joichi-ito/) > [I like the word 'artist,' but I don't like the word 'artist' inside my house.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/psy/i-like-the-word-artist-but-i-don-t-like-the-word-artist-inside-my/) [PSY](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/psy/) > [I don't like the word "happy." I wouldn't want to use it that context. I enjoy writing songs, it's a really good challenge, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cass-mccombs/i-don-t-like-the-word-happy-i-wouldn-t-want-to-use-it-that-context-i/) [Cass McCombs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cass-mccombs/) > [I don't know, I like the word sassy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kat-dennings/i-don-t-know-i-like-the-word-sassy/) [Kat Dennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kat-dennings/) ## More by Rostam Batmanglij > [I am a very big fan of Brian Eno, of his work as an artist and making his music, and as a producer. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rostam-batmanglij/i-am-a-very-big-fan-of-brian-eno-of-his-work-as-an-artist-and-making/) [Rostam Batmanglij](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rostam-batmanglij/) > [I tend to use different microphones, different mic techniques, and different recording mediums - like analogue tape - that evoke multiple eras of recorded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rostam-batmanglij/i-tend-to-use-different-microphones-different-mic-techniques-and/) [Rostam Batmanglij](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rostam-batmanglij/) > [I think the music that speaks to me the most is music that is personal. And that's the music that I'm trying to make.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rostam-batmanglij/i-think-the-music-that-speaks-to-me-the-most-is-music-that-is/) [Rostam Batmanglij](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rostam-batmanglij/) > [I've always been very good at helping other people finish their songs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rostam-batmanglij/i-ve-always-been-very-good-at-helping-other-people-finish-their-songs/) [Rostam Batmanglij](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rostam-batmanglij/) > [The most exciting songs to me are the unlikely hits, when you think, 'I love this, but why is it on the radio?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rostam-batmanglij/the-most-exciting-songs-to-me-are-the-unlikely-hits-when-you-think-i/) [Rostam Batmanglij](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rostam-batmanglij/) > [Even though I've been making electronic music since I was 14, it's hard for people to see you as a producer with a musical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rostam-batmanglij/even-though-i-ve-been-making-electronic-music-since-i-was-14-it-s/) [Rostam Batmanglij](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rostam-batmanglij/) > [It's always my mission to try to do something that hasn't been done before, whether that's musically, lyrically or in terms of mixing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rostam-batmanglij/it-s-always-my-mission-to-try-to-do-something-that-hasn-t-been-done/) [Rostam Batmanglij](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rostam-batmanglij/) > [There's a line in the Arthur Russell documentary where his partner talks about how Arthur is really interested in process. He never felt like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rostam-batmanglij/there-s-a-line-in-the-arthur-russell-documentary-where-his-partner/) [Rostam Batmanglij](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rostam-batmanglij/) > [The first Vampire Weekend record was the first full-length album that I produced.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rostam-batmanglij/the-first-vampire-weekend-record-was-the-first-full-length-album-that/) [Rostam Batmanglij](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rostam-batmanglij/) > [Classical music can be catchy, so can African instrumental guitar music. It's not just pop songs that are catchy. Rhythms can be catchy, too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rostam-batmanglij/classical-music-can-be-catchy-so-can-african-instrumental-guitar/) [Rostam Batmanglij](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rostam-batmanglij/) > [Because of who I am, and how open I am, there's something inherently political about just writing love songs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rostam-batmanglij/because-of-who-i-am-and-how-open-i-am-there-s-something-inherently/) [Rostam Batmanglij](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rostam-batmanglij/) > [I've always had a complex relationship towards my identity as an American.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rostam-batmanglij/i-ve-always-had-a-complex-relationship-towards-my-identity-as-an/) [Rostam Batmanglij](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rostam-batmanglij/) > [When my mom was pregnant with me, my parents moved from France to America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rostam-batmanglij/when-my-mom-was-pregnant-with-me-my-parents-moved-from-france-to/) [Rostam Batmanglij](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rostam-batmanglij/) > [You want the personality of each performer - whether it's singing or bass or drums or piano - to be intact. In some ways…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rostam-batmanglij/you-want-the-personality-of-each-performer-whether-it-s-singing-or/) [Rostam Batmanglij](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rostam-batmanglij/) > [I thought it would be interesting to play classical music on rock instruments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rostam-batmanglij/i-thought-it-would-be-interesting-to-play-classical-music-on-rock/) [Rostam Batmanglij](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rostam-batmanglij/) [Explore all 125 Rostam Batmanglij quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rostam-batmanglij/) ## More Identified quotes > [An Egyptian newspaper once publicly identified me as the C.I.A. station chief in Cairo. It seemed so stupid at the time. I was only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-engel/an-egyptian-newspaper-once-publicly-identified-me-as-the-c-i-a/) [Richard Engel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-engel/) > [The Antichrist is often identified with the second beast in the Book of Revelation that arises from the land, the beast that tries to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elaine-pagels/the-antichrist-is-often-identified-with-the-second-beast-in-the-book/) [Elaine Pagels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elaine-pagels/) > [“Daily chronic fatigue can be an indication that something is wrong in your environment that needs to be identified and removed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/daily-chronic-fatigue-can-be-an-indication-that-something-is-wrong-in/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [“And there was something familiar about the cadence of the words. The language. It was him. I wrote: I know who you are. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rae-mariz/and-there-was-something-familiar-about-the-cadence-of-the-words-the/) [Rae Mariz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rae-mariz/) > [All too often, the word 'religion' has become identified with those promoting a frankly anti-scientific view of nature and of our place in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-r-miller/all-too-often-the-word-religion-has-become-identified-with-those/) [Kenneth R. Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-r-miller/) > [I don't have issues around how I'm identified.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/i-don-t-have-issues-around-how-i-m-identified/) [Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) > [Everything can't be a postage-stamp-sized project. Everything can't be a chamber piece. Musicals aren't even meant to be that, or identified with it... It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-prince/everything-can-t-be-a-postage-stamp-sized-project-everything-can-t-be/) [Harold Prince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-prince/) > [I just find Bobby Kennedy's short campaign for president so inspiring because his rhetoric identified what America can be like if we care about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-ryan/i-just-find-bobby-kennedy-s-short-campaign-for-president-so-inspiring/) [Tim Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-ryan/) > [I think the best thing that can happen to the Republican Party is that it is identified as a party organized around a set…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/i-think-the-best-thing-that-can-happen-to-the-republican-party-is/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [I'm very proud of being a Bee Gee and am always aware that I'll be identified as a Bee Gee.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-gibb/i-m-very-proud-of-being-a-bee-gee-and-am-always-aware-that-i-ll-be/) [Robin Gibb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-gibb/) > [“A fool can easily be known(identified) by what proceeds from his or her mouth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adedayo-kingjerry/a-fool-can-easily-be-known-identified-by-what-proceeds-from-his-or/) [Adedayo kingjerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adedayo-kingjerry/) > [While I am very much Jewish 'identified,' I'm not a very religious person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-gilmore/while-i-am-very-much-jewish-identified-i-m-not-a-very-religious-person/) [Jennifer Gilmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-gilmore/) > [As soon as someone is identified as an unsung hero, he no longer is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/as-soon-as-someone-is-identified-as-an-unsung-hero-he-no-longer-is/) [George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/) > [I always identified myself as non-Swedish. I was never discriminated against, because I looked Swedish and speak without an accent. But I had an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-kinnaman/i-always-identified-myself-as-non-swedish-i-was-never-discriminated/) [Joel Kinnaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-kinnaman/) > [I don't want to be identified by any one role I do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-noth/i-don-t-want-to-be-identified-by-any-one-role-i-do/) [Chris Noth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-noth/) [Browse all 138 Identified quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/identified/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I never identified with 'indie,' I don't like that word.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Rostam Batmanglij" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rostam-batmanglij/i-never-identified-with-indie-i-don-t-like-that-word/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Identified" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rostam-batmanglij/i-never-identified-with-indie-i-don-t-like-that-word/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a67/rostam-batmanglij-3648_identified_i-never-identified-with-indie-i-don-t-li_919353.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a67/rostam-batmanglij-3648_identified_i-never-identified-with-indie-i-don-t-li_919353.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a67/rostam-batmanglij-3648_identified_i-never-identified-with-indie-i-don-t-li_919353.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I never identified with 'indie,' I don't like that word.” — Rostam Batmanglij", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Rostam Batmanglij", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rostam-batmanglij/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I never identified with 'indie,' I...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rostam-batmanglij/i-never-identified-with-indie-i-don-t-like-that-word/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rostam-batmanglij/i-never-identified-with-indie-i-don-t-like-that-word/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```