InputOutput Interview: Ian MacKaye, Part I

As a member of seminal hardcore punk bands The Teen Idles, Minor Threat and Fugazi, and a founder of the pioneering indie label, Dischord Records, Ian MacKaye led a musical movement out of Washington, D.C. in the early 80s that continues to ignite and inspire bands all over the world.

Ian MacKaye. Photo by Amy Farina

With Dischord as its engine, the D.C. hardcore and post-hardcore punk scene generated bands like Rites of Spring, Nation of Ulysses, Jawbox, Shudder to Think, Fugazi, Q and Not You, Faraquet and Beauty Pill.

The label and the bands, and MacKaye himself, came to stand for a DIY ethic about music distribution and recording before things like Pro Tools and Kickstarter made it easy to be DIY. This was also the scene that spawned our own InputOutput hosts, Eli Janney and Geoff Sanoff – they came up playing in and eventually recording bands out of D.C., looking up to MacKaye and engineers and producers like Don Zientara and Ted Nicely.

On this episode of InputOutput, Geoff and Eli reconnect with MacKaye for an in-depth conversation about his life as a musician and a producer, what inspires him, his relationship with technology, his approach to production (John Frusciante, Bikini Kill and Rollins Band), and more. And this is only Part 1!

So without further ado… we’re happy to give you, the Ian MacKaye Interview:

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