Thursday, November 21, 1996
Jim Walkley
Daily Staff
Ian MacKaye, Fugazi lead singer, was an angry young man long before it was fashionable.
When MacKaye was a teenager, he didn't like a lot of things that he saw in his surroundings. He had the uncomfortable title of being "straight," meaning that he didn't smoke or drink, as well as being a punk rocker - an unheard-of combination. Despite the enormous pressure he felt from his peers (both in high school and in the Washington, D.C., punk rock scene) MacKaye stayed true to his beliefs. He formed his first band, the Slinkees, while still in high school. The band wrote songs like "I Like Milk," which was both a self-deprecating joke and a reference to being straight. As MacKaye continued to play music, he only became angrier at the narrow-mindedness strangling the punk community. By the time that he was playing in his second band, the Teen Idles, MacKaye was ready to explode.
And then came Minor Threat.
"I've got the straight edge!" MacKaye screamed desperately in "Straight Edge" - a song that eventually defined Minor Threat, helped create hardcore, and started a "straight edge" movement all at the same time. Soon, others were drawing black X's on their hands and committing themselves to a lifestyle free of drugs, alcohol, and casual sex. What started as one person cast out from his friends and his musical community became a rallying cry for thousands of other teens. Minor Threat burned brilliantly for a couple years and then broke up; MacKaye played in Embrace for awhile before forming Fugazi with other people from the DC punk/hardcore scene.
In the meantime, MacKaye started the Dischord record label with Jeff Nelson, his longtime friend and a fellow member of Minor Threat. Dischord originally came into being with the release of the Out Of Step 12," Minor Threat's first and only album. The pressing plant would only press 3,500 copies of the record when it was first released; these sold out by word-of-mouth alone. Because the members of Minor Threat were too young to have any kind of established credit, the pressing plant was reluctant to put more copies of Out Of Step into production. Were it not for John Loder, the owner of Southern Studios, Minor Threat and Dischord might never have gotten any more records out to the public. Luckily, John Loder used his good credit rating to press more copies of Out Of Step, and even agreed to distribute Dischord releases worldwide. MacKaye and Nelson's record label was on its way.
Over the years, Dischord has become an important part of the independent community, releasing records by bands like Jawbox, Shudder To Think, and Fugazi. The artistic and commercial success of Dischord proves that it's possible to stay committed to your beliefs without alienating the general public. It also proves that you really can do it yourself.
Pulp had the privilege of discussing the DIY process, Dischord's history, and punk rock with MacKaye via e-mail.
Pulp: How or why did you decide to become "straight-edge" in the first place?
MacKaye: In 1980 I wrote the song "Straight Edge" about being straight in a high school full of kids who gave me shit about my decision. I never intended for the song to inspire or create a movement ... that was something I've really had nothing to do with.
Pulp: Was there a particularly bad experience that you had with either vegetarianism or being straight, or was it simply a decision you made based on the conditions around you?
MacKaye: It's depressing to watch people self-destruct, but I believe my reasons were of my own making and my own construct. (Again: I don't predicate my beliefs on other people's behavior.)
Pulp: You once said that you wanted Dischord "to be like a book, with a beginning and a middle and an end." Where are you in that book right now?
MacKaye: It's hard to say. When we started the label I had no idea that we would last a year, much less 16. I'd like to think that there will be a natural cessation of activity, but the situation seems to spur itself on and on. Continuing the label creates new bands, and new bands create a reason to continue the label. I don't want to give the impression that I'm not happy about our longevity, quite the contrary, it's just a bit daunting to think that I'll be doing this for 20 more years. The world is big and there are lot's of things that I'd like to learn how to do, and I'd like to have the time to do them. The truth of the matter is that I feel a strong connection to the "Dischord" community here in Washington and I am endlessly fascinated by the creativity and energy that has come out of it.
Pulp: Do you still believe in not doing contracts?
MacKaye: We don't use contracts because we believe that any issue that would require ink/litigation to enforce is not something that should come up between friends who trust each other. Our bands are free to leave at any time should they feel that we haven't done enough for them. I support a band's right to self-determination.
Pulp: Do you consider once-independent labels like Matador or Sub Pop to be "sellouts" because they agreed to work with major labels and major label distribution?
MacKaye: No. But, I don't think of them as truly independent any longer.
Pulp: Do you feel that they have gone back to doing "business as usual," and, therefore, betrayed the original punk ideals?
MacKaye: Nope. I think everybody has to do what they think is right for themselves. It's too bad that so many bands/labels have jumped out of the underground, because it (the underground) having so much company made the underground more fertile and more interesting. But they decided to split ... So I say: see ya!
Pulp: How do you resist the temptation of solid distribution and dollars forever?
MacKaye: Solid distribution? I beg to differ. Different distribution maybe ... but certainly there are hundreds if not thousands of bands that have floundered and been swallowed up by the way majors operate. Keep in mind that majors have a purely speculative agenda. Think of it like the lottery: If you buy enough tickets, chances are good that one or two will hit big. Majors buy up bands/labels because it improves their chances of getting a 'hit'. This is made even more likely because majors own and operate the very vehicles and operations that create and define a said 'hit'. When a band signs a contract with a major, it's basically a straight purchase. In the unlikely event that a record goes 'Gold' or 'Silver' than everyone can bask in their winnings (and you can be sure the label is doing a lot more basking than the bands are), but most bands are coming home empty handed in the long run. Sure, I know that in the underground there's no money to start with, but at least people in that community can still talk about music. I noticed that since most of my peers have signed, all anyone can talk about is money/contracts/business/how they got fucked by their label. No thanks.
Pulp: It seems like almost every aspect of punk rock, post-rock, indie rock, or whatever, has been corrupted by the mainstream. How have you resisted that, and how could someone coming along today resist it?
MacKaye: Not every aspect. There are still plenty of really amazing people doing really constructive things for reasons not based on profit. There remains a strong community and a tremendous amount of creativity. It's always been there and it will continue to exist whether or not the media wants to recognize it. Anyone who wants to tap in to this community need only look where it always has been: underground.