Ian MacKaye Quotes

I don't think any musician ever thinks about making a statement. I think everybody goes into music loving it.

A lot that was happening in 2005, 2006, good and bad, the beats reflected it. It was a lot of money around. People was making music to throw money to.

I started feeling it was wrong to withhold my music for money - as strange as that might sound!

I don't think you need a record deal to write songs. You don't need any other reason than you want to do it. It's a far cry from why some people do music today. They make it to order, which is pretty horrible.

The music business is motivated by money. Music is motivated by energy and feelings.

I went from a playing in a bar on a bar stool for free beer and tip money, where people weren't paying attention to me, to now I've got their attention. It's up to me to what I feed them with my music. It's up to me how I do that. I've put a lot of thought into how great the songs are, and how I want people to perceive me.

If someone asked what kind of music I play, I wouldn't say I'm a folk singer; however, if folk music means music for the people, and playing music to entertain them and share different messages, then sure, I'd like to think that I'm part folk singer.

I like all music. Well, I don't like music that was created to make money. I don't really like bands that don't write their own music.

Make it, not make it? What's the difference? Music is a language, it's a dance of life, and it can be a part of your life without being something that earns.

There is still some art in pop music. But it can't happen if you're not inspired.

I have no desire to make money off musicians. I just want to promote them because I want to share music.

It's always about the music, never about anything else.

Music truly is the universal language.

Music expresses what cannot be put into words I like to think, and I think the band makes a good go at it.

While there used to be one or two Pops orchestras, now there are all kinds of European orchestras that suddenly look upon this as a golden wand that can enable them to make money recording this music.

Music is spiritual. The music business is not.

I believe 100 percent in the power and importance of music.

I want to touch people's lives with my music and my lyrics.

It's not just the 'Grammys' that I've pulled out of. I also pulled out of the English awards as well. The reason that I wanted to pull out was because I believe very much that the music industry as a whole is mainly concerned with material success.

I realised a long time ago that instrumental music speaks a lot more clearly than English, Spanish, Yiddish, Swahili, any other language. Pure melody goes outside time.

I was working at a non-profit for five years. But I could always create music after work. All throughout those years, I was writing songs and recording music and performing around town.

Napster is essentially using the music to make money for themselves and that's the part that's both morally and legally wrong. That I think is more relevant than whether or not I'm losing money.

You know, I don't think my music is important, I don't think it's changing the world, I don't think it's art. I just think it's music. It is what it is.

The great thing about rock-n-roll is you realize the top of the mountain is big enough for more than one band.

I don't even know what sound is, much less what it's for. It isn't to make money that's for sure. I've never made any.