Ian MacKaye
Ian MacKaye MacKaye in 2008 Background information Birth name Ian Thomas Garner MacKaye Born (1962-04-16) April 16, 1962 (age 52) Washington, D.C., US Genres Hardcore punk, punk rock, alternative rock, post-hardcore Occupation(s) Singer, songwriter, musician, producer, record label owner Instruments Vocals, guitar, bass, baritone guitar, piano, keyboards Years active 1979–present Labels Dischord Associated acts Fugazi, Minor Threat, Teen Idles, The Evens, Embrace, Egg Hunt, Skewbald/Grand Union, Pailhead Notable instruments Gibson SG Danelectro baritone guitar Ian Thomas Garner MacKaye (/məˈkaɪ/; born April 16, 1962) is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, musician, label owner, and producer. Active since 1979, MacKaye is best known for being the frontman of the influential hardcore punk bands Minor Threat, the post-hardcore bands Embrace and Fugazi, as well as The Evens, and member of The Teen Idles. He is a co-founder and owner of Dischord Records, a Washington, D.C.-based independent record label. A key figure in the development of hardcore punk, straightedge, and an independent-minded, do it yourself punk ethic, MacKaye also works as a producer, and has produced releases by Q and Not U, John Frusciante, 7 Seconds, Nation of Ulysses, Bikini Kill, Rites of Spring, Dag Nasty, and Rollins Band among others. Along with his seminal band Minor Threat, he is credited with coining the term "straight edge" to describe a personal ideology that promotes independence by countering the popular appeal of drug and alcohol abuse, though MacKaye has stated many times that he did not intend to turn it into a movement.