DON ZIENTARA INTERVIEW (2005)

After I interviewed Ian MacKaye at Dischord House, I headed over to Inner Ear Studios in Arlington to interview Don.

Inner Ear has sadly closed recently. Don was warm and hospitable and very open as you will see here. We connected again later in the year in New Orleans at the 3rd Tape Op Conference.

Zientara is widely recognized for his production work with influential bands on Dischord Records, including Fugazi and Minor Threat.

As a musician, Zientara was once a member of the band Under Heaven in the early 1980s. He released his debut solo album, Sixteen Ssongs, in 2003 on Northern Liberties label, a collaboration with friend and longtime associate Ian MacKaye.

Throughout his career, Zientara has been instrumental in shaping the sound of Washington D.C.'s punk and post-punk scenes, working with a wide range of artists across genres such as rock, hardcore punk, post-hardcore, post-punk, art rock, and alternative rock.