Henry Rollins and Ian MacKaye have collaborated on a project that bridges their storied pasts with a fresh release. Initially announced by Rollins in late October 2025, the endeavor involves mixing and preparing a four-song demo for vinyl, recorded at the iconic Inner Ear Studios in Arlington, VA.
This studio holds deep significance: It’s where Rollins’ early band State of Alert cut their 1981 EP *No Policy* for MacKaye’s Dischord Records, and where seminal acts like Minor Threat, Teen Idles, and Bad Brains laid down tracks that defined DC hardcore.
Rollins first teased the project on his radio show website, stating:
“Weeks ago, I journeyed it to DC in order to work on a great project. Ian MacKaye and I went to Inner Ear Studios, where we made our first records decades ago and mixed a four song session with the great Don Zientara at the board. This is the same studio, where the Teen Idles, Minor Threat, Bad Brains, and many others recorded. It was amazing to be back there with Ian and Don. Part way through the mix, none other than Eddie Janney, he of the Untouchables, Rights Of Spring, One Last Wish, Happy Go Licky, Skewbald and other great bands joined us. The session benefited greatly by his presence. As to the tracks, I had them mastered several days ago, and I’m now working on the layout and design for the record. When it’s ready, I’ll let you know. We are extremely excited by this one.”
This sparked widespread speculation about a new album featuring the duo, given their shared history—including scooping ice cream together at a Häagen-Dazs in DC during their early days.
However, on November 8, 2025, Rollins issued a clarification amid the hype, explaining that the record doesn’t feature either of them as performers. In a follow-up post, he wrote:
“Before anything else, I think I need to clear something up. Last week I told you that I went up to DC and mixed some tracks with Ian MacKaye at Inner Ear Studios in beautiful Arlington, VA. The tracks we mixed were not a collaborative effort, besides the mixing itself. I am not on the tape. Ian is not on the tape. Neither of us are on the tape. What we were working on was a demo, recorded in 1979, by a legendary Punk band that recently came into my possession.
I had the tape baked and transferred by the very capable Pete Lyman at Infrasonic Sound in Nashville and had him send the tracks to Ian so he could take them to Inner Ear and get them loaded in.
The mix came together quite quickly because it was only eight tracks on one inch tape and the quality of the sounds were so good out of the gate, very little had to be done. The performances are fantastic. Ian and I played the mixes over and over days later and kept in touch to see if either one of us had any notes as to anything that needed to be changed and neither of us could find anything wrong with the work. I contacted a member of the band and asked if I could release the tracks.
I got permission and started preparing the tracks for release. We sent the final mixes to Pete, who mastered them and they’re really good. I’m going to be working in collaboration with Larry Hardy at In The Red Records and we’ll be releasing the demo as soon as possible, as a four song 12”. You might already know that Larry and I have been putting out very cool and often extremely rare tracks on 7” and 12” records over the last few years. In fact, we have a great one at the pressing plant right now. Once it’s back, I’ll tell you all about it. It’s super cool. Sorry for getting your hopes up.”
This revelation tempers the initial excitement but highlights their ongoing commitment to preserving punk history. Rollins, who hasn’t released new music since the Rollins Band’s 2001 album “Nice”, has shifted focus to spoken word, acting, and archival releases. MacKaye, meanwhile, continues curating Dischord’s legacy while occasionally performing with projects like The Evens. Their friendship, forged in the 1980s DC scene, adds a layer of authenticity to this effort.
The unnamed 1979 demo band remains a mystery, fueling fan theories—could it be an early incarnation of a DC staple like Government Issue or something more obscure?
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