Inside Don's Inner Ear

Don Zientara, photographed by Lloyd Wolf

The Inner Ear of Don Zientara

When I saw the return address on the padded envelope—Akashic Press: Brooklyn, NY—I knew at once what was inside. Still, that didn’t diminish the thrill I felt finally holding my advance copy of “The Inner Ear of Don Zientara” in my hands. It’s a gorgeous book, and I’m proud to have played a minuscule role in creating it.

If you’re a fan of Dischord Records, you already know what Inner Ear is: The studio where the majority of the label’s releases were recorded and/or mixed, starting with Dischord #1: The Teen Idles’ “Minor Disturbance” EP, from 1980. Back then, the studio was merely Don’s basement and the walls were crammed with his surfboard and his kids’ toys. Not the most promising of settings, but it turned out to be the right place for the job.

The photos—many by Antonia Tricarico, who compiled the book—are worth the price of admission alone. But as I flipped through the stories and testimonials, I recognized something I hadn’t before. While I barely know Don—I’ve spent a handful of days with him over the last 35 years—I see now that he was an early role model for me, an exemplar of patience, kindness, and quiet effectiveness.

The first time I recorded at Inner Ear was with my high school band, The Vile Cherubs. I was an anxious and jittery 17. I was certain this was our big chance, and more than the promise of success it was the threat of failure that haunted me. It felt like literally everything was riding on this session working out well, and there were far more ways it could go wrong than right. 

Tall, ironic, and unflappable, Don was the calm in the eye of the storm, a supportive figure who also maintained good boundaries. That’s a rare combination in a creative person, and it may help explain why so many foundational punk recordings—think Rites of Spring, Fugazi, Nation of Ulysses, Bad Brains, Fire Party, Lungfish and countless others—were tracked under his watch.

Now the photos and reminiscences have given me a new sense of gratitude and awe. One standout is from my former bandmate Arika Casebolt, who shares an unexpectedly tender moment from her first session at Inner Ear, tracking Circus Lupus’ Super Genius LP. 

If you ever recorded at Inner Ear yourself—or just love the music that was—you’ll love the book as well. The release date is June 6th, 2023. You can preorder it from Akashic Press here.