MM: People call you folk-punk. Where does the punk come in for you? Do you like punk rock or do you have your own definition of punk?
AD: Well, I see a lot of connections between folk and punk music just because they’re both subcorporate music—I mean, traditionally. So for me it’s much more economic and political, those kind of descriptions. I mean, my music doesn’t really sound like punk music, it’s acoustic right? And it doesn’t really sound like folk music ‘cause, I don’t know, I’m thrashing too hard and emoting a little too much for the sort of introspective, respectful, sort-of folk genre thing. I’m really into punk and folk as music that comes out of communities and is very genuine and very immediate and not commercial—well until recently. Now punk is the next commercial wave, so maybe I’ll just have to amend my little spiel.
— Ani DiFranco, interviewed by Michael Mechanic on Mother Jones’ The Riff in 2010 - “Ani DiFranco, Then and Now”
