Creativity Quote by Thurston Moore

Moore’s line is a small manifesto disguised as a shrug. “I never do releases” isn’t just a logistical detail; it’s a refusal of the modern music economy’s favorite sport: the hype cycle. The phrase “try and make or break” nods to the power critics, tastemakers, and legacy artists can wield when they co-sign a younger act. He’s naming the temptation to treat a label, a feature, or even a playlist-friendly endorsement as a weapon - and then declining to pick it up.

The subtext is ethical and strategic. Moore came up in a scene where credibility was built on community, not conversion rates: punk and no-wave as ecosystems of small rooms, tiny imprints, and mutual risk-taking. Yet he’s also lived through the era where “indie” became a marketing category, where an older artist’s imprimatur can function like venture capital. So he draws a boundary: his releases are not instruments of cultural gatekeeping, not a way to play kingmaker or executioner.

There’s an implied critique of how easily “support” becomes self-serving. Putting out a record to anoint a “contemporary band” can double as a mirror held up to your own relevance. Moore frames his work as driven by taste, curiosity, and solidarity rather than the transactional optics of being seen to discover someone. It’s also a subtle defense of the bands themselves: no one deserves to have their fate tethered to a benefactor’s brand.