Dischord has always maintained a policy of only releasing bands from the Washington DC area, the idea being that the label actually serves as a creative outlet for a particular community of underground musicians. Also, this arrangement hopefully serves as encouragement to people in other towns to start their own labels to document what is important to them. However, there have been a couple of exceptions to the rule: Void were from Columbia, Maryland, and Lungfish hail from Baltimore, definitely a distinct city with its own thriving arts and music scene.
Ian and Jeff from Dischord first got to know Daniel Higgs back when he was singing for a Baltimore band called Reptile House. Ian ended up recording them at Inner Ear and they released a seven inch on the Druid Hill/Dischord split label. Daniel came down to DC in 1987 with a new band called Lungfish, which included members Asa Osborne - guitar, John Chriest - bass and Mitchell Feldstein - drums, Ian became an instant fan. Their first album was Necklace Of Heads, which was released on the Simple Machines/Dischord split label, and their next record was released fully on Dischord. This would prove to be the beginning of a very long relationship.
Associated with the label since 1988, Lungfish have one of the longest working relationships with Dischord. Feral Hymns, was their eleventh album, and Lungfish has been in operation (though on hiatus as of writing this piece) for twenty years! The group’s consciousness simultaneously coalesces and disperses creating a continuous quasi-musical pulse which reaches climax at semi-monthly public performances in the United States of America. Lungfish now feature Sean Meadows back on bass. Sean also plays in June of 44 and The Letter E and featured on Indivisible and Sound In Time.