Photo: Shirlaine Forest
Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor had much to say about his contemporaries in a righteous, confrontational new interview with Vulture.
Pulling no punches, Reznor spoke of his disappointment that Grizzly Bear, a band he admires, are so open to having their music used in adverts. “Something that’s struck me as a significant shift, and I don’t know when it started, is when the corporate entity became a benefactor as opposed to a thing musicians shunned,” he said. “When I hear Grizzly Bear in a Volkswagen commercial, it kind of bums me out. I like Grizzly Bear a lot; I don’t want to think of a fucking car when I hear their song. But somewhere along the line it became okay to get in bed with a sponsor.”
He also recalled a conversation with a ‘well-known EDM artist’. “I remember having a conversation with a well-known EDM artist. Half of the brief conversation was him humblebragging about how many corporate sponsors he’s got… That’s not what the spirit of being a musician or a rock star is. Why are these people even making music? I’m doing it because I have to get something out and I feel vital when it resonates with someone else. When I can get paid, too, that’s a nice consequence.” The musician also spoke of his confusion over Drake’s continued popularity, while on Nicki Minaj’s infamous Anaconda video, Reznor said: “Is that supposed to be sexy? How about we just have full gynecological probing in a video? There’s a vulgarity to it. I don’t know. Maybe lines are being pushed in that way and I’m just blind to it.”
Ashton Kutcher, too, was not spared from Reznor’s fury. Discussing the actor’s forays into tech investments, he said: I don’t want to hear about “Ashton Kutcher’s a fucking tech genius.” I don’t give a shit about that. He seems like an asshole.” There were, however, words of praise for Radiohead for their handling of massive fame. “I appreciate what Radiohead has been doing the last few years. You’re not saturated with stories about them. They’re not in the press constantly talking about stuff. They create an aura that makes you more interested in what they’re doing.”
Nine Inch Nails returned this month with the second part of their current trilogy of EPs, ADD VIOLENCE.
