Trent Reznor is currently promoting some new music, in the form of three EPs, and a sort of low-key tour. Considering Reznor is a living legend of hard-rock badassery, he pretty much gets to do interviews with any outlet he wants. This time, he sat down with Rolling Stone. I’ve been covering Reznor’s interviews over the past few years, and every time, I’m just reminded of how much I’ve always liked him. The “angry young man” of Pretty Hate Machine grew into a beautiful angry butterfly who says some really thoughtful things about politics, Trumpism, addiction, and the music industry. You can read Reznor’s full Rolling Stone interview here. Some highlights:
Whether he was thinking of Trump when he wrote his new music, which focuses on societal decay: “It’s not Donald Trump. I don’t think he’s the cause of it, but he’s certainly the result of the conductivity and the social media. The more that people are connected together, seemingly the lower the level of discourse and the more extremities have found each other. It’s become sharper in focus for me and more concerning on a personal level being a father of young kids. It’s power being tribalized.
How pessimism has kicked into gear: “This whole idea that we are even important is a f–king illusion. We’re just an accident left to our own devices. With everything we could do, we’ve dumbed ourselves down to where enlightenment is ultimately the illusion. We’re just animals who self-destruct and we’re proving that we’re not f–king rulers. We’re not godlike. The illusion is thinking we are.”
The grotesque nation: “In this newfound time where the f–king leader of the free world is essentially announcing it’s okay to be racist and f–king ignorant and nothing is happening to him, people are testing the water and coming out of the closet. I find that mentality f–king grotesque….”
The comfort of nostalgia: “I have found a surprising amount of comfort in thinking about things that make me feel good that are nostalgic. I gave in and bought a turntable several years ago. I actually really enjoy holding vinyl, putting it on and the inconvenience of having to walk across the room to pick the needle up if the phone rings. And I find comfort in watching old Twilight Zone episodes, ’cause it reminds me of something that felt familiar. I used to never let myself romanticize the past or look at it through rose-colored glasses, and I’ve allowed myself to realize that I do like some things and I don’t think there’s any real harm necessarily in allowing oneself to think back to things that you sense some sort of comfort from.
Towards the end of the interview, Reznor says a ton of insightful stuff about the music industry right now, and how the landscape of music currently is vehemently anti-rock. He also criticized some of the little indie bands for sounding like they were workshopped by comment sections. As for what I excerpted… it’s such a controlled rage. He’s 53 years old and he’s angry and upset at the state of the world. But he also finds it beneficial to self-soothe with some nostalgia. I completely understand. As for this: “We’re just an accident left to our own devices… We’re just animals who self-destruct and we’re proving that we’re not f–king rulers.” God that’s depressing. And true.
Photos courtesy of Getty.
I love him…..
I’ve come to realise that I have a phobia of the past. I don’t like that nostalgic state of looking at old photographs and listening to music from a certain period of my life, It really makes me feel borderline nauseous and anxious.
I do go back to things I liked, weirdly enough the Twilight Zone episodes too (!) but to show them to my kids and contrast them with our time. If they don’t work anymore I drop them.
I am sure there is a psychologic explanation for this but it is what it is.
I only like nostalgic moments if there’s a comedic tone about it and in small doses, besides this I’m somewhat phobic about it too, vintage sh*#$ included.
Interesting. My teenage sons don’t like to reminisce about the past, including looking at photos, each for different reasons. My older one said he doesn’t like to be reminded of some difficulties he had and my younger one said it makes him feel like if he thinks too much about being little he’ll be too sad and overwhelmed about having to grow up.
We all have our things, right?
@Esmom That’s really insightful and sweet. Sad about the bad experiences. I think at a certain age we start to understand that bad experiences somehow contribute to what we’ve become.
I think I am the opposite of your younger boy, I love the feeling of growing up and growing old. That’s what excites me.
@Naddie, I have the same with vintage stuff!
I thought I was alone in hating the past. Even now I feel overwhelmed by the amount of pictures taken at a walk in the park. I know I will never look at them again. Probably because the future seems so bleak, I’d rather not dwel in the good old times….
Since I am old, I don’t have nearly the number of photos from my childhood that people nowadays do. I hadn’t considered how overwhelming it could be. I could see that, I’m overwhelmed by all the photos I have of my kids (now teens) and am constantly trying to cut down on the number of them. It feels like a never ending job.
God, how I love this man.
Yum. He’s beautiful, and I’ve loved him forever
I will ALWAYS love Trent…not only for his music…or for the fact that when he FIRST entered the business, he worked with some of the BIGGEST R&B acts around…it’s because my guy, who was in the business back in the day and often got to meet and talk to Trent…told me he was one of the coolest and smartest people to talk to…him and Jonathan Davis from “Korn”…. oh…and Marilyn Manson….
Forever Seal Of Approval!!!
You had me until Marilyn Manson LOL
Heck, I was SHOCKED myself about Marilyn Manson…but if you look at interviews, you can see that…and…you know…DON’T TRY TO BE IN AN INTIMATE ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM…that will ONLY lead to Hades…
Exactly! He seems so effed up when it comes to relationships. But now that you said it, I do remember some itws where I was surprised to hear him be so articulate and cultured… a long long time ago…
I can’t stand Marilyn Manson because of the way he is with women, but I have also heard that he’s a great conversationalist and super chill to talk to. I’m not remotely surprised.
“We’re just an accident left to our own devices. With everything we could do, we’ve dumbed ourselves down to where enlightenment is ultimately the illusion. We’re just animals who self-destruct and we’re proving that we’re not f–king rulers. We’re not godlike. The illusion is thinking we are.”
No lies detected. The human race just keeps getting dumber and more self destructive.
That quote reads like lyrics, as does much of that interview. SWOON
‘Yet these people speak abusively against whatever they do not understand; and what things they do understand by instinct, like unreasoning animals – these are the very things that destroy them. ‘
Just came to say mmm…Trent. He really brings it live too
*rolls eyes*
Look, I agree that humanity isn’t god-like and tends to compelled by the delusions otherwise, but he can take the “self-destructive” nonsense back to the ~edgy~ underground. We’re not an “accident.” We’re a product of evolution, not any better or worse than anything that has come before or will after us. It’s arrogant to assume humanity is forever, but it’s equally arrogant to assume we’re anything special as far as the damage we can cause, too.
Humans will always low points in their history. We’ve also had plenty of high points. And while there is a racist traitor in the White House with a lot of people behind him, there are tons of minorities and allies fighting against it, showing up to demonstration, doing the best that they can. In the middle of the Holocaust, there will be people fighting to survive and to protect, doing everything in their power to claw their way to existence in circumstances that would have otherwise seen them dead. That’s the humanity I believe in – the will to survive no matter the obstacles. And sometimes that can utilized wrongly (like the fear driving Trump supporters) or powerfully (the millions organizing and protesting), but it’s there and it’s ours.
I’ve got enough anxiety in my life to spare consideration for the ~darkness~ of human existence that all of these “enlightened” white men want to go on about in 400 page novels or heavy metal. You’ll always have ignorance and you’ll always have fear, but you’ll also have compassion and empathy and purpose, too. We’re just animals trying to live and hoping to be something more. That’s a noble enough cause for me.
The Dalai Lama says that considering everything that could go wrong, we STILL are quite lucky. With all the opportunities to do wrong, humans don’t take them systematically. Organised cruelty is still an aberration. As a society we have come to state laws that defend animals, children, women, minorities, all sexual orientations more and more. If the stories we tell are the aspiring model we create (films, books, songs etc), then we have acceptance of trans people, gays, same sex adoption to look forward to. The world has many contrary forces and humans are part of them. But we have built beautiful systems, philosophies, aesthetics. Otherwise there is no reason to stick around is there? Randomness is an interesting concept if it is applied to the fact that we don’t own what happens to us and the cards we are dealt but it is not fruitful if it serves the argument of passiveness. We are dealt random cards yes, but we still get to play.
Quite profound and positive.
It may be more accurate to say organized cruelty does exist but never permanently. Those systems invariably can’t sustain themselves in the long term because they violate the more cooperative instincts of human beings. The cruelty of few ultimately becomes intolerable for the many. That’s why civil rights movements happen. That’s why large scale revolutions occur. We are social animals prone to conformity that don’t change easily – but we can change. And we can adapt. And I’d rather imagine that future than believe it’s entirely dominated by people like Trump.
Veronica S., how come you get inside my head and type everything I think and feel about this “we’re all ugly animals” shit we hear everyday from artists like him… I love the guy, but I wish this interview was more than what I expect from men in his field. And there’s even the love nostalgia that white men love so much, ugh.
Yes. I agree. We are arrogant fools to think we are somehow elevated in any way whatsoever when we cause so much plunder that could so easily be avoided by our will power and that which we claim for our greatness: intelligence. What good is it, if we don’t use it… yet say we are great cos we have it!? That’s just stupidity plain and simple.
He’s so smart and gifted and talented, he’s always stretching himself musically.
God I love this man. I’m looking forward to seeing him live again in September in San Antonio. I get the added bonus of Primus and Clutch, too. I’ll be a happy girl even if it does include two closely spaced flights and spending the night in an Airbnb with my ex and a few of his friends. This is my self-care and temporary escape from all the shit on fire in the US. (Not the real fires. Those are awful and my heart goes out to everyonr affected by them.)
My cat farted on me.
I wish I had one, even to do this.
Love love love him. That’s all.
(I like him, his soundtrack for the Girl With the Dragon Tattoo was rad). No shade on a man in the public eye who wants to look on-point, wear subtle makeup whatever. But please, get a beauty blender for that undereye concealer.
I understand, on one hand, where his remarks come from about humans just being self-destructive animals. We definitely have the potential to be that and nothing more – and some humans indulge that. But I’ve also seen human beings display selflessness, compassion and kindness that is truly god-like. I bet he has, too.