On this episode of the world famous Sofa King Podcast, we visit the dark king of techno, Trent Reznor. Many people don’t know him by name since he is the front man for Nine Inch Nails, but in a way, he IS Nine Inch Nails. The other band members come and go, but his writing, his producing, his ideas and lyrics are what the band really is. He is considered by many in the music industry to be one of the most influential artists alive. He has won Grammys and Oscars, and he has done sound tracks to some of the most popular movies of the past decade, all while taking shots at the hypocrisy and ignorance of typical American Culture.

Trent Reznor was a talented child, and by high school was a master of the piano and could play just about every other instrument out there. He started college as a computer engineer, but he dropped out to try to make it with music. He got a job as a janitor at a music studio, and he was allowed to play around in the booth when they weren’t booked. Here, he taught himself to be a producer and how to layer, mix, and do all his music is famous for.

He recorded all the songs on his first album, Pretty Hate Machine, and it was an instant success, even leading to a bidding war for who would release it. His next album was even bigger, and a very young age, Oliver Stone hired him to do the soundtrack for Natural Born Killers. He worked with David Lynch next and even got into video games.

As his albums kept coming out, he kept creating controversy. He found Marylyn Manson. He lost Marylyn Manson. He became an addict. He became best friends with David Bowie. He got clean. He got married and created a new band with his wife. He bought the house where Sharon Tate was killed by the Manson family. He made a music studio in a funeral home in New Orleans. Through all of it, Trent Reznor became one of the best producers in the industry, mostly due to a chronic case of not caring what anyone else thought of him (and the ability to realize what his own brand was and to keep refining it). Give this one a listen, and then go binge on some NIN!

 

Visit Our Sources:

https://www.allmusic.com/artist/trent-reznor-mn0000017580/biography

nin.com

https://www.celebritynetworth.com/richest-celebrities/rock-stars/trent-reznor-net-worth/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trent_Reznor

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUCKYter60A

https://www.npr.org/2013/09/04/218961237/trent-reznor-im-not-the-same-person-i-was-20-years-ago

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nine_Inch_Nails

http://antiquiet.com/misc/lists/2013/07/former-ex-members-of-nine-inch-nails-where-are-they-now-nin-2013/

https://uproxx.com/indie/trent-reznor-nine-inch-nails-members-inducted-rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame/

https://exclaim.ca/music/article/five_noteworthy_facts_you_might_not_know_about_trent_reznor