In this weeks cover story of The Village Voice Nine Inch Nails mastermind, Trent Reznor, sits down with The Voice to discuss everything from his new music to talking to his kids about Trump. Below are some hightlights.
On Trump:
“It’s tough, because the president of the United States is a complete f*cking moron,” he seethes. “That’s what gets me the most — that he’s this vulgar, grotesque dope, everything I hate in people.”
On his new music:
"[It's] an interesting narrative that feels important and relevant to what is happening in the world right now.” He pauses. “I sound pretentious.”
On finding his sound:
“My attempts at writing were me trying to sound like someone else that wasn’t me and I knew wasn’t me. I wanted to write political music like the Clash. Then I realized that, aside from being a Caucasian male, that’s where the similarities end.”
On getting clean:
“Coming out of that hole with a new reset and a more humble approach toward my life, getting married, having a family, has provided a lot of sense of stability and home,” he says. “Like, now I fit in someplace: my house.”
On adapting to corporate life:
“It made me feel better about saying, ‘I’m a musician,’ ” he explains. “I’m interested in these other things, but they’re hobbies. This is what I do.”
On his Oscar:
“It’s a nice little statue to have that I keep hidden because I feel like an asshole.”
On talking to his kids about Trump:
“Look, I don’t think he’s a good guy. Some people do,” he told his son. “I don’t think he believes in science and I don’t think he believes people should be treated decently and I don’t think he tells the truth. That’s why I don’t like him.”
Full interview at VillageVoice.com.
