If you like alternative rock or industrial music, it’s likely that you’re familiar with Nine Inch Nails and Trent Reznor. Known for their progressive sound and dark lyrics, Nine Inch Nails gained worldwide recognition. Since the start of their career in 1988, Reznor has contributed to the band not only by being the songwriter and the vocalist but also by replacing the former members and taking the responsibilities of playing bass, guitar, keyboard, synthesizers, and more. In this post, we listed 8 facts about the rocker and his band that you might not be familiar with.
David Bowie Helped Reznor Go Sober
Bowie and Reznor were not only collaborators, but they were also friends. The two parties appeared on each other’s songs multiple times and even toured together. During the time they toured in 1995, Reznor was dealing with severe cocaine and alcohol addiction. Following Bowie’s passing on January 10, 2016, Reznor shared stories about him in an interview, delving into his experiences with the singer. Bowie, too, had issues with addiction in his earlier life, thus consistently offering advice to Reznor in a supportive manner, leading him to get help and ultimately come clean.
Nine Inch Nails Was Once Blamed for a School Shooting
Trent Reznor faced criticism for his content in his music after a mass shooting. On April 20, 1999, the Columbine High School massacre occurred, carried out by 17-year-old Dylan Klebold and 18-year-old Eric Harris. It resulted in the deaths of 12 students, one teacher, and injuries to 21 others, along with harm to three individuals attempting to leave the school. Both Klebold and Harris took their own lives after the incident.
In the duo’s journals, there were plans of the shooting along with the songs ‘Piggy,’ ‘Hurt,’ ‘Closer,’ ‘The Perfect Drug,’ and more. Harris made a reference to Reznor in one of his entries, quoting lyrics from ‘Closer’ in a disturbing context. After the tragedy, public attention turned to the teens’ music preferences and video game choices, and during the hearing, the United States Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation held, Nine Inch Nails, specifically Trent Reznor, faced criticism from senators.
The FBI Mistook The ‘Down In It’ Video
During the filming of Nine Inch Nails’ 1989 music video ‘Down in It,’ a Super 8 camera attached to a helium-filled weather balloon, capturing a scene with Trent Reznor lying on the ground, broke loose and floated away. Over a year later, the camera landed 200 miles away in a Michigan farmer’s field, who, suspecting it contained surveillance footage of marijuana fields, handed it to the local police. Mistakenly believed to be a snuff film by both local and FBI authorities, the investigation revealed the footage featured Trent Reznor, prompting media coverage by Hard Copy.
Nothing Records Belong to Reznor
You may have heard of Nothing Records since most of the Nine Inch Nails came out of that record company. Well, the record company belongs to Reznor himself. Specializing mostly in industrial rock and electronic music, the record company was founded by both Reznor and John Malm Jr. in 1992.
Reznor Collabed Collabed with Atticus Ross for ‘The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo’
In 2011, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross collaborated on the score for the film ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.’ The two made a whole album for the soundtracks.
Reznor Played Every Instrument Except Drums
As we mentioned at the beginning of this post, he did indeed play every single instrument except for drums in the earlier days of the band. In 1987, Reznor departed from the group Exotic Birds to focus on his solo musical endeavors. Prior to establishing Nine Inch Nails, Reznor faced challenges in finding a band with the specific sound he was looking for. Taking inspiration from Prince, he opted to play all the instruments himself, excluding drums—covering keyboards, drum machines, guitars, and samplers.
Reznor’s Net Worth
So, he plays in Nine Inch Nails, collaborated with many names, made songs for a movie, and played every instrument… What is his net worth? The rocker’s estimated net worth is around $80 million.
Reznor Has Been Involved In Film Industry, Too
His contributions don’t only include the music industry; the rocker has some work in the film industry as well. Reznor has been involved in various film and television projects. Some of these projects include ‘Gone Girl’ and ‘Mindhunter.’
