Nine Inch Nails’ Trent Reznor Embraces Collaborative Process With New Album

Trent Reznor is a music mastermind who loves having control over the creative process. Geniuses such as Prince and Brian Wilson share the same trait, but in a recent interview with KROQ morning hosts Kevin & Bean, the Nine Inch Nails leader talked about being more open to the spirit of collaboration.

"What happens now is that I'm a little bit more comfortable in my own skin," said Reznor, who worked with his wife on the band How to Destroy Angels and paired up with composer Atticus Ross to score 'The Social Network' and 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.' "And I'm able to be in a room with people that inspire me and/or intimidate me and hold my own. I tend to try and bring in some people that can do things I can't do and see where that leads and we did that a little bit on this new record." For this record, that meant working with the likes of King Crimson guitar great Adrian Belew and Fleetwood Mac's Lindsey Buckingham among others.

Now well into his middle age years, Reznor may be slowly lightening up, or at least giving himself a chance to enjoy his success. "Winning an Oscar was an interesting process," added Reznor, who won with Ross for 'The Social Network.' "It was something that I would have, at one point, said, 'This is a bunch of crap, I'm never going to be a part of that scenario.' But it felt nice."

'Hesitation Marks,' Nine Inch Nails' first album since the 2008 effort 'The Slip,' features the recently released single 'Came Back Haunted,' and the song's David Lynch-directed video is expected to surface this week. The album arrives Sept. 3, and the group's Tension Tour is set for this fall in North America.