In Conversation With JONATHAN DAVIS of KORN

hello good evening everyone thank you for joining us welcome to Caracas London you I'm Sam corn the editor krang and you're joining us this evening for a very special evening with jonathan davis of corn let's have a round of applause of jonathan please hey how are you today yeah it's been a long day so we'll start with the reason that you're here in England right now I surprised some people for you to suddenly pop up here but rather excitingly there is going to be a new 13th corn record coming out later this year yes congratulations thank you so this is the first time that anyone here anyone in the world will have heard about this new corn record so introduce the new corn record I'm just seeing how you know disap new clone corn record it's called a nothing it's a record I'm really really really proud of worked really hard on it the rest of the members worked hard and really did a great job it's a very dark record it's basically me dealing with all the stuff that happened to me last year very emotional for me but you know it is what it is and I'm just I can't wait for people to hear it I really spent a long time on doing what I wanted to do this time you know producers came in and people trying to give me do one thing this way or the other way everybody was overthinking a lot of things but I finally just said was fed up with it and kicked everyone out and said it'll be done when it's done and I locked myself up in my studio and spent a long time reflecting and just healing and and making my art and you know a couple months later I came out and it's done and I just can't wait for you to hear it can't explain much the whole record is I want to say concept record but it's about basically the same thing all the different songs or about this dark energy that followed me around and with all the things that was going on last year me just embracing it running from it I'm just trying to navigate myself through all the chaos that I was having at that time what that plans for a new corn record before the events of last year or was that the trigger and you wanting to know who they were working on it I was last year doing my solo thing when I was touring the band was writing so they were already writing but then things happen I got done with that record or done with that touring cycle all the stuff happened I finished my tour out and then we did the 20th anniversary or fall leader and after that I went right in the studio after that but I just had to take some time and get my head straight and figure out what I wanted to do how did the process of the solo record like labyrinth what did you take from working on that into this corner record any any learnings or ideas because that I haven't 10 years ago so that has been sitting on a shelf for 10 [ __ ] years I finally got to put it out so this time I just wanted to do something special as going through a lot I wanted to take my time and do something I'd be proud of because this vision really was the first time in a long time I had time to do it and not be worrying about stuff going on at home I could actually focus on my art so I just went for it and I didn't know what's gonna happen but I'm really glad with the outcome I took a lot of time like I mean there's tracks I got there that I sang there's like 20 different vocal tracks and choruses and I really took the time and did the work and it paid off how was how was creating this record in terms of the healing process for you and everything you were going through it sucked I can see it didn't it was just really hard but you know that's how I've always dealt with all my problems is just throwing of my heart and soul into my art and I went through it and it was very hard it was some really emotional times but it was nicest being bowling by myself with my engineer that was it there's just two of us in the studio I'm usually on the last couple records I had my kids there and I really couldn't I was just all over the place this time we could really concentrate and just do what I had to do and get out what I needed to get out in terms of the sound of the record I think em every step of Korn's career your albums have always progressed offered something different from the ones before or from any other one in the catalogue how does how does this one differ to anything that has come under the core name before I mean it's just it's just a different beast just this time the band really brought it they did really really cool things fresh kind of sounding stuff I think that's the biggest difference is what I did vocally on it I wasn't in a hurry I was in a rush to get stuff done I didn't settle I had time I would record something and I take it home and listen and go yeah I don't know but it was just me fighting myself I wasn't nothing produced hurt other people having their opinions it just was just my thing and then sometimes I could be more critical to producer but I had that luxury at the time how long did that process go on for four months I think for four months how does that compare to I usually do wasn't two weeks Wow okay that's speedy so yeah cuz I had to I had no choice I had to get done and get back to taking care of my kids and doing that kind of stuff so yeah I took a while it definitely took a while but I wasn't gonna settle and I wanted it to be real I wasn't gonna sit there and go hey tune that or do this or do that I just wanted to do it you know dude the correct way where I thought was the best way and that the most possible best performance in the realest performance I could do and just lose myself and figure out how to deal with what I just went dealt this records gonna mark your 13th studio record yeah in 25 years which is pretty crazy an incredible yeah what do you put that kind of prolific sea down to as about that would get along um that you know we enjoy making music together that we still strive to do things that are exciting and take chances and we're not scared to do that and there's still that passion in the band and I think that we still have that going and that pushes us drives us to keep you know trying to do better each time this is crazy 13 records who I thought hmm it's a mod I mean it's I'm not sure there's any band on earth that could ever say that in in a 25 year period they have done 13 records saying how do you look back on on that discography its what a crazy ride I mean everyone's been different everyone different approaches different producers I mean I love with the body at work I listen and I was critique myself I wish I would have done there so we're done that but each one is just like a stamp in time in my head when I was going through and it's just like for me it's like reading a book of my life and all the things going through so it's it's pretty incredible like I say I pinch myself every day I'm like I can't believe this is still happening and everything that's gone down and the way things are going are still going know where they're going when you talk about the time that you were able to take on on this new record there any of those records that you look back on in your and your past that you particularly wish that you taken a bit more time on than you did mm-hmm no because if I did it would change them and just isn't necessary but I mean you learn I mean there was like album like and touchable as we did and that took us two and a half years then we did take a look at the mirror that was a reaction to that we - it months because we just wanted to do something raw it just depends each one is its own thing so I'm glad I did you know I say we always like we live in a matrix a matrix just made it that way just this is how it ended up this time next time it could be completely different with so many albums the others to say that when we mentioned earlier that there feels like there's such a difference to every corner I caught and that they moved from different genres and they bring in different influences yeah yet if you were to say the name corn to a lot of rock fans the first thing they would say is new metal right do you feel that's a bit unfair on you guys that you would still be thought of in that regard I mean I used to get so pissed off around [ __ ] care anymore I swear to God cause whatever the [ __ ] you want I don't care I used to find be pissed how can you call us that in the beginning in 1993 we were doing this [ __ ] 94 when it came out we were not a metal band a metal band was like Judas Priest and Iron Man and all of you expected then that's what they were but we weren't a metal band and that's what they're trying to help us in and so we went out and they tried to stick us all these different tours I'm gonna open it up for Pennywise and no doubt we're opening it up for kfdm just all these different Vance and middle bands in it just seemed like the middle community took us in and that was great and we're doing our thing and then all little copycat bands started coming out and then it became a movement and then it became new metal so that's how that happened but whatever gives a [ __ ] I don't anymore do you feel like it's like a bad rap the name that's not yeah it just seems like when I hear new metal I just think my cheese mold kind of rap rocky kind of just I don't know just a lot of bad music it was there were some great ones but there's a lot of bad ones too yeah where do you feel that you fit in or is that the beauty of core maybe I've always felt like I've never seen really I mean the middle committee took us in and I love it because it's just like a bunch of just misfits and do what you want you're accepted and it's great but I never felt we ever fit in anywhere we're just our own thing that just me personally my bandmates a all they love it metal whatever category I don't care but for me I never felt and that's just probably me not being comfortable in my own skin and that's was probably [ __ ] I do in my own head but whatever there's a beautiful fans out there enjoying music so that's how I give a [ __ ] about as well as having a new corn record this year so much 25 years since since that debut record yeah you you infamously opened it with the line are you ready we're looking back were you ready for the journey that it sent you on at that time I was in my wildest dreams hoping that it would would happen and it did but who knows I mean the beginning I remember going and playing like we did this thing or it was called foundations for him we played it but before that like a year earlier we went and we played demo and played blind for the A&R panel and they're listening to and they're just critiquing I was like oh it takes too long to get to vocals you need to do this and that just talking all this [ __ ] and they had no idea what was gonna happen was just a long crazy journey we had no idea what was going to happen but we knew when we played shows it would be like 12 people there and the next time there'd be like 24 and a double and doubled so we just based our whole thing I'm playing live and that's what was still here 25 years later doing and that's what it was all about what do you think he's most learned in that 25 year journey about yourself did him what tough so [ __ ] it's just it's hard down the road is hard being away from family is hard playing those songs every night and with the integrity and given 100 percent is hard it's not what you think it is you just have this this thing in your mind what you think it's going to be and it's totally not that it's work and it's hard it's fun when you're like that 21 the first started yeah going out party and getting crazy done all that [ __ ] but then it turns into work then it turns in you're missing your son's first day at school you're missing his birthdays you know you feel like it's hard it's it's rough but it's also very rewarding when you talk to someone and say you know you helped me in a really tough part of my life thank you and then that's all the reward in the world you just got to give yourself and you know to pay for it I [ __ ] hurt every day from 25 years of banging my [ __ ] head and this should I do on stage but you know it's it is what it is and I wouldn't change a thing does it get easier to deal with with some of those things of being away for a long period of time or not seeing your family for for long periods of time well it it gets easier I've learned how to deal with it now but all through that that was really tough it was just one reason why I got so [ __ ] up all the time I was drinking to cover up other issues and you learn how to cope and you go do things and you make it up to your kids and it's all good when you talk about those interactions that you have with fans when they say how much your music has helped them does that carry a weight for you from talking to to other people in exactly on here you know that there's sort of a thing where some people love that and other people really carry the weight of of people telling them those stories and those very personal things does do you feel any of that weight or is that is it all beneficial to you I love it it just makes me feel like I'm doing something positive that out of my pain came something good and that's a reason why I'm here I could retire a long time ago I don't have to do this but I love helping kids and I love make an art so here I am that debut record 25 years ago was such a huge gateway album for probably so many people in this room as well as their first entry point yeah to rock and Mel what growing up is a growing up as a kid what were those kind of entry points for you um I didn't listen um rock music at all I listened the more like English new romantic [ __ ] like Adam and Duran Duran and all those kind of bands so that was my corn The Cure those room that was my corn stuff like that I didn't really get into heavy music until well had a brief little period where I got to listen I was listening like Motley Crue shot at the devil or do last thing line all that stuff and then my dad became a born-again Christian and burned them all and just guard me scared the [ __ ] shot at me saying the dog was gonna take me over and all this [ __ ] so then that pushed me in a different direction and that's when I got like this first album it was a twitch my ministry and then I got into Skinny Puppy and in this specimen down the Christian death all that goth [ __ ] and then it just turned into the new romantic new wave [ __ ] I really loved Adam Ant and Duran Duran those are my two and the Cure and then after that I got into it I started DJing that's what I got into New York freestyle music and that's all the club music was going on New York in the 80s and that was my thing for a while and then this album the album Vulgar Display of power here came out and I was like holy [ __ ] I loved it cuz I love the groove part of it just you wanted to make you move but there was this heaviness about it and after that I was sold and I started listen more and more rock music that sort of shift from kind of rock and heavy music into sort the dance world on the club music obviously you've done a lot of DJing as well through your career what are the similarities and the parallels that you see between the rock world and the dance world and just think the only everybody's going to have a good time pretty much but as I'm being similar there's nothing similar it's two different things going to DJ gig and a rock show or just completely two different things there are two separate experiences I love both of them yeah how do those experiences differ for you what what's what do you feel when you're on stage with Korn that differs too when you're behind the decks what on one stage of coin is something that's organic we're actually playing the instruments it's live when you're in a DJ gig is something you've already made pre-recorded in you're playing it on with a button that's the biggest difference I know they say you're performing on I'm not putting it down but that's how they perform an electronic music but if you add elements some more live stuff I really be into it more but back when I was DJing and doing the first thing I really got into it but I wanted to try and how do you make this more alive I didn't make it make it something more of a show and then I just said [ __ ] gave up go back music Jessie's in our audience and I wanted to know which Korn record took the most time and the most energy for you two vegetables definitely that record it took two and a half years producer Michael Byrne Horne was crazy I love him to death he's one of the only producers I still talked to this day that we've worked with a lot him and Ross and Nick I knew this one but um that album was crazy it took two and a half years he just wanted everything to be perfect I'd come in to come sing and he's like no your voice ain't right when I know was perfectly fine but he heard something in my voice I didn't hear and send me home it's really frustrating but at the end the end that record to me is just amazing got the heavy metal Asia just sonically it sounds so [ __ ] good and that's because he spent so much time doing it making it perfect how did you respond to that at that time we were you receptive to that what did you push back against that I pushed back a lot we butt heads a lot but you kept saying weed this is what you do when you make a rock nobody makes and puts the time to make good rock wear it anymore everybody's in a hurry to do this and do that take your time you got to do this it's got to be perfect it's got to be perfect how to be perfect and we weren't like tuning vocals I mean I had to nail everything performance and everything in team perfect and there was no in-between there's no great it's like either was great or no go home I don't know how many times I went home nope you're voicing right by what it's just very frustrating but in then I could look back and listen to it that sonically there's nothing it sounds like that record do you feel you had that advice in your head when you were making this record and you decided that you know I do need to take the time with this I do need to make this perfect I just wanted to do this because I've always wanted to do it and I never had the time I just was taking influences from like elo Abba clean all those bands it took the time it did those huge vocal beds like Def Leppard did them to just you sit there and you do one vocal take switch mic next vocal take you double and triple every I triple every harmony and I do four or five piece part harmonies and that's getting up into upward 20:24 tracks on choruses and stuff like that takes a long time but when you hear it the finished product it's like so huge beautiful just how it should it's just I don't know it's nothing like it and it's just fun doing it on the flip side to that question which was the easiest and quickest corner Michael's put together trying to think out of all probably Life is peachy because we came right off the road to keep the momentum going we went in and we've knocked that record out in less than three months stops finished yeah Wow because we need to get back out on the road and keep doing what we're doing so that was that was pretty quick Amanda who believes in the room tonight and ask you influences your music now and if you're going to take call into other genres and mix things with your sound now where would you go with it I don't know there's nothing's really influences me stuff inspires me to go do what I do but I've been really just listening with a lot of 30 20s 30s and 40s Styles music old big band stuff and stuff done on old rhythm Mike's just I call it murder music it's just dark stuff when you listening to it I got an old phonograph the studio with the old 78 very plain put the needle on there you gotta crank it up and play that [ __ ] it's just something dark about it that I like I'm gonna listen to that a lot of music right now nothing's really nothing he's good it just seems like it's so like indecent a rock world everybody's they call it active rock it seems like all these bands that are coming out and sound the exact same you use the same exact formula same exact tones you're listening to the same song just performed by different people so I'm just waiting for something to grab my attention is there anything that you've heard that does that there's a panic called skin which I did a song with them they're their EP are like what they're doing a lot it's really dark about serial killers and [ __ ] really good good different I like that and but other than that trying to think no not really I mean just when I listen to that old oldies but goodies I guess where do you go to find that open music is this something that you've long enjoyed or have you recently become I just turn on you know if you go to satellite radio you got you know those 30s and 40s 50s he go away just the decades of music and I just listened to it I listened to most of the music when I'm in my car driving around when I'm in my free time the last [ __ ] thing I want to do is this in a music so I'm used to playing video games or playing with my kids and didn't still like that in terms of in terms of video games you are you are an avid gamer what is it you enjoy about video games as a as awful a little because it takes me out of my head you can you sitting you go in the video game you go in different worlds and play you're not here right now you're in that that world and it just takes some of the crazy [ __ ] you think your head all the stuff that goes on in there away and it's like a release that's why I've always been in the video game so much same thing with music it's an experience if you sit there and put your headphones on and listen to music you're not in your head your experience in that moment and that's what I really like about it have you been playing recently I've been playing when I played recently I went back and started playing Borderlands again the first one and I just went to e3 with my kids and they just lost their [ __ ] cuz I got to go fortnight booze and went to eath to the borderland what our last 3's coming out I got to hang out and I met the guy that invented Borderlands and that was really cool just go to nerdy [ __ ] like that it's fun what's your all-time favorite video game you could take one that you could only ever play forever what would it be I was shelled a winwaker that when it came out on a PE no that was someone in Tendo the [ __ ] was it called it no it was the box the cube the cube yes it was a zelda windwaker that game was badass at the time it was one of my favorites I liked just doing like [ __ ] you got to go look around and find [ __ ] and I'm not in this first-person shooters successfully Borderlands that's fun you gotta go to quest but most of shits like more role-playing kind of stuff stuff that makes me get I think solve puzzles to [ __ ] like that you mentioned taking your kids to e3 how did how did fatherhood change you I mean it made me bill you know I'm not just responsible for me no more I mean it when Nathan was born that was a big shock to me it was like holy [ __ ] on my dad now I left when he was born I got to spend a couple hours with them and then I had to go do an interview for at the radio station the car picked me up took me know I didn't get to go home with him the first time then once the band started picking out more it gets them more and more with him and that got me sober that got me you know I was going down a really dark path before he was born and then when I had pirate in Zebulon that just put me over the top I just loved being a dad I got three little dudes that depend on me when Nathan's 23 now it's crazy and he's off doing his own music stuff now he travels all over the world DJ and his shits as pretty a trip that's crazy there was one night at my solo tour we played the same night in the same city so he came to my show and watch me playing and after I was done I went to his show after so that was pretty surreal he had the bigger crowd me but it was cool anyways but and then you know being dad the pirate and sappy it's uh it's fun I love it the driving the advice feel like going into music or did you think you need to do this for yourself and I just supported him I don't want to give him he needs to make his own mistakes and figured out on itself I just I'm back there just watching if anyone [ __ ] him I will kill him but I just gotta let him make those mistakes and then you know just you've left the room you know whatever the [ __ ] in the house and you do your thing and I wish you the best and I really and you know what he did it he made it on his own I never helped I never heard forever no one knew he was my son in that what he did so he did it on his own that makes him feel more proud even makes me even proud that what are you doing words the [ __ ] you know funny seeing him on stage do you see a part of yourself and in the moment I see his little goofy ass up there that little goofy ass kid diapers I see all kinds of stuff but it just makes me happy cuz it looks like he's having a good time then that's what it's all about and just come down to it yeah it's different he's programming on a computer doing this pumping and doing all this [ __ ] but it still it's still heavy and still intense and he enjoys it have you ever worked with him on anything yeah we've [ __ ] on in the studio before we've done stuff we've worked on beats for pirate and pirate raps on it and we do all these fun little [ __ ] studio that's like we go the studio that's Mike my Neverland we know things all decked out in nerf guns and video games and it's just like you're 14 there you know we just have we make music play video games just escape the world Aaron whoever leaves in the room to follow up on that said you know he wanted to know if you've collaborated with a lot of people over the years mm-hmm is there anyone that you would still really have on your bucket list of wanting to work with well AI think no I just like making art with whoever I don't care I'm trying to think of anyone I want to collaborate and I'd love to do something with nails one day I'd love to do something with Robert Plant is my favorite singer I love to do with anyone just my heroes that did that be fun is that really gonna happen who knows well even do I want to do that well I have all these high expectations maybe a total dick and just ruined the whole thing you never know so I'm just kidding I'm cool if you want to collaborate in something I'm down whatever Robert Plant on the kid obviously made a great deal to you yeah what what is it about what was it about their music in particular that spoke to you when you were younger well let's Upland that was the groove it was that rhythm sex with John Bonham was how that band just how Banamine and the bass rushed and the drums lagged how they created that crazy rhythm section and how other plant just saying just so beautifully over it'll just it moved your soul when I first heard whole lot of love I was just a little kid and my aunt was dance around the room said you got to hear this and there's a really cool story about that as the actual console and she pass the way I got the console I heard the first my first Led Zeppelin record on and I have it in my studio and I look at it for inspiration because that started me down my whole path those little things like tangible things that I can see and hold really inspire me but that band did a lot for me [ __ ] watching my parents do a local version of Jesus Christ Superstar those kind of things those inspire me those all the crazy [ __ ] you know show tunes man I love shows I can't help it but I do I love all that stuff almost all these things in my life inspired me to make the music I make now and you know then you get into the you know the Cure and those bands when I was a teenager and a lot of pins you know older Korn fans it they were coming up the bands that were that for me we're like the Cure and Adam Ant and grander and those were my bands in home and I never stopped loving music had into all kinds I'm Mike from Chicago who hasn't come over here slacking Mike he wanted to know whether whether there's any chance that we'll ever hear the corn covers album you know we did a bunch of covers I hope to hell we got like four or five we just got to get enough to to make a record and we'll probably do it sometime but every time we do a new manager comes just like they're useless you're not get them why would you put that out we got we're doing the album cycle here it's something you do on the side we've got some really good covers man we can do covers good I can't I hope one day it has come out that what's what's your favorite cover the eve that you bought something I love my way from Psychedelic Furs what else we did head like a hole from nails the stroke from Billy Squier stuff like that do you try and take a very different approach to those songs we just make it we just make it ours yeah and somehow we pull it off I think my favorite cover we did was kidnap to Sandy Claws that one was pretty dull from never before Christmas and I got to do that with Danny in Mexico we did a show and I got to sing with it in front of an orchestra with Danny it was pretty crazy it was awesome just to end on talking about the record that he's coming yeah so that's coming out this side of the year and then you'll be hitting the road yeah we're gonna be going out and touring with Alison Shane's we're doing that summer tour and then after that we're gonna do another tour after that pretty soon and that'll finish out the year and then we're gonna hit it hard we'll probably be in Europe next year table tennis the festival season hopefully excited to get back back into the corn swing of things after the solo record things yeah I mean it's a different it's a totally different thing I can't wait to get out there and just play and do what I do and get this all out I want to bring this new record to the world and play the favorites and you know life's too short I'm just having a good time I'm just gonna just do what I love and hopefully people dig it Jonathan thank you so much for joining us thing that you were having it thanks to you guys [Applause] you

Channel: KERRANG!

Views: 195,233

Rating: 4.9603529 out of 5

Keywords: Korn, Jonathan Davis, The Nothing, Nu-metal, Heavy metal, Kerrang, In Conversation, Interview, Rock music, Korn Interview, Jonathan Davis Interview, Korn The Nothing

Id: A5nO5TqUHiA

Length: 33min 57sec (2037 seconds)

Published: Wed Jun 26 2019

Reddit Comments

[u/NorCalGuy16]

JD is such a lovable guy. He’s humble, genuine, and keeps it real. He’s very un-rockstar. I met him for the first time in 95, while they were filming the “Clown” video at my high school. I was obviously ditching class to hang with the guys. One of the activities office people came up to us and told me to leave them alone and to go to class. Jon immediately told her that I was welcomed to stay and hang out and even insisted that she leave us all alone. Love that guy.

*But can’t stand Fieldy! 🙄

[u/[deleted]]

Great interview. He’s went through a bunch of shit lately but he still seems to have a lot of positivity and is super proud of this record. Didn’t think I could be more excited than I already was!

[u/Kaiser499]

I love these long interviews with him, good to see the band took their time with the record. I really hope Korn works with the Untouchables producer again.

[u/Levie87]

I did not get to listen to the whole thing but I did catch one interesting bit:

​

He sent about 4 months going through the singing and lyrics for this album. Sometimes redoing or rewriting parts over and over to get them just right. He said normally he only spends about 2 weeks going through this process for an album.

[u/respectmyasshole]

he is such a beautiful inspiration to me.... wildly successful but still sweet as hell.

I wish him nothing but the best and cant understate the positive effect he has personally had on my life.

A really incredible role model

[u/Get9]

Korn has a "Head Like A Hole" cover somewhere in those archives? And they haven't released it? That brings me immense satisfaction and sadness. Seriously, can we just, like, get it as a single?

[u/ScarletSpider0725]

So another tour immediately after in 2019? Fuck yea! ...one thing tho...

"Get this new record out there and play the favorites"

Whose favorites? Casual favorites? Hardcore fan favorites? The setlist better be fucking different.

[u/NorCalGuy16]

Y’all want a single?