Trent Reznor facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Trent Reznor
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Reznor in February 2008
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Michael Trent Reznor
May 17, 1965 New Castle, Pennsylvania, U.S.
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| Years active | 1982–present |
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Mariqueen Maandig
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| Children | 5 |
| Musical career | |
| Origin | Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. |
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Michael Trent Reznor (born May 17, 1965) is an American musician. He is best known as the founder, lead singer, and main songwriter of the band Nine Inch Nails. This band plays a style of music called industrial rock. For many years, Reznor was the only official member of Nine Inch Nails. In 2016, he added English musician Atticus Ross as a second permanent member.
Reznor started his music journey in 1982. He played in synth-pop bands like The Innocent and Exotic Birds. The first Nine Inch Nails album, Pretty Hate Machine (1989), became popular with underground fans. Later albums, The Downward Spiral (1994) and The Fragile (1999), received wide praise. Nine Inch Nails has released many more albums and EPs since then. Reznor has also worked with artists like Marilyn Manson and Halsey. In 2009, he formed the group How to Destroy Angels with his wife Mariqueen Maandig and Atticus Ross.
Since 2010, Reznor and Ross have composed music for many films and TV shows. They are famous for their work with director David Fincher. Their film scores include The Social Network (2010) and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011). They won an Academy Award for Best Original Score and a Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media for The Social Network. They also won these awards for the movie Soul (2020). In 2019, they won a Primetime Emmy Award for their music in the TV series Watchmen. In 2023, Reznor, Ross, Dave Sitek, and Hudson Mohawke formed a virtual supergroup called WitchGang. As Nine Inch Nails, they are also creating the soundtrack for the upcoming movie Tron: Ares.
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Trent Reznor's Early Life
Reznor was born in New Castle, Pennsylvania, on May 17, 1965. His parents are Nancy Lou and Michael Reznor. He grew up in Mercer, Pennsylvania. His family has German and Irish roots. His great-grandfather, George Reznor, started a heating company in 1884. When Reznor was six, his parents divorced. He went to live with his maternal grandparents.
He started playing the piano at age 12. He showed a natural talent for music very early on. His grandfather, Bill Clark, told People magazine in 1995 that Reznor was a good kid. He was a Boy Scout who loved to skateboard and build model planes. Music was a huge part of his life from a young age.
Reznor felt that his quiet upbringing made him feel separated from the outside world. He told Rolling Stone in 1994 that he wanted to escape his small hometown. He said his life experience came from movies, TV, books, and magazines. He saw images of cool things and interesting places that didn't exist where he lived. However, he later clarified that he didn't have a "miserable childhood."
Reznor remembered his first concert was the Eagles in 1976. He felt very excited that night. He thought, "Someday I'd love to be up on that stage." At Mercer Area Junior/Senior High School, he learned to play the tenor saxophone and tuba. He was part of both the jazz band and marching band. His old band director said he was "very upbeat and friendly." He also acted in high school plays. He won "Best in Drama" for his roles in Jesus Christ Superstar and The Music Man. After graduating in 1983, he studied computer engineering at Allegheny College.
Reznor's Music Career
Starting Out in Music
While still in high school, Reznor played three shows a week with a local band called Option 30. After one year of college, he left to focus on music in Cleveland, Ohio. His first band in Cleveland was a cover band called the Urge. In 1985, he joined The Innocent as a keyboard player. They released one album, but Reznor left after three months. In 1986, he joined Exotic Birds. He even appeared with them as a fake band in the 1987 movie Light of Day. During this time, Reznor also played keyboards for Slam Bamboo and briefly joined Lucky Pierre.
Reznor got a job at Right Track Studio in Cleveland. He worked as an assistant engineer and janitor. The studio owner, Bart Koster, noticed how focused Reznor was. Reznor asked Koster if he could record his own songs for free when the studio wasn't being used. Koster agreed, saying it only cost him "a little wear on [his] tape heads."
Nine Inch Nails: The Main Project
When Reznor first started recording as Nine Inch Nails, he couldn't find a band that played his songs exactly how he wanted. So, like Prince, he played almost all the instruments himself. He continued this for most Nine Inch Nails studio albums. However, he sometimes worked with other musicians and drummers. Several record labels liked his demo songs. Reznor then signed with TVT Records. Some of his early demo songs were later released unofficially. Many of these songs appeared in a new form on Pretty Hate Machine, his first official Nine Inch Nails album.
Pretty Hate Machine came out in 1989. It was a moderate success and was certified Gold in 1992. His record label wanted a new album quickly. To avoid interference, Reznor secretly recorded an EP called Broken (1992) under different names. Nine Inch Nails joined the Lollapalooza tour in 1991. They won a Grammy Award in 1993 for the song "Wish".
Nine Inch Nails' second full album, The Downward Spiral, reached number two on the Billboard 200 chart in 1994. It is still the best-selling Nine Inch Nails album in America. For this album, Reznor rented a famous house where a crime had happened in 1969. He built a studio there and named it Le Pig. He said he chose the house because he liked it the most.
Nine Inch Nails toured a lot in the following years. This included a show at Woodstock '94. Reznor told the audience he didn't like playing huge venues. It took a long time to make the next album after The Downward Spiral.
In 1999, the double album The Fragile was released. Critics generally liked it. However, it lost money for Reznor's record label. So, he paid for the North American Fragility Tour himself. Six more years passed before the next Nine Inch Nails album, With Teeth, came out. With Teeth reached number one on the Billboard 200 chart. After With Teeth, Reznor released the concept album Year Zero in 2007. This album had an alternate reality game about how government policies might affect the world in 2022.
After Year Zero, Reznor left big record labels. He released two albums, Ghosts I–IV and The Slip, independently. He put them out on his own label, The Null Corporation. In 2009, Nine Inch Nails took a break after the Wave Goodbye Tour. In 2013, Nine Inch Nails signed with Columbia Records. They released the album Hesitation Marks that September.
Atticus Ross had worked with Reznor since 2002. In 2016, Ross became an official member of Nine Inch Nails. This made the band a duo. As a duo, they released three EPs from 2016 to 2018. These EPs had different musical styles. Not the Actual Events (2016) went back to a heavier industrial sound. Add Violence (2017) focused more on electronic music. Bad Witch (2018) explored experimental jazz.
Working with Other Artists
One of Reznor's first collaborations was in 1990. He sang on a Ministry side project called 1000 Homo DJs. He sang on a cover of Black Sabbath's "Supernaut". Because of legal issues, his voice was changed so it couldn't be recognized. He also performed with another side project, Revolting Cocks, in 1990. He said he saw a new level of "decadence" with a sense of humor.
Reznor sang backing vocals on "Past the Mission" for Tori Amos' 1994 album Under the Pink. He produced Marilyn Manson's first album, Portrait of an American Family (1994). He also worked on several songs for Manson's Smells Like Children (1995) and Antichrist Superstar (1996). Reznor later said that working on the Manson record felt like staying on tour mentally.
Later, Reznor and Manson had disagreements. Manson said he had to choose between being friends or continuing to succeed. He felt it became too competitive.
In the music video for David Bowie's "I'm Afraid of Americans" (1997), Reznor played a stalker. After Bowie's death in 2016, Reznor remembered how touring with Bowie in 1995–96 inspired him.
Reznor created a remix of The Notorious B.I.G.'s song "Victory" in 1998. For almost 10 years, Reznor worked on a project called Tapeworm. He collaborated with Danny Lohner, Maynard James Keenan, and Atticus Ross. However, the project ended before any official music was released. Some of their work appeared on other artists' albums.
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In 2006, Reznor played his first "solo" shows at Neil Young's Bridge School Benefit. He performed simpler versions of Nine Inch Nails songs with a string section. Reznor sang on El-P's 2007 album I'll Sleep When You're Dead. He also helped produce Saul Williams' 2007 album The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of NiggyTardust!. Reznor convinced Williams to release the album for free online. Fans could choose to pay $5 for better quality files. Reznor was also a "Musical Consultant" for the 2004 film Man on Fire. Six Nine Inch Nails songs were in the movie.
In 2012, Reznor announced he would work with Queens of the Stone Age on a song for their album ...Like Clockwork. He had sung backing vocals for them before in 2007.
In 2013, Reznor appeared in the documentary Sound City. This film was directed by Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters. It was about the famous Sound City Studios where many great musicians recorded. Reznor also contributed to the film's soundtrack. He worked on the song "Mantra" with Dave Grohl and Josh Homme.
Reznor performed live at the 2014 Grammy Award ceremony. He played with Lindsey Buckingham from Fleetwood Mac, Dave Grohl, and Queens of the Stone Age. He said he decided to perform to reach a large audience with integrity.
In 2019, Reznor received a songwriting credit for the Lil Nas X song "Old Town Road". This was because the song used a sample from the 2008 Nine Inch Nails instrumental track "34 Ghosts IV". "Old Town Road" became the longest-running number one hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Reznor approved the sample and supported the song.
In 2020, Reznor worked with Tobacco on his album Hot Wet and Sassy. In 2021, Reznor and Atticus Ross produced Halsey's album If I Can't Have Love, I Want Power. They recorded the music in Los Angeles. Halsey sang in the Turks and Caicos Islands. The album was praised by critics.
In 2023, Reznor and Ross joined Dave Sitek and Hudson Mohawke to form the virtual supergroup WitchGang. Their song, "Nothing's Alright", was released in December.
How to Destroy Angels: A New Band
In April 2010, Reznor announced a new band called How to Destroy Angels. He formed it with his wife, Mariqueen Maandig, and Atticus Ross. The group released a six-song EP in June 2010. They also covered a song for the soundtrack of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo in 2011.
In 2012, Reznor said the group would release an EP called An Omen EP. Some of its songs would be on their first full album in 2013. They released a song and music video from the EP called "Keep it Together". In January 2013, How to Destroy Angels announced their first full album, Welcome Oblivion, would be released in March.
Working as an Independent Artist
After the album Year Zero, Reznor announced that Nine Inch Nails was no longer tied to Interscope Records. They would release future albums independently. In May 2008, Reznor started The Null Corporation. Nine Inch Nails then released the album The Slip as a free digital download. Reznor made "The Slip" free on his website to thank his fans. A month and a half after its release, The Slip was downloaded 1.4 million times.
In 2009, Reznor wrote that he was thinking about Nine Inch Nails taking a break. He said he would still make music as Nine Inch Nails. However, the group would not be touring for a while.
Music for Video Games
Reznor and Nine Inch Nails created the original music for the 1996 video game Quake. Reznor also helped record sound effects for the game. The NIN logo even appears on the nailgun ammo boxes in the game. Reznor's connection with the game company id Software started because he was a fan of the original Doom. He worked with id Software again in 2003 as a sound engineer for Doom 3. However, he had to leave the project, and his audio work was not used in the final game.
Nine Inch Nails' 2007 album, Year Zero, came with an alternate reality game. The album's lyrics were from the point of view of different made-up characters. Reznor said Year Zero was a concept album that criticized government policies. In 2012, Reznor composed the theme music for Call of Duty: Black Ops II.
In 2024, it was announced that Reznor and Ross would compose the music for the video game Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet.
Composing for Films
In 1994, Reznor produced the soundtrack for Oliver Stone's film Natural Born Killers. Nine Inch Nails recorded the song "Burn" for the movie. For The Crow soundtrack, the group covered Joy Division's "Dead Souls".
Reznor produced the soundtrack for David Lynch's 1997 film Lost Highway. He created two pieces of the film's music with Peter Christopherson.
In 2001, Reznor was asked to score the film One Hour Photo. However, his music didn't fit the movie and wasn't used. These songs later became part of his album Still. A remix of the Nine Inch Nails song "You Know What You Are?" was used in the 2005 film Doom. In 2009, Trent Reznor composed "Theme for Tetsuo" for the Japanese film Tetsuo: The Bullet Man.
Reznor worked with Ross to compose the music for David Fincher's 2010 film The Social Network. This movie was about the start of Facebook. Reznor said that once he read the script, he knew he had to do it. The music was praised for showing Mark Zuckerberg as a genius with a dark side. The film's music was released in October 2010 in many forms. A free 5-song EP was also released online.
In 2011, Reznor announced he would work with Fincher again. This time, they would score The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. A cover of "Immigrant Song" by Led Zeppelin, produced by Reznor and Ross, was used in a trailer for the film. Reznor and Ross created music for the film as it was being shot. Reznor explained in 2014 that this was "a lot more work."
Reznor and Ross also scored Fincher's film Gone Girl. Fincher wanted music that sounded comforting but was actually insincere. Reznor explained that the challenge was to create music that felt like a false sense of comfort. The goal was to make people doubt what they were seeing. The soundtrack was released in September 2014.
In 2014, Reznor said he was open to working with other filmmakers besides Fincher. He said scoring films came up unexpectedly. He found it a great experience and learned a lot. He values his work with Fincher because they both aim for "uncompromised excellence."
In 2014, it was announced that Reznor would work with composer Mike Patton on a sequel to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. However, the film was later canceled.
Reznor and Ross have scored films for many other directors since 2016. They worked on the climate change documentary Before the Flood (2016). They also scored Patriots Day (2017), a drama about the Boston Marathon bombings. The next year, they scored their first TV series, The Vietnam War. In 2018, Reznor and Ross scored Jonah Hill's film Mid90s. They also scored Bird Box, released on Netflix. Reznor later said he was not happy with Bird Box. He felt the music was mixed too low in the final movie. He also said he and Ross left the film The Woman in the Window because they didn't like changes the studio made.
In 2019, Reznor and Ross composed music for the drama Waves. They also scored the HBO miniseries Watchmen. Both Reznor and Ross were fans of the comic book series. They released three volumes of music for the show. The music was highly praised. Reznor and Ross won a Primetime Emmy Award in 2020 for their work on Watchmen.
In 2020, Reznor and Ross worked with Fincher again on his film Mank. They also scored their first animated movie, Pixar's Soul. In 2021, they won a Golden Globe and an Academy Award for their work on Soul. They shared these awards with Jon Batiste.
In 2022, Reznor and Ross scored Bones and All and Empire of Light. In 2023, they scored their second animated film, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. They also reunited with Fincher for The Killer. In 2024, Reznor and Ross scored two films by Luca Guadagnino: Challengers and Queer. They also composed the theme for the HBO comedy series The Franchise.
As Nine Inch Nails, Reznor and Ross are composing the music for the sci-fi sequel Tron: Ares, set for release in 2025. They are also scoring The Gorge and After the Hunt.
Business and Legal Matters
Disagreement with Former Manager
In 2004, Trent Reznor had a legal disagreement with his former manager, John Malm Jr.. Malm claimed Reznor owed him over $2 million. Reznor then filed his own lawsuit. He accused Malm of fraud and not doing his job properly. Reznor's lawsuit said that their contract was unfair. It gave Malm 20% of Reznor's total earnings, not just his profits. This percentage was also taken even if Malm no longer worked for Reznor. The lawsuit also claimed Malm had wrongly taken ownership of the Nine Inch Nails trademark.
In 2003, Reznor asked for a financial statement from Malm. He found out he had much less money than he thought. Malm's lawyers argued that Malm had worked for free for years. They said Reznor's spending and inability to release albums caused his financial problems. After a three-week trial in 2005, the jury agreed with Reznor. They awarded him almost $3 million and returned full control of his trademarks.
Work with Beats Music and Apple
In 2013, Reznor was chosen to help lead a new music service called Project Daisy for Beats Electronics. This service was meant to be different from others. Reznor became the chief creative officer. He promised to create a music service that felt like having a personal guide to music. The service officially launched in 2014.
Reznor continued in a similar role when Apple bought Beats. He was involved in launching Apple Music. He later left Apple. He felt that working there didn't fit with being an artist.
Musical Influences and Style
Reznor has a deep singing voice. When he first started, he was mainly influenced by punk rock, especially the band The Clash. Another early influence was Gary Numan. Reznor said he wanted to make music with synthesizers after hearing Numan's song "Cars". This influence can be heard in the Nine Inch Nails song "Only" (2005). College radio introduced him to bands like Bauhaus, Joy Division, and Throbbing Gristle. He found these bands very inspiring. Reznor also said his first Nine Inch Nails song, "Down in It", was inspired by "Dig It" by Skinny Puppy.
Reznor said the experimental band Coil had a big impact on his music. He called their 1986 album Horse Rotorvator "deeply influential." He has also mentioned influences from bands like Devo, The Cars, The Jesus and Mary Chain, My Bloody Valentine, Soft Cell, Prince, Ministry, and The Cure's 1985 album, The Head on the Door.
Reznor also cited Depeche Mode, especially their 1986 album Black Celebration, as a major influence. In 2017, he remembered seeing them live in 1986. He said it was a perfect summer night and the music felt spiritual and magical. He left that show feeling grateful and inspired. He then started writing what would become Pretty Hate Machine.
Reznor has been a longtime fan of David Bowie. He said Bowie's 1977 album Low is one of his favorites. He listened to it constantly while recording The Downward Spiral. In 1995, Nine Inch Nails toured with Bowie. Reznor also appeared in Bowie's video for "I'm Afraid of Americans". They became friends. Reznor said in a 2010 documentary that Rush played a big part in his childhood. He called Rush "one of the best bands ever." He learned how keyboards could be used in hard rock from their 1982 album Signals.
Reznor's Impact on Music
Reznor's work with Nine Inch Nails has influenced many new artists. He said some are "generic imitations," while younger bands echo his style in a "truer way." After The Downward Spiral was released, other famous artists noticed Nine Inch Nails' influence. David Bowie compared their impact to that of The Velvet Underground. In 1997, Time magazine listed Reznor as one of the year's most influential people. Spin magazine called him "the most vital artist in music."
Bob Ezrin, a producer for bands like Pink Floyd and Kiss, called Reznor a "true visionary" in 2007. He advised new artists to learn from Reznor's strong artistic vision. Reznor received the Kerrang! Icon award in London. This award honored Nine Inch Nails' long-lasting influence on rock music.
Guns N' Roses frontman Axl Rose was influenced by Reznor for his band's album Chinese Democracy. Steven Wilson of Porcupine Tree greatly admires Reznor's production work, especially The Fragile. He said in 2008 that Reznor was the only one he would trust with his music.
Indonesian singer Anggun said Reznor was "the man of my musical life." She called The Fragile "the album that changed my life." Musician Greg Puciato said listening to the Broken EP at age 12 was a vivid memory. He said it became a huge influence on his own artistic path. Producer Timbaland has called Reznor his favorite studio producer. Drummer Chris Pennie of the Dillinger Escape Plan said The Fragile changed his approach to music. He was amazed by its complex yet elegant sound. He called it one of his two favorite albums ever.
Personal Life
Trent Reznor married Filipino-American singer Mariqueen Maandig in October 2009. They live in Los Angeles and have five children. In 2023, Reznor spoke about the future of Nine Inch Nails. He said he doesn't want to be away from his kids. He doesn't want to miss their lives to tour. He prefers working on film scores because it allows him to be home more.
Discography
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Nine Inch Nails
How to Destroy Angels
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with Atticus Ross
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Notes
- score includes original recordings by Mogwai and Gustavo Santaolalla
- score includes original songs by Jon Batiste
Awards and Nominations
In 2011, Reznor and Ross won the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score and the Academy Award for Best Original Score for their work on The Social Network.
For their work on The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Reznor and Ross were nominated for a Golden Globe in 2012. They won the 2013 Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media.
Ross and Reznor's Gone Girl score was nominated for Best Original Score at the 5th Hollywood Music in Media Awards (HMMA) in 2014. Reznor said in a 2014 interview that he values Oscar trophies more than Grammy awards. He felt Oscar nominations came from a more sincere place.
Reznor and Ross won the Primetime Emmy Award for their music in the series Watchmen. They were also nominated for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics. In 2021, they won their second Golden Globe and second Academy Award for Best Original Score. These were for the Pixar film Soul, shared with Jon Batiste. In 2025, Reznor and Ross won a third Golden Globe for Best Original Score for Challengers (2024).
Images for kids
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Reznor in February 2008
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Trent Reznor's signature
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Reznor performing at the 1991 Lollapalooza festival
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Reznor performing during the Self-Destruct tour, 1994–1995
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Reznor in March 2008
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Reznor performing in May 2009
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Reznor with Atticus Ross in March 2006
See also
In Spanish: Trent Reznor para niños
