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Trent Reznor Says the Grammys Were an ‘Utter Waste of Time’

Nine Inch Nails, Trent Reznor, Grammys 2014, Austin City Limits

Trent Reznor has explained Nine Inch Nails’ F-bomb-inducing Grammy performance. But first, above, watch video of a live NIN song that isn’t cut off early — “Came Back Haunted,” the first single from last year’s Essential Hesitation Marks, recorded in November for an April 5 episode of PBS’ Austin City Limits. Reznor told New Zealand’s 3 News (via Antiquiet) that he and Queens of the Stone Age’s Josh Homme, after extensively debating whether to take the gig, ultimately decided to “roll the dice” and try to reach a big audience in their own way.

Calling the appearance “an utter waste of time,” Reznor said that while he’s never been to the Grammys — or, as far as he knows, watched them — he was flattered when they asked his band to perform. He said looking back, he realizes he should’ve foreseen some problems. And he added that he doesn’t regret doing it, because if he hadn’t taken the opportunity he’d still be wondering what-if. But he said he’d never be involved with the Grammys again in any way, calling the early fade-out during NIN’s performance with QOTSA and Fleetwood Mac’s Lindsey Buckingham “just insulting.” As for the quality of their actual set, he quipped, “It was an amazing minute and a half, wasn’t it?”

In other developments, Reznor said Nine Inch Nails’ touring lineup has shifted from an eight-piece to a four-piece, allowing them to dig into “more of the aggressive and electronic music that we haven’t played for a while.” He said he and collaborator Atticus Ross spent January working on their latest David Fincher film score, for the upcoming film Gone Girl, and when asked if the music is “mellow” or “noisy,” he replied, “So far it’s a little bit of both.” Reznor also said much has been done on an in-the-work reissue 1999 album The Fragile, and that he recently found about 40 unreleased demos from that time period.

Listen to the interview and check out a transcript over at 3 News.