Billy Howerdel recently shared insights about working with Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor. He pushed back against misconceptions about the industrial rock icon in a statement shared on Consequence.
The A Perfect Circle guitarist reflected on his early days working with Nine Inch Nails. He described how Reznor’s hands-on approach impressed both him and Tool’s Maynard James Keenan.
“In working for Nine Inch Nails, a couple years later, Sean Beavan was the front house sound guy, but also sort of like a musical director and very close with Trent,” Howerdel said. “He was kind of giving me the lay of the land on, you know, day one or day two of working with Nine Inch Nails. And he’s like, ‘Look, Trent doesn’t expect anything from you that he wouldn’t do himself, and he could do a f*cking of a lot.’ I was like, ‘Okay.’ Shot fired across the bow, warning taken.”
Howerdel went on to describe a pivotal moment when he brought Maynard to meet Reznor at a New Orleans studio.
“And I liked it, because Trent’s an amazing musical force but he is technical too, you can see it,” he continued. “I mean, I had gone into the studio and I brought Maynard to the New Orleans studio to meet Trent. I mean, they obviously knew who each other were, but they never met. And it was great.”
“The first day I brought him in there, I remember, Trent was literally on the floor with a PC spread out, putting circle boards together and things like that,” Howerdel recalled. “And I think it was the moment Maynard goes, ‘Oh, okay, this guy’s for real.’ This isn’t just some guy phoning it in with a pretty face and whatever, a couple lucky songs, you know. This is a guy that’s doing the work and then, you know, I don’t know. That’s me imagining. Because I know Maynard’s work ethic and I know what things he values.”
Howerdel concluded by praising Reznor’s lasting influence on his own artistic approach.
“Trent was a big, and still is a big inspiration and kind of North Star for what it is to be a writer, but a person looking at technology and how it incorporates into your world and just things from a different angle and like the trajectory of what, how his career went, I think it’s inspiring,” he said.
Howerdel’s perspective on Reznor comes from years of firsthand experience working alongside the Nine Inch Nails frontman during his formative years in the music industry.
Before forming A Perfect Circle, Howerdel cut his teeth working as a sound engineer and guitar tech for major acts including Tool, Nine Inch Nails, Guns N’ Roses, and David Bowie, as reported by YouTube. This extensive background gave him unique insight into the work ethic and technical prowess of some of rock’s biggest names.
The relationship between Howerdel and Reznor extended beyond the typical employer-employee dynamic. Howerdel’s trademark guitar since the inception of A Perfect Circle has been his striking Les Paul, which was given to him by Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails, as noted by MusicRadar. This gesture demonstrates the mutual respect that developed between the two musicians during their time working together.
Perhaps the most dramatic example of Howerdel’s dedication and Reznor’s trust came during a particularly intense Nine Inch Nails performance. Howerdel had only ever been on stage three times when he suddenly found himself joining a Nine Inch Nails show after finding Reznor winded and bleeding on the floor following a wild performance, as detailed by Louder Sound. This unexpected debut showcased not only Howerdel’s readiness to step up when needed but also the level of trust Reznor placed in his guitar tech.
The working relationship between the two musicians helped shape Howerdel’s understanding of what it means to be a complete artist. Reznor’s hands-on approach to every aspect of his music, from the technical engineering to the creative vision, provided a blueprint that would later influence Howerdel’s own artistic development with A Perfect Circle and his solo work.
