Interviews

Interview With Jonathan Davis of Korn

Eight Octaves: This is your 1st visit to India. What took you so long to get here?

Jonathan Davis: That is a good question! I wish we had come a long time ago, but it will make this experience all the more special that we have never been.

Eight Octaves: This question would be on a lot of peopleā€™s mind. Going from Blind and Yā€™all Want a Single to Narcissistic Cannibal is arguably a very drastic shift to a different genre of music. What inspired you to make this change?

Jonathan Davis: Weā€™ve always wanted to evolve and do different things with our music- we donā€™t want to put out eh same record over and over again. Thereā€™s nothing exciting about that to us. When we wrote this latest record, ā€œthe path of totality,ā€ Jonathan had been really into electronic music for a while, and he came to us with some tracks from Skrillex and played them for us- we were blown away! We all decided that we wanted to experiment with those sounds on our new record.

Eight Octaves: The Path of Totality won “Album of the Year” at the 2012 Revolver Golden Gods Awards. How do you see you music evolving over time?

Jonathan Davis: I think dubstep and electronic music have obviously made a big push to the forefront of music these days. Itā€™s good for rock to evolve and change, incorporating new elements into its sound.

Eight Octaves: Have you heard any Indian music? Do you have any favorites?

Jonathan Davis: We are all very impressed with Indian music- some of the most talented musicians in the world are from India. The Indian scale is very interesting too, with semi tones and other really cool elements that arenā€™t found in western music. I canā€™t wait to see all of the local bands and experience the music when weā€™re there.

Eight Octaves: In the past, youā€™ve collaborated with the likes of Amy Lee, Skrillex and various other artists. Would you ever consider collaborating with any Indian artists?

Totally!

Eight Octaves: What is your opinion on popular music today where more emphasis is being given to marketing artists as ā€˜productsā€™ rather than the quality and longevity of music?

Jonathan Davis: I think itā€™s unfortunate, because you canā€™t build a career by being a flavor of the week. Artists should make music they want to make, and try new things and be different.

Eight Octaves: We hear that you are working on a new album. How will it be different from the others?

Jonathan Davis: Weā€™re just starting to work on the new album and think of ideas, so itā€™s very early in the stages of taking shape- probably too soon to say so far.

Eight Octaves: A lot of your songs have a cult following and have helped define the taste in music for people in India. What are your thoughts?

Jonathan Davis: That is very humbling to hear, and we are very honored. We are really looking forward to traveling to India and performing for our fans there.

Eight Octaves: In your live performances, youā€™ve done Heavy Metal, Alternative Rock, Acoustic (MTV Unplugged), and Dubstep. What can we expect from Korn next?

Jonathan Davis: These shows are going to be a mix- some old, some new, and the korn classic tracks that everyone knows and loves. For a korn fan, this should be a show not to be missed!

Eight Octaves: What thoughts would you like to share with upcoming bands and your fans? To our fans- thank you so much for supporting us for years- we love you and you are the best fans in the world. To upcoming bands- do what you love and donā€™t be afraid of what people are going to ā€œlabelā€ your music as.