An interview with Deftones vocalist/guitarist Chino Moreno has newly been published online via Revolver. That conversation finds the aforementioned voice of the alternative metal icons opening up on their latest album “private music“, their TikTok-driven resurgence, his ongoing sobriety and more. While not the central focus, the chat also touched upon a few interesting tidbits related to the band’s revered catalog.
After pointing out that “private music” was written and recorded via sessions in several different cities across a lengthier period of time than usual, Revolver went on to ask Moreno how those locales and relaxed schedule impacted it.
It was in his response that Moreno expressed his admiration for the band’s 1997 sophomore album, “Around The Fur“. Speaking of how the vibe in Seattle, WA and the tight timeframe on that particular record influenced it, Moreno stated:
“There’s something special about each thing. With ‘Around The Fur‘, that was written and recorded in Seattle at Studio Litho, which is Stone [Gossard] from Pearl Jam’s studio. We did that really quick. There was something about catching lightning in a bottle with that record. Still to this day, it’s one of my favorites — if not my favorite record — of ours. It’s this unbridled energy that we captured in that moment. That record definitely stood the test of time. And I love it for that.
I think we’re a little spoiled now. We all like to be home, so being in one place for four months would probably not be the most comfortable thing for any of us. At the age we are now, even touring, we try not to tour over a month at a time until we take a break. But as far as being in different places, I think there’s something neat about that, too. Some of the songs on the new record were literally inspired by a morning swim on Zuma Beach [in Malibu].
I came back from swimming and sat down with my guitar and came up with the song ‘i think about you all the time‘. It was literally just a moment in time that wouldn’t have happened if I would’ve been locked away in a studio somewhere else, perhaps. The Joshua Tree sessions, I feel like those songs capture us being in the desert in July, hot as shit. I think every place helped shape the songs and gives the album a little bit more dynamic ebb and flow.”
While Moreno holds the music of “Around The Fur” in high regard, he’s had to wrestle with his opinion on the album’s iconic cover. Elsewhere in the interview, Moreno elaborated on how his intended title of “Lovers” for the band’s fourth studio album was vetoed. For lack of a better option and an approaching deadline, the album eventually wound up being defaulted to a self-titled affair. Moreno said of that:
“I never feel comfortable just naming the album myself, or naming the batch of songs. I’m always really self-conscious about it because there’ve been times where I’ve suggested a title to an album and no one liked it. The [2003] self-titled record I wanted to call Lovers. And Stephen [Carpenter] was like, ‘No way. That’s the dumbest name I ever heard.’ I ran out of ideas and we needed a name. So we just ended up with self-titled.”
Ultimately, Moreno did at least get his wish in part, retaining that song title for a b-side track that later emerged on the “Hexagram” single.
