Q&A: Korn’s Jonathan Davis on EDM’s Posive Vib, Gay Marriage

Q&A: KORN’S JONATHAN DAVIS ON EDM’S POSIVE VIB, GAY MARRIAGE
KORN’S HAVG A GEN Z MOMENT. AND JONATHAN DAVIS IS LOVG EVERY MUTE OF IT.NEVER SAY DIEMAIRO CQUETTI/APTHE LEAD SGER OF KORN TALKS ABOUT THE BAND’S ENDURG APPEAL, CHILDHOOD TRMAS, AND HIS MOST PRIZED POSSSN: A REAL SHNKEN HEAD. MARLOW STERNUPDATED MAR. 10, 2022 11:47AM EST / PUBLISHED MAR. 10, 2022 5:23AM EST WHEN ELR LENNIALS AND GEN XERS DISVERED RECENTLY THAT FOREVER 21, THE TEEN-TARGETG FAST-FASHN EMPORIUM, WAS HAWKG KORN BAND TE, THEY LOST THEIR LLECTIVE MARBL. HOW ULD THIS BE? DO THE KIDS EVEN KNOW WHAT “A.D.I.D.A.S.” STANDS FOR? HOW OLD ARE WE?! AS TURNS OUT, THE ALT-METAL BAND HAS ATTRACTED A DITED FOLLOWG AMONG THE GEN Z TIKTOK SET; THE HASHTAG #KORN HAS GARNERED MORE THAN 700 LN VIEWS ALONE ON THE VIO-CENTRIC SOCIAL WORK, AND VIRAL CLIPS REGULARLY CROP UP SET TO THEIR ANGSTY SONGS EXPLORG YOUTHFUL REBELLN AND CHILDHOOD TRMA.“FUCK YEAH THEY ARE!” EXCLAIMS LEAD SGER JONATHAN DAVIS. “IT’S FUCKG RAD.”THERE WAS A TIME, THE LATE-’90S AND EARLY GHTS, WHEN KORN WAS THE BIGGT ROCK BAND ON THE PLA. THEIR THIRD ALBUM, 1998’S FOLLOW THE LEAR, SOLD 14 LN PI WORLDWI AND LAND THE GROUP ON THE TRL UNTDOWN, RIGHT ALONGSI POP ACTS LIKE MARIAH CAREY AND THE BACKSTREET BOYS. ISSU, THE BAND’S FOLLOW-UP, EVEN BTED DR. DRE’S THE CHRONIC 2001 FOR THE NO. 1 SPOT ON THE CHARTS. DAVIS, WHO TURNED 51 THIS YEAR, IS PLEASED THAT KORN’S MIC IS NOT ONLY BEG ABSORBED BY A NEW GENERATN OF TEENS BUT HAS BEEN GIVEN A CULTURAL REASSSMENT BY THE CRIL MUNY, WHO ONCE SHARPENED S KNIV EVERY TIME A NEW ALBUM H THE SHELV. KORN’S LATT LP, REQUIEM, RECEIVED SOME OF THE BT REVIEWS OF THE BAND’S REER, AND DAVIS’ MERCURIAL VOICE, OSCILLATG BETWEEN GUTTURAL GROWLS AND ST-SGG, STILL PACKS PLENTY OF PUNCH.THE BAKERSFIELD, CALIFORNIA, NATIVE, WHO’S BATTLED SUBSTANCE ABE THROUGHOUT HIS REER, SAYS HE’S A MUCH BETTER PLACE THE DAYS (WELL, ASI OM THE COVID REVERY). HE’S SOBER, EED OM TOXIC RELATNSHIPS, AND NEWLY VIGORATED. “I’M HAPPY NOW. I’M NOT HELL. SO, THAT WAS A NEW THG. I WAS STOKED AND EXCED ABOUT THIS,” HE SAYS OF THE BAND’S 14TH STUD ALBUM. “NEXT YEAR WILL BE OUR 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF BEG A BAND. IT’S CRAZY… I HOPE WE N MAKE TO 40 YEARS.”[THIS NVERSATN HAS BEEN EDED AND NNSED FOR CLARY.]HOW ARE YOU DOG THE DAYS? I HEARD YOU GOT YOUR ASS KICKED BY COVID.I GOT MY ASS KICKED. THANK GOD DIDN’T GO TO MY CHT—NO RPIRATORY ISSU—BUT WAS MORE JT WH SANE WEAKNS AND ANXIETY. MENTAL STUFF. I HADN’T HAD ANXIETY FOR YEARS, AND NOW ’S BACK FULL-ON. AND JT… WEIRD STUFF WH MY HEART, DU. THAT WAS REALLY WEIRD. BUT JT BEG TOTALLY LETHARGIC—I HAD TO S A CHAIR WHEN I PLAYED, AND ALL THAT STUFF. I GOT ALL THAT GOG ON, AND ’S STILL GOG ON. I DON’T KNOW IF ’S LONG COVID OR WHAT, BUT I STILL HAVEN’T FULLY REVERED. I N SG, SO THAT’S OL. ADVERTISEMENT DAMN. AND YOU GOT ALL THE WAY BACK AUGT. WHAT ARE THE LGERG EFFECTS?I’M STILL WEAK. I STILL WALK SIX A DAY, BUT WHENEVER I’M TRYG TO THROW WEIGHTS UP OR DO WHAT I ED TO DO, I HAVE NO GAS. I GOT BACK PAS, SO I GOT ACUPUNCTURE. I’VE BEEN DOG STUFF WH VAMS, CELERY JUICE, IVS—THAT HELPED. BUT I JT THK THIS THG IS NASTY AND TAK A WHILE TO GET OUT OF YOUR BODY.I HOPE YOU FEEL BETTER SOON. YOU KNOW, ’S FUNNY BEE I’M 37 AND I FIRST HEARD KORN WHEN I WAS MAYBE 10 OR 11. THE FIRST SONG I HEARD OM YOU GUYS WAS “BLD.” BUT NOW, ALL THE GEN Z TIKTOK KIDS ARE REPPG KORN. YEAH, I DON’T KNOW WHY. MAYBE PEOPLE LOOK BACK AT THOSE TIM AND THK OF HOW GOOD THE MIC WAS—OR HOW DIFFERENT WAS. THERE WERE SO MANY DIFFERENT BANDS THE ’90S, AND SO MANY PEOPLE ULD GRAB THEIR BAND AND HELPED THEM GET THROUGH. IT’S JT SOMETHG THAT HAPPENS. I THK HAPPENS WH EVERY GENERATN. IT’S NOT JT . YOU SEE WH BANDS LIKE METALLI, TOO. IF YOU STAY AROUND LONG ENOUGH EVENTUALLY THGS WILL E BACK AROUND. PEOPLE REMEMBER , REDISVER , AND TRODUCE THEIR KIDS TO . JONATHAN DAVIS OF KORN PERFORMS AT LOUR THAN LIFE FTIVAL 2021 AT HIGHLAND FTIVAL GROUNDS ON THURSDAY, SEPT. 23, 2021, LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY. HE IS SEATED DUE TO THE LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF COVID.AMY HARRIS/AP AND WE’RE AN AGE NOW WHERE THERE JT AREN’T THAT MANY BANDS. ADVERTISEMENT THAT WAS GONNA BE MY NEXT THG. WH THE WAY THE MIC BS IS NOW, THERE’S NO MORE MTV AND THERE’S NO MORE OUTLETS TO HELP MAKE THE BANDS LARGER THAN LIFE. YOU PRETTY MUCH HAVE TO DO YOURSELF NOW, AND THEY DON’T HAVE THE BUDGETS THEY ED TO. YOU HAVE TO BE SOMEONE LIKE KANYE WT WHO’S A BILLNAIRE THAT HAS THE MONEY TO DO THE GRAND PROJECTS. THAT’S HOW THE TIM ARE. THE WAY MIC IS NSUMED NOW HAS CHANGED, AND YOU N’T MAKE ANY MONEY AT LIKE YOU DID BACK THEN. ALL ART SUFFERS FOR , BUT ON THE OTHER HAND, YOU DON’T NEED A LABEL AND N PUT ANYTHG OUT THERE.KIDS MY AGE WERE TO YOU THE ’90S AND EARLY GHTS BUT THE CRICS WERE VERY UNKD TO KORN—AND REALLY TOWARD NU METAL AS A GENRE. YOU DON’T SEE THAT SO MUCH ANYMORE. TIME HAS MA THOSE SNOBBY CRICS SEEM CYNIL, MY OPN. AND NOW KORN HAS RECEIVED THE BT REVIEWS OF THE BAND’S REER THE PAST FIVE YEARS.YEAH, BUT… WE DON’T RE ABOUT THEM. THE WHOLE BAND DIDN’T GIVE A FUCK. THAT WAS OUR ATTU EVERYTHG WE DID—CLUDG OUR MIC AND CLUDG OUR BAND NAME. OUR FUCKG BAND NAME IS KORN! AND WAS JT TO GO AGAST WHATEVER ANYBODY WANTED TO DO. I REMEMBER OUR MANAGER SAYG, “IF YOU NAME THE BAND KORN, I’M NOT MANAGG YOU.” WE SAID, “OK, FE. WE’RE GONNA NAME ‘LARRY’”—BEE HIS NAME WAS LARRY—AND HE GO, “OK, FUCK . GO WH KORN.” IT WAS SOME SH LIKE THAT. WE DID OUR WAY OR NO WAY. WE HAD A VISN OF WHAT WE WANTED TO DO, AND THAT’S WHAT KORN BEME. WE WERE TRAILBLAZG AND DOG SOMETHG NEW, AND THEN CRICS ME OUT AND LLED “NU METAL.” WE DIDN’T WANT TO BE TEGORIZED, SO WE WERE LIKE, “FUCK THAT. WHAT ARE YOU LLG THAT FOR?” NOW, I LOOK BACK AND THK, “WE PNEERED A GENRE. THAT’S OL. CALL WHATEVER THE FUCK YOU WANT.”YOU GUYS HAVE SOLD 40 LN-PL ALBUMS SO… THE PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN.WHEN WE ME OUT, THERE WAS AND THE DEFTON, AND THEN ALL THE OTHER BANDS ME OUT AND STARTED DOG AND WASN’T REALLY THAT GOOD, MAN. IT JT KEPT GETTG STUPIR AND STUPIR. AND THAT TO ME WAS WHAT “NU METAL” WAS. IT WASN’T , THE NOVATORS OF THIS STUFF, WAS ALL THE BANDS THAT THE MAJOR LABELS STARTED SIGNG LIKE CRAZY TO KEEP UP WH “THE NEW TREND.” THAT’S WHAT BASTARDIZED AND MA KD OF SILLY. ADVERTISEMENT I’D READ THAT THE BAND NAME KORN ME OM THE HORROR FLICK CHILDREN OF THE CORN AND A WEIRD SEX STORY YOUR IEND TOLD YOU WHEN YOU WERE A KID.THERE WAS NO CHILDREN OF THE CORN. IT WAS ABOUT THE TWO GAY GUYS WHO WERE FELCHG EACH OTHER AND THE GUY BLEW SH ALL OVER HIS FACE, AND WHEN HE OPENED HIS MOUTH, HE HAD A RN KERNEL ON HIS TONGUE. IT WAS A STORY THAT WAS PASSED AROUND BAKERSFIELD OUR SMALL CIRCLE OF PEOPLE. WH PEOPLE AROUND WHO KNEW THE STORY, YOU’D SAY “RN” AND THEY’D GO, “DAMN, STOP!”IT WAS THE “2 GIRLS, 1 CUP” OF S TIME.[LGHS] YEAH. SO, WHEN WE WERE THKG OF BAND NAM, I’M LIKE, “CORN.” IT WAS STUPID. WE WERE LIKE, FUCK A NAME. CORN. AND THEN FIELDY GO, “YEAH! SPELL WH A ‘K.’” AND I GO, “FUCK YEAH.” SO, I GRAB A CRAYON AND SPELL LIKE A LTLE KID WOULD SPELL , WH A BACKWARDS ‘R.’ LTLE DID I KNOW THAT THAT FUCKG THG WOULD BEE SO INIC! I DID WH MY LEFT HAND ON A PIECE OF RIPPED-UP ENVELOPE. THAT’S HOW MUCH THOUGHT WAS PUT TO .I WAS THKG ABOUT KORN RECENTLY WHEN DR. DRE AND EMEM PERFORMED AT THE SUPER BOWL. A LOT OF PEOPLE PROBABLY FET THIS, BUT ISSU WAS SUCH A BIG ALBUM THAT BEAT OUT THE CHRONIC 2001 AND CELE DN’S GREATT HS ALBUM. IT OPENED THE SAME WEEK AS THOSE TWO, SOLD NEARLY 600,000 PI, AND BLEW THEM OUT OF THE WATER.I REMEMBER THAT! IT BLEW ALL AWAY. WE WERE LIKE, OK! THAT WAS THE FIRST RERD I DID SOBER, TOO. THAT WAS SANE. ADVERTISEMENT BEFORE WE GET TO REQUIEM, I HEARD YOU’RE A BIG FAN OF HORROR MOVI. WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVOR?I MEAN, I REALLY DON’T HAVE THE FUCKG PATIENCE TO S DOWN AND WATCH A MOVIE NOW. MOST OF MY ENTERTAMENT OM VIO GAM AND MIC. BUT WHEN I WAS A KID, THE MOST HORRIFYG MOVIE I SAW THAT STAYED WH ME FOREVER WAS THE EXORCIST. AND SPIRIA. SALEM’S LOT WAS ANOTHER ONE. AND TEXAS CHASAW MASSACRE 2 WH DENNIS HOPPER. I DON’T KNOW WHAT WAS ABOUT THAT ONE. IT WAS THIS MIX OF EDY-HORROR AND JT OFF. IT FELT LIKE SOMETHG DIFFERENT.I SAW THIS MOVIE FIRE THE SKY THEATERS WHEN I WAS MAYBE 8 OR 9 YEARS OLD, AND THERE’S THIS GNARLY ALIEN-ABDUCTN SEQUENCE THAT GAVE ME NIGHTMAR. WHEN I WAS A TEENAGER, I SAW AUDN AND THAT MOVIE WAS CREDIBLE. ONE OF MY FAVORE HORROR FLICKS.THAT SH WAS FUCKED UP! THAT MOVIE IS CREDIBLE. “SO, I GRAB A CRAYON AND SPELL LIKE A LTLE KID WOULD SPELL , WH A BACKWARDS ‘R.’ LTLE DID I KNOW THAT THAT FUCKG THG WOULD BEE SO INIC!” KORN’S NEW ALBUM REQUIEM IS IMPRSIVE. HOW DID MAKG DURG THE PANMIC, AND HAVG MORE TIME AND SPACE TO EXPERIMENT, AFFECT THE END RULT? ADVERTISEMENT KORN IS A BIG MACHE, AND WE GOT ED TO BEG THE BIG MACHE, SO WOULD BE: TOUR, TOUR, GO MAKE A RERD, AND WE’RE GONNA BOOK ANOTHER TOUR BEFORE YOU MAKE THE RERD. SO, THE BAND WOULD HAVE ALL THIS TIME TO WRE AND SEND THE SONGS TO ME, AND THEN WHEN BEME MY TURN TO DO WHAT I WANTED TO DO WAS, OH, THERE’S A FUCKG TOUR G UP SO YOU’VE GOTTA GET THIS SH DONE. AT THE TIME, I REALLY LIKED THE PRSURE BEE I JT WANTED TO GET SH DONE. WHEN GOT TO THE POT OF DOG THE RT OF THE RERDS, I WASN’T REALLY THAT VOLVED. THE GUYS WOULD GO MAKE AND SEND TO ME BEE I ULDN’T BE THE STUD AND HAD TO BE HOME WH MY KIDS DUE TO ALL THIS CRAZY SH THAT WAS GOG ON MY LIFE AT THE TIME.SO, THAT WAS ALL OUT THE DOOR. WE HAD NO TOUR, NOTHG GOG ON, NO URGENCY, NO IA EVEN WHEN WE WERE GONNA TOUR AGA, AND I JT WANTED TO SEE MY DUS. I WAS GOG CRAZY. I’D BEEN LOCKED THE HOE FOR MONTHS, AND MUNKY SAID, “WE GOTTA WRE A RERD,” SO WE SET UP. WE WOULD WORK 10 DAYS AND GO HOME FOR 20 DAYS EVERY MONTH. AND WE DID THAT ABOUT FOUR TIM TILL THE RERD WAS WRTEN, AND THEN TOOK TWO TIM TO RERD . THEN, I WENT AND ADD ALL MY MELODY L AND DID THE LYRICS, AND THAT TOOK ME ANOTHER TWO MONTHS. THE LAST ALBUM WE WROTE TOGETHER ALL A ROOM WAS UNTOUCHABL, AND THERE’S A CERTA MAGIC WHEN WE’RE ALL THERE TOGETHER. HOW THE FUCK IS THIS OUR 14TH RERD AND WE’RE STILL MAKG RERDS LIKE THIS?IT SEEMS LIKE THE STATE OF KORN IS VERY STRONG.OH, ’S VERY STRONG. THOSE GUYS ARE MY BROTHERS, MAN. WE GET ALONG. WE HAVE OUR LTLE TIFFS AND DISAGREEMENTS, BUT WE’RE ADULTS AND N TALK OUT. WE’RE NOT LIKE OTHER BANDS WHO ABSOLUTELY HATE EACH OTHER AND N’T BE THE SAME ROOM TOGETHER. I ENJOY BEG AROUND MY BROTHERS—AND WE’RE ALREADY WORKG ON ANOTHER ONE. TIM SACCENTI YOU DON’T ST AS MUCH ANYMORE. WAS THAT BEE WAS HURTG YOUR VOL RDS OR SOMETHG? ADVERTISEMENT NO, NO, NO, NO. I ULD DO THAT SH FOR HOURS. I DON’T DO THE BAGPIP A LOT AND I DON’T DO THE FUCKG STTG A LOT BEE EVERYBODY WANTS ME TOO, AND IF I DO TOO MUCH ’S GONNA BURN OUT. WHEN I DO ’S SPECIAL. I DO ON EVERY RERD, ’S JT ON ONE SONG AND NOT THROUGHOUT EVERYTHG.ONE SONG THAT REALLY STUCK OUT TO ME ON REQUIEM WAS “LOST THE GRANUR.”THAT’S MY FAVORE SONG ON THE ALBUM.IT SEEMED PERSONAL—LIKE WAS YOU REFLECTG ON A TIME YOUR LIFE WHERE YOU WERE BLD BY FAME. WAS SPIRED BY A TIME WHERE YOU LOST SIGHT OF YOURSELF?YEAH. I LOST MYSELF ALL THIS FANCY SH I ULD AFFORD. I WAS A VERY CRAZY SUATN MY LIFE THE PAST AND A LOT OF BAD SH WAS HAPPENG TO ME. I REALLY LOST MY RE FOR MYSELF AND RE FOR EVERYTHG BEE I DIDN’T WANT TO LOSE ALL THE FANCY SH. I E OM BAKERSFIELD. SIMPLE MEANS, MAN. AND THEN I BEME THIS BIG ROCK STAR AND ULD AFFORD ANYTHG THAT I WANTED, AND THAT CHANG YOU. AND YOU LOSE YOURSELF.ARE YOU REFERRG TO THE FOLLOW THE LEAR ERA? ADVERTISEMENT YEAH. WHEN THAT ME OUT, WE GOT THIS BIG AL, AND I GOT ALL THIS MONEY TO WHERE I ULD BUY ANYTHG I WANTED. SO, I BOUGHT THIS BIG HOE, AND I BOUGHT A BENTLEY AND AN ICED-OUT 40-RAT WRISTWATCH AND ALL THAT KDA SH. NOW, I DRIVE A FORD TCK. I LIVE BAKERSFIELD AND ENJOY ART AND VIO GAM. I DON’T GOTTA BE “FLOSSG” FOR ANYONE.THAT FOLLOW THE LEAR ERA WAS WHEN KORN MA REGULAR APPEARANC ON TRL, AND TWO OF KORN’S MIC VIOS WERE AMONG THE FIRST TRL RETIRED. IT’S SUCH A FASCATG PERD THAT I DON’T THK WE’LL EVER SEE AGA. YOU HAD KORN, MARIAH CAREY, THE BACKSTREET BOYS, AND BLK 182 PETG FOR TRL UNTDOWN SUPREMACY. I’M NOT SURE WE’LL SEE A METAL BAND ACHIEVE POP STARDOM LIKE THAT.AT THAT TIME, WE WERE REPRENTG ALL ROCK BANDS AND A LOT OF ROCK PEOPLE HATED . I WAS LIKE, HEY MAN, PEOPLE LIKE . I DIDN’T CHOOSE THIS. Y’ALL CHOSE THIS. HELL, AT LEAST WE WERE FLYG THE ROCK FLAG HIGH. WE STILL ARE. THERE’S A LOT OF MARARIE THE ROCK-MIC WORLD BEE… ’S NEVER GONNA BE AD, BUT ISN’T WHAT WAS. IT CHANGED AND EVOLVED. I LIKE THE NEW ROCK-METAL, WHICH IS THIS TRAP-METAL STUFF AND ALL THE STUFF THAT’S GOG ON WH THE YOUNG RAPPER KIDS. I DIDN’T REALLY UNRSTAND UNTIL MY KID SAT ME DOWN, BUT ’S KD OF THE EXACT SAME SH THAT WE DID. IT’S REBELL, HEAVY SH. LIL UZI VERT, GHOSTEMANE, ALL THE PEOPLE. THEY WERE ALL SPIRED BY THE SCENE BEE THEY WERE KIDS WHEN WE WERE ON TRL. AND IF YOU GO TO THEIR SHOWS, ’S KD OF LIKE A ROCK SHOW. HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE STATE OF THE MIC DTRY 2022? BANDS DON’T MAKE MUCH MONEY OFF THEIR MIC ANYMORE AND MAKE ALMOST ALL OF THROUGH TOURG.IT’S ALL TOURG. YOU GOTTA HAVE A FOLLOWG AND ONCE YOU GET OUT THERE YOU GOTTA TOUR, AND THAT SH’S EXPENSIVE. LABELS ED TO GIVE YOU TOUR SUPPORT, AND THEY DON’T DO THAT ANYMORE. SONY ED TO GIVE TOUR SUPPORT—THEY MA AN VTMENT TO PUT OUT THERE AND TOUR, AND WE’RE STILL PAYG THEM BACK. ADVERTISEMENT WA… YOU’RE STILL PAYG THE LABEL BACK FOR TOURG EXPENS?WE’LL ALWAYS PAY. THERE WAS, WHAT, SIX ALBUMS? AND I DON’T KNOW HOW MANY LNS WERE SPENT PROMOTG THEM AND ALL THAT, AND THAT ALL GOT BILLED BACK TO . SO, WE’LL BE PAYG THAT ROYALTI FOREVER.HOW MUCH ARE YOU PAYG BACK ROYALTI? I DON’T KNOW, MAN. BACK THEN, YOU WERE GETTG FLEECED. IT’S LIKE WHAT THE FUCKG STREAMG SERVIC ARE DOG NOW—BUT WORSE. IT WAS LIKE, OK, WE’LL GIVE YOU $100,000. INSTEAD OF PAYG BACK $100,000, WE’LL GIVE YOU A 13 PERCENT ROYALTY RATE THAT WILL GO TOWARD THE $100,000 AND THE RT WE’RE KEEPG. SO, WE’RE PAYG BACK AT THIS SMALL PERCENTAGE RATE GOG BACK TO THAT IAL VTMENT THEY MA. IT’S WACK.I REMEMBER THE VER IMAGE OM KORN’S FIRST ALBUM—OF A YOUNG GIRL STARG UP AT A MONSTER—TO BE PRETTY HNTG. AND THAT IMAGE OF A YOUNG GIRL SOON BEME SYNONYMO WH KORN.IRON MAIN HAS EDDI AND KORN HAS KORN KIDS. THEY REPRENTED OUR NOCENCE AS CHILDREN, AND THE MAJORY OF MY LYRICS AT THE TIME WERE ABOUT CHILDHOOD TRMAS AND THGS I WENT THROUGH AS A KID. ADVERTISEMENT KORN WAS ONE OF FEW BANDS WHEN I WAS YOUNGER THAT SHED A HEAVY LIGHT ON CHILD ABE.IT WAS TABOO AT THE TIME TO TALK ABOUT THAT SH. BUT WHATEVER. I HAD TO GET OUT. IT HELPED A LOT OF PEOPLE. THAT WAS A CRAZY TIME, AND WHEN I THK ABOUT THAT RERD… ’S SUCH A DARK FUCKG RERD. WE PLAYED S ENTIRETY 2014, FOR S 20TH ANNIVERSARY, AND ALL OF GOT OFFSTAGE AND WE LOOKED AT EACH OTHER AND WERE LIKE “GOD, THAT RERD IS DARK.” WE HADN’T PLAYED S ENTIRETY AG. AND I DON’T WANT TO PLAY THAT RERD AGA. FUCK NO. “EVERY KORN ALBUM WAS MY THERAPY. AT EVERY POT TIME, I’M WORKG MY PROBLEMS OUT THE MIC. THE WAY I WRE IS STREAM-OF-NSCNS AND ME AIRG OUT TO THE WORLD WHAT I’M GOG THROUGH.” YOU MENTNED THE CHILDHOOD TRMAS YOU ENDURED AS A KID, AND I READ THAT YOU HAD A VERY ROUGH CHILDHOOD. YOU ALMOST DIED AS A YOUNG CHILD OM ASTHMA ATTACKS, RIGHT?YEAH. I WAS A HOSPAL OM 3 TO 12 ABOUT ONCE A MONTH FOR A WEEK OR TWO. IT WAS SRY. I HAD SEVERE ASTHMA, AND TO HAVE ASTHMA THE ’70S SUCKED. THEY’D GIVE YOU ALL THE DGS, LIKE QUIBRON, WHICH WAS BASILLY LIKE A SPEEDBALL. AND THEN THEY GAVE YOU THEOPHYLLE, WHICH WAS BASILLY LIKE MORE SPEED. IT WAS A BIG PETRI DISH OF DGS. I STILL HAVE ASTHMA TO THIS DAY AND E AN HALER, BUT ’S NOT LIKE WAS. MIC WAS MY THERAPY. IT WAS. EVERY KORN ALBUM WAS MY THERAPY. AT EVERY POT TIME, I’M WORKG MY PROBLEMS OUT THE MIC. THE WAY I WRE IS STREAM-OF-NSCNS AND ME AIRG OUT TO THE WORLD WHAT I’M GOG THROUGH.I WANTED TO ASK YOU ABOUT THE KORN SONG “FAGET,” WHICH WAS AN EARLY SONG I HEARD OFF KORN’S FIRST ALBUM AND WAS SPIRED BY THE BULLYG YOU WENT THROUGH AND THE NAM YOU WERE LLED. WHAT MEMORI DO THAT SONG NJURE UP FOR YOU? ADVERTISEMENT THE UNNECSARY BULLYG AND BEG LLED “GAY” ALL THE TIME. IT’S GETTG A LOT BETTER, BEE WHO R IF YOU’RE GAY? WHO R WHAT ANYONE DO WH THEIR PENIS OR VAGA? IT’S NONE OF MY FUCKG BS! “FAG” BEME THIS ROGATORY TERM THAT WAS HURTFUL TO GAY PEOPLE AND WEAPONIZED AGAST STRAIGHT PEOPLE. I GOT LLED ALL THE TIME. IT GOT TO THE POT WHERE I DIDN’T RE ANYMORE. “YEAH, I’M A FAGGOT. SO WHAT?” “YEAH, I WEAR EYELER. WHAT?” GROWG UP BAKERSFIELD, WAS VERY HOMOPHOBIC AT THE TIME. AND I HUNG OUT WH GAY PEOPLE BEE THEY HAD ALL THE OL CLOTH AND KNEW ALL THE OL MIC. BEE I WAS ASSOCIATED WH THOSE PEOPLE, AND DRSED THAT WAY, ALL THE JOCKS WOULD PICK ON ME. AND THAT FUCKED ME UP. I WAS SO FUCKED UP HIGH SCHOOL OVER THAT. I WOULD EVEN GET LLED OUT OF SCHOOL AND SENT TO THE “GAY UNSELOR,” WHO WAS THE MIC DIRECTOR, AND HE WOULD SAY, “I KNOW YOU’RE NOT GAY. I DON’T KNOW WHY YOU’RE HERE.” I ULDN’T HAVE GIRLIENDS BEE EVERYONE THOUGHT I WAS GAY. SO, I BEME A DJ AND THAT’S HOW I MET OTHER PEOPLE WHO WOULDN’T LL ME NAM. BUT THAT HIGH SCHOOL STUFF, THAT REALLY HURT ME. I HAVE A BIG, LASTG SR MY HEART OM THAT. JONATHAN DAVI OF KORN PERFORMS DURG THE SEND DAY OF THE VIVE LATO MIC FTIVAL MEXI CY ON MARCH 17, 2019. ALEDO ESTRELLA/GETTY IS THAT WHY YOU SPENT SO MUCH TIME WH AD PEOPLE? BEE I READ THAT YOU WORKED AS A RONER’S ASSISTANT AS A TEENAGER.YEAH, MAYBE. I THOUGHT WAS OL BEE I’VE ALWAYS BEEN TO DARK SH AND I WANTED TO KNOW WHAT WAS LIKE TO CUT OPEN A HUMAN BEG—AND NOT GO TO JAIL. I WAS 17 YEARS OLD.YOU EVENTUALLY STOPPED WORKG A RONER’S OFFICE, SO WAS A MSED-UP EXPERIENCE? ADVERTISEMENT IT MA ME APPRECIATE MY LIFE IMMENSELY, BEE EVERY DAY I WOULD WALK AND SEE SOMEONE YOUNG WHO WAS AD. BUT WAS REALLY TRIGUG AT THE TIME. I LEARNED A LOT OM DIFFERENT DOCTORS DOG TOPSI AND LEARNED A LOT ABOUT ANATOMY AND DIFFERENT WAYS YOU ULD DIE, BUT I DIDN’T KNOW THAT WAS GIVG ME PTSD BEE I WAS CHOPPG UP KIDS AND LTLE BABI AND SH. THAT WORK JT TURNED ME TO A LD MOTHERFUCKER. IT WAS VERY TERTG, AND I’M GLAD I DID BEE GAVE ME THE BALLS TO SEARCH FOR MY DREAM BEE YOU ONLY LIVE ONCE, BUT I DON’T WANT TO GO BACK TO . EVERY MORNG I WOKE UP TO TRAGEDY.YOU ALSO ED TO LLECT ART OM SERIAL KILLERS.I HAVE SO MUCH DARK STUFF—BUT I HAVE SO MUCH LIGHT STUFF. MY HOE IS FULL OF DARK STUFF AND LIGHT STUFF NOW. THOSE ARE THE THGS THAT SPIRE ME AND TRIGUE ME. BUT YOU HAVE TO KEEP BALANCED. IF YOU SWG TOO FAR ONE WAY OR ANOTHER, DON’T WORK. YOU NEED HARMONY.WHAT IS THE WILST LLECTIBLE YOU OWN? [LGHS] OH, I DON’T KNOW. I HAVE ALL THIS CRAZY ART. HUMAN REMAS. HNTED DOLLS…IN ADDN TO YOUR MICROPHONE STAND BY H.R. GIGER, WHAT’S YOUR MOST TREASURED LLECTIBLE? LIKE, YOUR HOE GO UP FLAM AND ’S THE FIRST THG YOU GRAB. ADVERTISEMENT PROBABLY ONE OF MY SHNKEN HEADS. I HAVE A REAL SHNKEN HEAD OM SOUTH AMERI.WOW.I HAVE MY DOLLS, MY PATGS… I’VE GOT SOME RTRATS OM THE PSYCH WARD OF BELLEVUE HOSPAL. I’VE GOT THE FIRST TICKET OM THE VERY FIRST KORN SHOW BEFORE WE WERE EVEN SIGNED! I HAVE ALL MY CLOWNS AND JT… CRAZY STUFF. YOU HAVE TO BE HERE TO SEE ! MARLOW STERN

"I was shoved and kicked and the teachers would lgh and ll me a" slur for "homosexual, " Davis says. The kids would beat him up for beg different and make fun of him for beg "gay, " and Davis is very adamant that he wasn't. Instead of fdg solace passnate thory figur, the teen was sent to "gay unselors.

Davis is que clear: There's absolutely nothg wrong wh beg gay, but there is que a lot wrong wh judgg others based on their sexualy. Songfacts®:A glance at the tle uld lead you to believe that this song is bashg gay people, but 's not.

KORN’S HAVG A GEN Z MOMENT. AND JONATHAN DAVIS IS LOVG EVERY MUTE OF IT.NEVER SAY DIEMAIRO CQUETTI/APTHE LEAD SGER OF KORN TALKS ABOUT THE BAND’S ENDURG APPEAL, CHILDHOOD TRMAS, AND HIS MOST PRIZED POSSSN: A REAL SHNKEN HEAD. MARLOW STERNUPDATED MAR. 10, 2022 11:47AM EST / PUBLISHED MAR. 10, 2022 5:23AM EST WHEN ELR LENNIALS AND GEN XERS DISVERED RECENTLY THAT FOREVER 21, THE TEEN-TARGETG FAST-FASHN EMPORIUM, WAS HAWKG KORN BAND TE, THEY LOST THEIR LLECTIVE MARBL. HOW ULD THIS BE? DO THE KIDS EVEN KNOW WHAT “A.D.I.D.A.S.” STANDS FOR? HOW OLD ARE WE?! AS TURNS OUT, THE ALT-METAL BAND HAS ATTRACTED A DITED FOLLOWG AMONG THE GEN Z TIKTOK SET; THE HASHTAG #KORN HAS GARNERED MORE THAN 700 LN VIEWS ALONE ON THE VIO-CENTRIC SOCIAL WORK, AND VIRAL CLIPS REGULARLY CROP UP SET TO THEIR ANGSTY SONGS EXPLORG YOUTHFUL REBELLN AND CHILDHOOD TRMA.“FUCK YEAH THEY ARE!” EXCLAIMS LEAD SGER JONATHAN DAVIS. “IT’S FUCKG RAD.”THERE WAS A TIME, THE LATE-’90S AND EARLY GHTS, WHEN KORN WAS THE BIGGT ROCK BAND ON THE PLA. THEIR THIRD ALBUM, 1998’S FOLLOW THE LEAR, SOLD 14 LN PI WORLDWI AND LAND THE GROUP ON THE TRL UNTDOWN, RIGHT ALONGSI POP ACTS LIKE MARIAH CAREY AND THE BACKSTREET BOYS. ISSU, THE BAND’S FOLLOW-UP, EVEN BTED DR. DRE’S THE CHRONIC 2001 FOR THE NO. 1 SPOT ON THE CHARTS. DAVIS, WHO TURNED 51 THIS YEAR, IS PLEASED THAT KORN’S MIC IS NOT ONLY BEG ABSORBED BY A NEW GENERATN OF TEENS BUT HAS BEEN GIVEN A CULTURAL REASSSMENT BY THE CRIL MUNY, WHO ONCE SHARPENED S KNIV EVERY TIME A NEW ALBUM H THE SHELV. KORN’S LATT LP, REQUIEM, RECEIVED SOME OF THE BT REVIEWS OF THE BAND’S REER, AND DAVIS’ MERCURIAL VOICE, OSCILLATG BETWEEN GUTTURAL GROWLS AND ST-SGG, STILL PACKS PLENTY OF PUNCH.THE BAKERSFIELD, CALIFORNIA, NATIVE, WHO’S BATTLED SUBSTANCE ABE THROUGHOUT HIS REER, SAYS HE’S A MUCH BETTER PLACE THE DAYS (WELL, ASI OM THE COVID REVERY). HE’S SOBER, EED OM TOXIC RELATNSHIPS, AND NEWLY VIGORATED. “I’M HAPPY NOW. I’M NOT HELL. SO, THAT WAS A NEW THG. I WAS STOKED AND EXCED ABOUT THIS,” HE SAYS OF THE BAND’S 14TH STUD ALBUM. “NEXT YEAR WILL BE OUR 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF BEG A BAND. IT’S CRAZY… I HOPE WE N MAKE TO 40 YEARS.”[THIS NVERSATN HAS BEEN EDED AND NNSED FOR CLARY.]HOW ARE YOU DOG THE DAYS? I HEARD YOU GOT YOUR ASS KICKED BY COVID.I GOT MY ASS KICKED. THANK GOD DIDN’T GO TO MY CHT—NO RPIRATORY ISSU—BUT WAS MORE JT WH SANE WEAKNS AND ANXIETY. MENTAL STUFF. I HADN’T HAD ANXIETY FOR YEARS, AND NOW ’S BACK FULL-ON. AND JT… WEIRD STUFF WH MY HEART, DU. THAT WAS REALLY WEIRD. BUT JT BEG TOTALLY LETHARGIC—I HAD TO S A CHAIR WHEN I PLAYED, AND ALL THAT STUFF. I GOT ALL THAT GOG ON, AND ’S STILL GOG ON. I DON’T KNOW IF ’S LONG COVID OR WHAT, BUT I STILL HAVEN’T FULLY REVERED. I N SG, SO THAT’S OL. ADVERTISEMENT DAMN. AND YOU GOT ALL THE WAY BACK AUGT. WHAT ARE THE LGERG EFFECTS?I’M STILL WEAK. I STILL WALK SIX A DAY, BUT WHENEVER I’M TRYG TO THROW WEIGHTS UP OR DO WHAT I ED TO DO, I HAVE NO GAS. I GOT BACK PAS, SO I GOT ACUPUNCTURE. I’VE BEEN DOG STUFF WH VAMS, CELERY JUICE, IVS—THAT HELPED. BUT I JT THK THIS THG IS NASTY AND TAK A WHILE TO GET OUT OF YOUR BODY.I HOPE YOU FEEL BETTER SOON. YOU KNOW, ’S FUNNY BEE I’M 37 AND I FIRST HEARD KORN WHEN I WAS MAYBE 10 OR 11. THE FIRST SONG I HEARD OM YOU GUYS WAS “BLD.” BUT NOW, ALL THE GEN Z TIKTOK KIDS ARE REPPG KORN. YEAH, I DON’T KNOW WHY. MAYBE PEOPLE LOOK BACK AT THOSE TIM AND THK OF HOW GOOD THE MIC WAS—OR HOW DIFFERENT WAS. THERE WERE SO MANY DIFFERENT BANDS THE ’90S, AND SO MANY PEOPLE ULD GRAB THEIR BAND AND HELPED THEM GET THROUGH. IT’S JT SOMETHG THAT HAPPENS. I THK HAPPENS WH EVERY GENERATN. IT’S NOT JT . YOU SEE WH BANDS LIKE METALLI, TOO. IF YOU STAY AROUND LONG ENOUGH EVENTUALLY THGS WILL E BACK AROUND. PEOPLE REMEMBER , REDISVER , AND TRODUCE THEIR KIDS TO . JONATHAN DAVIS OF KORN PERFORMS AT LOUR THAN LIFE FTIVAL 2021 AT HIGHLAND FTIVAL GROUNDS ON THURSDAY, SEPT. 23, 2021, LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY. HE IS SEATED DUE TO THE LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF COVID.AMY HARRIS/AP AND WE’RE AN AGE NOW WHERE THERE JT AREN’T THAT MANY BANDS. ADVERTISEMENT THAT WAS GONNA BE MY NEXT THG. WH THE WAY THE MIC BS IS NOW, THERE’S NO MORE MTV AND THERE’S NO MORE OUTLETS TO HELP MAKE THE BANDS LARGER THAN LIFE. YOU PRETTY MUCH HAVE TO DO YOURSELF NOW, AND THEY DON’T HAVE THE BUDGETS THEY ED TO. YOU HAVE TO BE SOMEONE LIKE KANYE WT WHO’S A BILLNAIRE THAT HAS THE MONEY TO DO THE GRAND PROJECTS. THAT’S HOW THE TIM ARE. THE WAY MIC IS NSUMED NOW HAS CHANGED, AND YOU N’T MAKE ANY MONEY AT LIKE YOU DID BACK THEN. ALL ART SUFFERS FOR , BUT ON THE OTHER HAND, YOU DON’T NEED A LABEL AND N PUT ANYTHG OUT THERE.KIDS MY AGE WERE TO YOU THE ’90S AND EARLY GHTS BUT THE CRICS WERE VERY UNKD TO KORN—AND REALLY TOWARD NU METAL AS A GENRE. YOU DON’T SEE THAT SO MUCH ANYMORE. TIME HAS MA THOSE SNOBBY CRICS SEEM CYNIL, MY OPN. AND NOW KORN HAS RECEIVED THE BT REVIEWS OF THE BAND’S REER THE PAST FIVE YEARS.YEAH, BUT… WE DON’T RE ABOUT THEM. THE WHOLE BAND DIDN’T GIVE A FUCK. THAT WAS OUR ATTU EVERYTHG WE DID—CLUDG OUR MIC AND CLUDG OUR BAND NAME. OUR FUCKG BAND NAME IS KORN! AND WAS JT TO GO AGAST WHATEVER ANYBODY WANTED TO DO. I REMEMBER OUR MANAGER SAYG, “IF YOU NAME THE BAND KORN, I’M NOT MANAGG YOU.” WE SAID, “OK, FE. WE’RE GONNA NAME ‘LARRY’”—BEE HIS NAME WAS LARRY—AND HE GO, “OK, FUCK . GO WH KORN.” IT WAS SOME SH LIKE THAT. WE DID OUR WAY OR NO WAY. WE HAD A VISN OF WHAT WE WANTED TO DO, AND THAT’S WHAT KORN BEME. WE WERE TRAILBLAZG AND DOG SOMETHG NEW, AND THEN CRICS ME OUT AND LLED “NU METAL.” WE DIDN’T WANT TO BE TEGORIZED, SO WE WERE LIKE, “FUCK THAT. WHAT ARE YOU LLG THAT FOR?” NOW, I LOOK BACK AND THK, “WE PNEERED A GENRE. THAT’S OL. CALL WHATEVER THE FUCK YOU WANT.”YOU GUYS HAVE SOLD 40 LN-PL ALBUMS SO… THE PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN.WHEN WE ME OUT, THERE WAS AND THE DEFTON, AND THEN ALL THE OTHER BANDS ME OUT AND STARTED DOG AND WASN’T REALLY THAT GOOD, MAN. IT JT KEPT GETTG STUPIR AND STUPIR. AND THAT TO ME WAS WHAT “NU METAL” WAS. IT WASN’T , THE NOVATORS OF THIS STUFF, WAS ALL THE BANDS THAT THE MAJOR LABELS STARTED SIGNG LIKE CRAZY TO KEEP UP WH “THE NEW TREND.” THAT’S WHAT BASTARDIZED AND MA KD OF SILLY. ADVERTISEMENT I’D READ THAT THE BAND NAME KORN ME OM THE HORROR FLICK CHILDREN OF THE CORN AND A WEIRD SEX STORY YOUR IEND TOLD YOU WHEN YOU WERE A KID.THERE WAS NO CHILDREN OF THE CORN. IT WAS ABOUT THE TWO GAY GUYS WHO WERE FELCHG EACH OTHER AND THE GUY BLEW SH ALL OVER HIS FACE, AND WHEN HE OPENED HIS MOUTH, HE HAD A RN KERNEL ON HIS TONGUE. IT WAS A STORY THAT WAS PASSED AROUND BAKERSFIELD OUR SMALL CIRCLE OF PEOPLE. WH PEOPLE AROUND WHO KNEW THE STORY, YOU’D SAY “RN” AND THEY’D GO, “DAMN, STOP!”IT WAS THE “2 GIRLS, 1 CUP” OF S TIME.[LGHS] YEAH. SO, WHEN WE WERE THKG OF BAND NAM, I’M LIKE, “CORN.” IT WAS STUPID. WE WERE LIKE, FUCK A NAME. CORN. AND THEN FIELDY GO, “YEAH! SPELL WH A ‘K.’” AND I GO, “FUCK YEAH.” SO, I GRAB A CRAYON AND SPELL LIKE A LTLE KID WOULD SPELL , WH A BACKWARDS ‘R.’ LTLE DID I KNOW THAT THAT FUCKG THG WOULD BEE SO INIC! I DID WH MY LEFT HAND ON A PIECE OF RIPPED-UP ENVELOPE. THAT’S HOW MUCH THOUGHT WAS PUT TO .I WAS THKG ABOUT KORN RECENTLY WHEN DR. DRE AND EMEM PERFORMED AT THE SUPER BOWL. A LOT OF PEOPLE PROBABLY FET THIS, BUT ISSU WAS SUCH A BIG ALBUM THAT BEAT OUT THE CHRONIC 2001 AND CELE DN’S GREATT HS ALBUM. IT OPENED THE SAME WEEK AS THOSE TWO, SOLD NEARLY 600,000 PI, AND BLEW THEM OUT OF THE WATER.I REMEMBER THAT! IT BLEW ALL AWAY. WE WERE LIKE, OK! THAT WAS THE FIRST RERD I DID SOBER, TOO. THAT WAS SANE. ADVERTISEMENT BEFORE WE GET TO REQUIEM, I HEARD YOU’RE A BIG FAN OF HORROR MOVI. WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVOR?I MEAN, I REALLY DON’T HAVE THE FUCKG PATIENCE TO S DOWN AND WATCH A MOVIE NOW. MOST OF MY ENTERTAMENT OM VIO GAM AND MIC. BUT WHEN I WAS A KID, THE MOST HORRIFYG MOVIE I SAW THAT STAYED WH ME FOREVER WAS THE EXORCIST. AND SPIRIA. SALEM’S LOT WAS ANOTHER ONE. AND TEXAS CHASAW MASSACRE 2 WH DENNIS HOPPER. I DON’T KNOW WHAT WAS ABOUT THAT ONE. IT WAS THIS MIX OF EDY-HORROR AND JT OFF. IT FELT LIKE SOMETHG DIFFERENT.I SAW THIS MOVIE FIRE THE SKY THEATERS WHEN I WAS MAYBE 8 OR 9 YEARS OLD, AND THERE’S THIS GNARLY ALIEN-ABDUCTN SEQUENCE THAT GAVE ME NIGHTMAR. WHEN I WAS A TEENAGER, I SAW AUDN AND THAT MOVIE WAS CREDIBLE. ONE OF MY FAVORE HORROR FLICKS.THAT SH WAS FUCKED UP! THAT MOVIE IS CREDIBLE. “SO, I GRAB A CRAYON AND SPELL LIKE A LTLE KID WOULD SPELL , WH A BACKWARDS ‘R.’ LTLE DID I KNOW THAT THAT FUCKG THG WOULD BEE SO INIC!” KORN’S NEW ALBUM REQUIEM IS IMPRSIVE. HOW DID MAKG DURG THE PANMIC, AND HAVG MORE TIME AND SPACE TO EXPERIMENT, AFFECT THE END RULT? ADVERTISEMENT KORN IS A BIG MACHE, AND WE GOT ED TO BEG THE BIG MACHE, SO WOULD BE: TOUR, TOUR, GO MAKE A RERD, AND WE’RE GONNA BOOK ANOTHER TOUR BEFORE YOU MAKE THE RERD. SO, THE BAND WOULD HAVE ALL THIS TIME TO WRE AND SEND THE SONGS TO ME, AND THEN WHEN BEME MY TURN TO DO WHAT I WANTED TO DO WAS, OH, THERE’S A FUCKG TOUR G UP SO YOU’VE GOTTA GET THIS SH DONE. AT THE TIME, I REALLY LIKED THE PRSURE BEE I JT WANTED TO GET SH DONE. WHEN GOT TO THE POT OF DOG THE RT OF THE RERDS, I WASN’T REALLY THAT VOLVED. THE GUYS WOULD GO MAKE AND SEND TO ME BEE I ULDN’T BE THE STUD AND HAD TO BE HOME WH MY KIDS DUE TO ALL THIS CRAZY SH THAT WAS GOG ON MY LIFE AT THE TIME.SO, THAT WAS ALL OUT THE DOOR. WE HAD NO TOUR, NOTHG GOG ON, NO URGENCY, NO IA EVEN WHEN WE WERE GONNA TOUR AGA, AND I JT WANTED TO SEE MY DUS. I WAS GOG CRAZY. I’D BEEN LOCKED THE HOE FOR MONTHS, AND MUNKY SAID, “WE GOTTA WRE A RERD,” SO WE SET UP. WE WOULD WORK 10 DAYS AND GO HOME FOR 20 DAYS EVERY MONTH. AND WE DID THAT ABOUT FOUR TIM TILL THE RERD WAS WRTEN, AND THEN TOOK TWO TIM TO RERD . THEN, I WENT AND ADD ALL MY MELODY L AND DID THE LYRICS, AND THAT TOOK ME ANOTHER TWO MONTHS. THE LAST ALBUM WE WROTE TOGETHER ALL A ROOM WAS UNTOUCHABL, AND THERE’S A CERTA MAGIC WHEN WE’RE ALL THERE TOGETHER. HOW THE FUCK IS THIS OUR 14TH RERD AND WE’RE STILL MAKG RERDS LIKE THIS?IT SEEMS LIKE THE STATE OF KORN IS VERY STRONG.OH, ’S VERY STRONG. THOSE GUYS ARE MY BROTHERS, MAN. WE GET ALONG. WE HAVE OUR LTLE TIFFS AND DISAGREEMENTS, BUT WE’RE ADULTS AND N TALK OUT. WE’RE NOT LIKE OTHER BANDS WHO ABSOLUTELY HATE EACH OTHER AND N’T BE THE SAME ROOM TOGETHER. I ENJOY BEG AROUND MY BROTHERS—AND WE’RE ALREADY WORKG ON ANOTHER ONE. TIM SACCENTI YOU DON’T ST AS MUCH ANYMORE. WAS THAT BEE WAS HURTG YOUR VOL RDS OR SOMETHG? ADVERTISEMENT NO, NO, NO, NO. I ULD DO THAT SH FOR HOURS. I DON’T DO THE BAGPIP A LOT AND I DON’T DO THE FUCKG STTG A LOT BEE EVERYBODY WANTS ME TOO, AND IF I DO TOO MUCH ’S GONNA BURN OUT. WHEN I DO ’S SPECIAL. I DO ON EVERY RERD, ’S JT ON ONE SONG AND NOT THROUGHOUT EVERYTHG.ONE SONG THAT REALLY STUCK OUT TO ME ON REQUIEM WAS “LOST THE GRANUR.”THAT’S MY FAVORE SONG ON THE ALBUM.IT SEEMED PERSONAL—LIKE WAS YOU REFLECTG ON A TIME YOUR LIFE WHERE YOU WERE BLD BY FAME. WAS SPIRED BY A TIME WHERE YOU LOST SIGHT OF YOURSELF?YEAH. I LOST MYSELF ALL THIS FANCY SH I ULD AFFORD. I WAS A VERY CRAZY SUATN MY LIFE THE PAST AND A LOT OF BAD SH WAS HAPPENG TO ME. I REALLY LOST MY RE FOR MYSELF AND RE FOR EVERYTHG BEE I DIDN’T WANT TO LOSE ALL THE FANCY SH. I E OM BAKERSFIELD. SIMPLE MEANS, MAN. AND THEN I BEME THIS BIG ROCK STAR AND ULD AFFORD ANYTHG THAT I WANTED, AND THAT CHANG YOU. AND YOU LOSE YOURSELF.ARE YOU REFERRG TO THE FOLLOW THE LEAR ERA? ADVERTISEMENT YEAH. WHEN THAT ME OUT, WE GOT THIS BIG AL, AND I GOT ALL THIS MONEY TO WHERE I ULD BUY ANYTHG I WANTED. SO, I BOUGHT THIS BIG HOE, AND I BOUGHT A BENTLEY AND AN ICED-OUT 40-RAT WRISTWATCH AND ALL THAT KDA SH. NOW, I DRIVE A FORD TCK. I LIVE BAKERSFIELD AND ENJOY ART AND VIO GAM. I DON’T GOTTA BE “FLOSSG” FOR ANYONE.THAT FOLLOW THE LEAR ERA WAS WHEN KORN MA REGULAR APPEARANC ON TRL, AND TWO OF KORN’S MIC VIOS WERE AMONG THE FIRST TRL RETIRED. IT’S SUCH A FASCATG PERD THAT I DON’T THK WE’LL EVER SEE AGA. YOU HAD KORN, MARIAH CAREY, THE BACKSTREET BOYS, AND BLK 182 PETG FOR TRL UNTDOWN SUPREMACY. I’M NOT SURE WE’LL SEE A METAL BAND ACHIEVE POP STARDOM LIKE THAT.AT THAT TIME, WE WERE REPRENTG ALL ROCK BANDS AND A LOT OF ROCK PEOPLE HATED . I WAS LIKE, HEY MAN, PEOPLE LIKE . I DIDN’T CHOOSE THIS. Y’ALL CHOSE THIS. HELL, AT LEAST WE WERE FLYG THE ROCK FLAG HIGH. WE STILL ARE. THERE’S A LOT OF MARARIE THE ROCK-MIC WORLD BEE… ’S NEVER GONNA BE AD, BUT ISN’T WHAT WAS. IT CHANGED AND EVOLVED. I LIKE THE NEW ROCK-METAL, WHICH IS THIS TRAP-METAL STUFF AND ALL THE STUFF THAT’S GOG ON WH THE YOUNG RAPPER KIDS. I DIDN’T REALLY UNRSTAND UNTIL MY KID SAT ME DOWN, BUT ’S KD OF THE EXACT SAME SH THAT WE DID. IT’S REBELL, HEAVY SH. LIL UZI VERT, GHOSTEMANE, ALL THE PEOPLE. THEY WERE ALL SPIRED BY THE SCENE BEE THEY WERE KIDS WHEN WE WERE ON TRL. AND IF YOU GO TO THEIR SHOWS, ’S KD OF LIKE A ROCK SHOW. HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE STATE OF THE MIC DTRY 2022? BANDS DON’T MAKE MUCH MONEY OFF THEIR MIC ANYMORE AND MAKE ALMOST ALL OF THROUGH TOURG.IT’S ALL TOURG. YOU GOTTA HAVE A FOLLOWG AND ONCE YOU GET OUT THERE YOU GOTTA TOUR, AND THAT SH’S EXPENSIVE. LABELS ED TO GIVE YOU TOUR SUPPORT, AND THEY DON’T DO THAT ANYMORE. SONY ED TO GIVE TOUR SUPPORT—THEY MA AN VTMENT TO PUT OUT THERE AND TOUR, AND WE’RE STILL PAYG THEM BACK. ADVERTISEMENT WA… YOU’RE STILL PAYG THE LABEL BACK FOR TOURG EXPENS?WE’LL ALWAYS PAY. THERE WAS, WHAT, SIX ALBUMS? AND I DON’T KNOW HOW MANY LNS WERE SPENT PROMOTG THEM AND ALL THAT, AND THAT ALL GOT BILLED BACK TO . SO, WE’LL BE PAYG THAT ROYALTI FOREVER.HOW MUCH ARE YOU PAYG BACK ROYALTI? I DON’T KNOW, MAN. BACK THEN, YOU WERE GETTG FLEECED. IT’S LIKE WHAT THE FUCKG STREAMG SERVIC ARE DOG NOW—BUT WORSE. IT WAS LIKE, OK, WE’LL GIVE YOU $100,000. INSTEAD OF PAYG BACK $100,000, WE’LL GIVE YOU A 13 PERCENT ROYALTY RATE THAT WILL GO TOWARD THE $100,000 AND THE RT WE’RE KEEPG. SO, WE’RE PAYG BACK AT THIS SMALL PERCENTAGE RATE GOG BACK TO THAT IAL VTMENT THEY MA. IT’S WACK.I REMEMBER THE VER IMAGE OM KORN’S FIRST ALBUM—OF A YOUNG GIRL STARG UP AT A MONSTER—TO BE PRETTY HNTG. AND THAT IMAGE OF A YOUNG GIRL SOON BEME SYNONYMO WH KORN.IRON MAIN HAS EDDI AND KORN HAS KORN KIDS. THEY REPRENTED OUR NOCENCE AS CHILDREN, AND THE MAJORY OF MY LYRICS AT THE TIME WERE ABOUT CHILDHOOD TRMAS AND THGS I WENT THROUGH AS A KID. ADVERTISEMENT KORN WAS ONE OF FEW BANDS WHEN I WAS YOUNGER THAT SHED A HEAVY LIGHT ON CHILD ABE.IT WAS TABOO AT THE TIME TO TALK ABOUT THAT SH. BUT WHATEVER. I HAD TO GET OUT. IT HELPED A LOT OF PEOPLE. THAT WAS A CRAZY TIME, AND WHEN I THK ABOUT THAT RERD… ’S SUCH A DARK FUCKG RERD. WE PLAYED S ENTIRETY 2014, FOR S 20TH ANNIVERSARY, AND ALL OF GOT OFFSTAGE AND WE LOOKED AT EACH OTHER AND WERE LIKE “GOD, THAT RERD IS DARK.” WE HADN’T PLAYED S ENTIRETY AG. AND I DON’T WANT TO PLAY THAT RERD AGA. FUCK NO. “EVERY KORN ALBUM WAS MY THERAPY. AT EVERY POT TIME, I’M WORKG MY PROBLEMS OUT THE MIC. THE WAY I WRE IS STREAM-OF-NSCNS AND ME AIRG OUT TO THE WORLD WHAT I’M GOG THROUGH.” YOU MENTNED THE CHILDHOOD TRMAS YOU ENDURED AS A KID, AND I READ THAT YOU HAD A VERY ROUGH CHILDHOOD. YOU ALMOST DIED AS A YOUNG CHILD OM ASTHMA ATTACKS, RIGHT?YEAH. I WAS A HOSPAL OM 3 TO 12 ABOUT ONCE A MONTH FOR A WEEK OR TWO. IT WAS SRY. I HAD SEVERE ASTHMA, AND TO HAVE ASTHMA THE ’70S SUCKED. THEY’D GIVE YOU ALL THE DGS, LIKE QUIBRON, WHICH WAS BASILLY LIKE A SPEEDBALL. AND THEN THEY GAVE YOU THEOPHYLLE, WHICH WAS BASILLY LIKE MORE SPEED. IT WAS A BIG PETRI DISH OF DGS. I STILL HAVE ASTHMA TO THIS DAY AND E AN HALER, BUT ’S NOT LIKE WAS. MIC WAS MY THERAPY. IT WAS. EVERY KORN ALBUM WAS MY THERAPY. AT EVERY POT TIME, I’M WORKG MY PROBLEMS OUT THE MIC. THE WAY I WRE IS STREAM-OF-NSCNS AND ME AIRG OUT TO THE WORLD WHAT I’M GOG THROUGH.I WANTED TO ASK YOU ABOUT THE KORN SONG “FAGET,” WHICH WAS AN EARLY SONG I HEARD OFF KORN’S FIRST ALBUM AND WAS SPIRED BY THE BULLYG YOU WENT THROUGH AND THE NAM YOU WERE LLED. WHAT MEMORI DO THAT SONG NJURE UP FOR YOU? ADVERTISEMENT THE UNNECSARY BULLYG AND BEG LLED “GAY” ALL THE TIME. IT’S GETTG A LOT BETTER, BEE WHO R IF YOU’RE GAY? WHO R WHAT ANYONE DO WH THEIR PENIS OR VAGA? IT’S NONE OF MY FUCKG BS! “FAG” BEME THIS ROGATORY TERM THAT WAS HURTFUL TO GAY PEOPLE AND WEAPONIZED AGAST STRAIGHT PEOPLE. I GOT LLED ALL THE TIME. IT GOT TO THE POT WHERE I DIDN’T RE ANYMORE. “YEAH, I’M A FAGGOT. SO WHAT?” “YEAH, I WEAR EYELER. WHAT?” GROWG UP BAKERSFIELD, WAS VERY HOMOPHOBIC AT THE TIME. AND I HUNG OUT WH GAY PEOPLE BEE THEY HAD ALL THE OL CLOTH AND KNEW ALL THE OL MIC. BEE I WAS ASSOCIATED WH THOSE PEOPLE, AND DRSED THAT WAY, ALL THE JOCKS WOULD PICK ON ME. AND THAT FUCKED ME UP. I WAS SO FUCKED UP HIGH SCHOOL OVER THAT. I WOULD EVEN GET LLED OUT OF SCHOOL AND SENT TO THE “GAY UNSELOR,” WHO WAS THE MIC DIRECTOR, AND HE WOULD SAY, “I KNOW YOU’RE NOT GAY. I DON’T KNOW WHY YOU’RE HERE.” I ULDN’T HAVE GIRLIENDS BEE EVERYONE THOUGHT I WAS GAY. SO, I BEME A DJ AND THAT’S HOW I MET OTHER PEOPLE WHO WOULDN’T LL ME NAM. BUT THAT HIGH SCHOOL STUFF, THAT REALLY HURT ME. I HAVE A BIG, LASTG SR MY HEART OM THAT. JONATHAN DAVI OF KORN PERFORMS DURG THE SEND DAY OF THE VIVE LATO MIC FTIVAL MEXI CY ON MARCH 17, 2019. ALEDO ESTRELLA/GETTY IS THAT WHY YOU SPENT SO MUCH TIME WH AD PEOPLE? BEE I READ THAT YOU WORKED AS A RONER’S ASSISTANT AS A TEENAGER.YEAH, MAYBE. I THOUGHT WAS OL BEE I’VE ALWAYS BEEN TO DARK SH AND I WANTED TO KNOW WHAT WAS LIKE TO CUT OPEN A HUMAN BEG—AND NOT GO TO JAIL. I WAS 17 YEARS OLD.YOU EVENTUALLY STOPPED WORKG A RONER’S OFFICE, SO WAS A MSED-UP EXPERIENCE? ADVERTISEMENT IT MA ME APPRECIATE MY LIFE IMMENSELY, BEE EVERY DAY I WOULD WALK AND SEE SOMEONE YOUNG WHO WAS AD. BUT WAS REALLY TRIGUG AT THE TIME. I LEARNED A LOT OM DIFFERENT DOCTORS DOG TOPSI AND LEARNED A LOT ABOUT ANATOMY AND DIFFERENT WAYS YOU ULD DIE, BUT I DIDN’T KNOW THAT WAS GIVG ME PTSD BEE I WAS CHOPPG UP KIDS AND LTLE BABI AND SH. THAT WORK JT TURNED ME TO A LD MOTHERFUCKER. IT WAS VERY TERTG, AND I’M GLAD I DID BEE GAVE ME THE BALLS TO SEARCH FOR MY DREAM BEE YOU ONLY LIVE ONCE, BUT I DON’T WANT TO GO BACK TO . EVERY MORNG I WOKE UP TO TRAGEDY.YOU ALSO ED TO LLECT ART OM SERIAL KILLERS.I HAVE SO MUCH DARK STUFF—BUT I HAVE SO MUCH LIGHT STUFF. MY HOE IS FULL OF DARK STUFF AND LIGHT STUFF NOW. THOSE ARE THE THGS THAT SPIRE ME AND TRIGUE ME. BUT YOU HAVE TO KEEP BALANCED. IF YOU SWG TOO FAR ONE WAY OR ANOTHER, DON’T WORK. YOU NEED HARMONY.WHAT IS THE WILST LLECTIBLE YOU OWN? [LGHS] OH, I DON’T KNOW. I HAVE ALL THIS CRAZY ART. HUMAN REMAS. HNTED DOLLS…IN ADDN TO YOUR MICROPHONE STAND BY H.R. GIGER, WHAT’S YOUR MOST TREASURED LLECTIBLE? LIKE, YOUR HOE GO UP FLAM AND ’S THE FIRST THG YOU GRAB. ADVERTISEMENT PROBABLY ONE OF MY SHNKEN HEADS. I HAVE A REAL SHNKEN HEAD OM SOUTH AMERI.WOW.I HAVE MY DOLLS, MY PATGS… I’VE GOT SOME RTRATS OM THE PSYCH WARD OF BELLEVUE HOSPAL. I’VE GOT THE FIRST TICKET OM THE VERY FIRST KORN SHOW BEFORE WE WERE EVEN SIGNED! I HAVE ALL MY CLOWNS AND JT… CRAZY STUFF. YOU HAVE TO BE HERE TO SEE ! MARLOW STERN

I wasn't gay, but people liked to assume that I was gay and ll me 'faggot.

Q&A: Korn’s Jonathan Davis on EDM’s Posive Vib, Gay Marriage – Rollg Stone

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