Aaron Wright North (born March 22, 1979) is an American musician. He was the co-founder and guitarist of

punk Punk or punks may refer to: Genres, subculture, and related aspects * Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres * Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...

band The Icarus Line, a touring lead guitarist of

industrial rock Industrial rock is a fusion genre that fuses industrial music and rock music. It initially originated in the 1970s, and drew influence from early experimental and industrial acts such as Cromagnon, Throbbing Gristle, Einstürzende Neubauten ...

group Nine Inch Nails, and vocalist/guitarist for

Jubilee A jubilee is a particular anniversary of an event, usually denoting the 25th, 40th, 50th, 60th, and the 70th anniversary. The term is often now used to denote the celebrations associated with the reign of a monarch after a milestone number of y ...

. North is noted for his chaotic and unconventional guitar approach, his use and command of feedback, and the flailing of his guitar wildly while on stage. His reputation for being outspoken both on and off the stage resulted in equal criticism and praise from fans and music journalists, mainly due to his role as co-founder and owner of

Buddyhead ''Buddyhead'' is a music website and independent record label created by Travis Keller in the summer of 1998, located in Hollywood, California. Buddyhead engaged in criticism of popular culture and the music industry. It's legendary gossip colum ...

. More infamously, it also landed him in substantial legal trouble numerous times. The

music website was an outlet for his ruthlessly opinionated writing, as well as the many notable interviews he conducted with the likes of

Kevin Shields Kevin Patrick Shields (born 21 May 1963) is an American-born Irish musician, singer-songwriter, composer, and producer, best known as the vocalist and guitarist of the band My Bloody Valentine. They became influential on the evolution of alter ...

and

Greg Ginn Gregory Regis Ginn (born June 8, 1954) is an American guitarist, bassist, singer and songwriter, best known for being the leader, primary songwriter, and the only continuous member of the hardcore punk band Black Flag, which he founded and led ...

. North's creation of Buddyhead Records later extended to his recording and producing many of their bands. Among the groups he signed or issued releases from were

At the Drive-In At the Drive-In was an American post-hardcore band from El Paso, Texas, formed in 1994. The band's most recent line-up consisted of Cedric Bixler-Zavala (vocals), Omar Rodríguez-López (guitar, vocals), Paul Hinojos (bass), Tony Hajjar (dru ...

Ink & Dagger Ink & Dagger were a hardcore punk band from Philadelphia that was active in the 1990s. The two permanent members throughout the band's career were guitarist Don Devore and vocalist Sean Patrick McCabe. Other members included Ashli State, Terry Yer ...

, and

The Dillinger Escape Plan The Dillinger Escape Plan was an American metalcore band. The band was formed in 1997 in Morris Plains, New Jersey by guitarist Ben Weinman, bassist Adam Doll, vocalist Dimitri Minakakis, and drummer Chris Pennie. The band's use of odd time si ...

. In 2008, North suffered a nervous breakdown. During his subsequent hospitalizations due to mental illness and health issues, he determined his disapproval with the directions of Buddyhead and Jubilee were beyond repair. He ceased involvement completely with both soon after, and has not participated in any aspect of music since.

Recording career

1998–2004: The Icarus Line

North was one of the original members of The Icarus Line, and toured and recorded with the group as a guitarist between 1998 and 2004. During his time with the band they released two critically acclaimed studio albums (''

Mono Mono may refer to: Common meanings * Infectious mononucleosis, "the kissing disease" * Monaural, monophonic sound reproduction, often shortened to mono * Mono-, a numerical prefix representing anything single Music Performers * Mono (Japanese b ...

'' in 2001 and '' Penance Soiree'' in 2004) and three EPs (''Highlypuncturingnoisetestingyourabilitytohate'' and '' Red And Black Attack'' in 1998 and ''Three Jesus Songs'' in 2003). The band was known for its chaotic live performances, including a notorious incident in 2002 when, during a performance at the

Hard Rock Cafe Hard Rock Cafe, Inc. is a British-based multinational chain of theme restaurants, memorabilia shops, casinos and museums founded in 1971 by Isaac Tigrett and Peter Morton in London. In 1979, the cafe began covering its walls with rock and r ...

in Austin,

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...

, North "liberated" a guitar that had belonged to Stevie Ray Vaughan by breaking its protective case with the base of a microphone stand. He tried plugging it into his amplifier, but was then quickly set upon by security. The incident resulted in North receiving numerous death threats from outraged Texans, and legal troubles. North quit the band abruptly in 2004, citing a desire to move into a new direction musically.

2005–2007: Nine Inch Nails

North joined Nine Inch Nails in 2005 as the lead guitarist in a lineup that featured drummer

Jerome Dillon Jerome Dillon is a professional musician, best known for his tenure as drummer with industrial rock group Nine Inch Nails from 1999–2005. After his departure, his own project, Nearly, released its debut album ''reminder'' in December 2005, ...

, former

A Perfect Circle A Perfect Circle is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1999 by guitarist Billy Howerdel and Tool vocalist Maynard James Keenan. A Perfect Circle has released four studio albums, the first three during the early 2000s: ...

and Marilyn Manson bass player

Jeordie White Jeordie Osbourne White (born June 20, 1971), better known Twiggy Ramirez or simply Twiggy, is an American musician, mostly known as the former bassist and guitarist of the rock band Marilyn Manson. Previously, he was the bassist for A Perfect ...

and keyboard player

Alessandro Cortini Alessandro Cortini (born 24 May 1976) is an Italian musician best known for being the keyboard, guitar, and bass player in the industrial band Nine Inch Nails. Cortini is also the frontman for the Los Angeles-based electronic-alternative band ...

. He has stated that the invitation resulted from a recommendation to band leader

Trent Reznor Michael Trent Reznor (born May 17, 1965) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, and composer. He serves as the lead vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, and principal songwriter of the industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails, wh ...

by producer

Alan Moulder Alan Moulder (born 11 June 1959) is an English record producer, mixing engineer, and audio engineer. Early life Moulder was born on 11 June 1959 in Boston, Lincolnshire. He was educated at Boston Grammar School. He had an interest in music fro ...

, who had worked with both The Icarus Line and Nine Inch Nails. In ''The New Zealand Herald'', Reznor described the first time North jammed with Nine Inch Nails: North was with the band for the " Live: With_Teeth" tour (in support of the 2005 release ''

With Teeth ''With Teeth'' (stylized as '' ITH_TEETH') is the fourth studio album by American industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails, released by Nothing Records and Interscope Records on May 3, 2005. The album was produced by Nine Inch Nails frontman Tren ...

'') and the " Performance: 2007" tour (the latter stages of which were in support of the 2007 release ''

Year Zero A year zero does not exist in the Anno Domini (AD) calendar year system commonly used to number years in the Gregorian calendar (nor in its predecessor, the Julian calendar); in this system, the year is followed directly by year . However, the ...

''). While touring with NIN in 2005 North performed as a guest guitarist with the band

Queens of the Stone Age Queens of the Stone Age (commonly abbreviated QOTSA) is an American Rock music, rock band formed in 1996 in Palm Desert, California. The band was founded by vocalist and guitarist Josh Homme, who has been the only constant member throughout mul ...

at various acoustic "in-store" performances, and two "regular" shows in Los Angeles. In July 2006, North was named (along with Nine Inch Nails) in a lawsuit brought on by Wisconsin security guard Mark LaVoie. This suit alleged that he "intentionally, and violently" inflicted injury upon the guard while performing at Alliant Energy Center on Oct. 13, 2005. The lawsuit reportedly settled out of court with LaVoie receiving a substantial amount of money. North is included on the live DVD '' Beside You in Time'' and appeared in the music videos for "

The Hand That Feeds "The Hand That Feeds" is a song by American industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails, released as the lead single from their fourth studio album, ''With Teeth'' (2005). The single is the highest-charting Nine Inch Nails song on all charts except for ...

" and "

Survivalism Survivalism is a social movement of individuals or groups (called survivalists or preppers) who proactively prepare for emergencies, such as natural disasters, as well as other disasters causing disruption to social order (that is, civil disor ...

". He left the group at the conclusion of the 2007 run.

2007–2008: Jubilee

North formed Jubilee in late 2007 with former

Icarus Line The Icarus Line was an American post-hardcore band from Los Angeles, California, active from 1998 until 2015. Career 1998–2003 The Icarus Line's roots started from a high school rock group, Kanker Sores. Tragedy struck the band in 1997, when ...

band-mate, Troy Petrey, on drums, and bassist Michael Shuman (

, Wires On Fire). The band embarked on a brief UK tour in January 2008 with members of Wires On Fire temporarily rounding out the lineup. The band returned to the UK in late 2008 to complete a more extensive tour. Upon their return, they played one show in Los Angeles. This is still the only performance the band has ever played in their native country. Jubilee released two singles in 2008, 'Rebel Hiss' and 'In With The Out Crowd', which were intended to be immediately followed by their debut album. In late 2008, North suffered a nervous breakdown while mixing the Jubilee album. After subsequent hospitalizations, he ceased all activity with the band. A "motorcycle accident" was used as a public explanation at the time. Months later, attempts to form a new lineup of the band and finish the album were also abandoned by North. It was later learned that North had been diagnosed as being Bipolar I, and having Major Depressive Disorder among other mental illnesses. The still unreleased album includes performances from a vast array of drummers and collaborators including Dave Grohl, Julian Gross,

Nick Jago Nicholas Jago (born 19 July 1976) is an English musician, best known as the former drummer and founding member of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club.Strong, Martin C. (2003) ''The Great Indie Discography'', Canongate, , p. 628-9 Jago was born in Abad ...

, Joey Castillo, Carla Azar, Josh Freese, Loren Humphrey, Kevin Haskins,

Taylor Hawkins Oliver Taylor Hawkins (February 17, 1972 – March 25, 2022) was an American musician, best known as the drummer of the rock band Foo Fighters, with whom he recorded eight studio albums between 1999 and 2021. Before joining the band in 1997, he ...

, Josh Homme,

and

Maynard James Keenan Maynard James Keenan (born James Herbert Keenan; April 17, 1964) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, and winemaker. He is best known as the singer and primary lyricist of the rock bands Tool, A Perfect Circle, and Pusc ...

Buddyhead

North co-founded

with Travis Keller in 1998. The independent record label and music "webzine" was infamous for its gossip section that frequently featured phone numbers of celebrities such as

Fred Durst William Frederick Durst (born August 20, 1970) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, actor, and director. He is the frontman and lyricist of the nu metal band Limp Bizkit, formed in 1994, with whom he has released seven studio albums. He ap ...

and

Courtney Love Courtney Michelle Love (née Harrison; born July 9, 1964) is an American singer, guitarist, songwriter, and actress. A figure in the alternative and grunge scenes of the 1990s, her career has spanned four decades. She rose to prominence as ...

. The gossip section also frequently slammed

Axl Rose W. Axl Rose (born William Bruce Rose Jr.; born February 6, 1962) is an American musician. He is best known for being the lead vocalist and lyricist of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, and has been the band's sole constant member since its incep ...

of Guns N' Roses. Buddyhead was also known for their infamous antics such as spray-painting "$uckin' Dick$" on the tour bus of

The Strokes The Strokes are an American rock band from New York City. Formed in 1998, the band is composed of lead singer and songwriter Julian Casablancas, guitarists Nick Valensi and Albert Hammond Jr., bassist Nikolai Fraiture, and drummer Fabrizio Mor ...

, as well as breaking into the Interscope Records building to steal three of Durst's baseball caps. With no explanation, North ended his association with Buddyhead in 2008.

Musical equipment

Many other guitars, effects and amplifiers have been used by North in his various projects, these are only a few of the confirmed pedals that he is currently or has used in the past. ;GuitarsAaron North answers your questions
theninhotline.com Retrieved:2009-12-31 * Hagström Swede * Hagström Super Swede * Hagström F200P * Hagström III * Hagström II * Hagström Viking *Ampeg Dan Armstrong AMG-100 * Fender Cyclone I & II *

Fender Jaguar The Fender Jaguar is an electric guitar by Fender Musical Instruments characterized by an offset-waist body, a relatively unusual switching system with two separate circuits for lead and rhythm, and a short-scale 24" neck. Owing some roots to t ...

Fender Jazzmaster The Fender Jazzmaster is an electric guitar designed as a more expensive sibling of the Fender Stratocaster. First introduced at the 1958 NAMM Show, it was initially marketed to jazz guitarists, but found favor among surf rock guitarists in t ...

Fender Stratocaster The Fender Stratocaster, colloquially known as the Strat, is a model of electric guitar designed from 1952 into 1954 by Leo Fender, Bill Carson, George Fullerton, and Freddie Tavares. The Fender Musical Instruments Corporation has continuousl ...

Fender Telecaster The Fender Telecaster, colloquially known as the Tele , is an electric guitar produced by Fender. Together with its sister model the Esquire, it is the world's first mass-produced, commercially successful Les Paul had built a prototype solid bo ...

* Gibson Les Paul * Gibson 345 *

Guild S60 A guild ( ) is an association of artisans and merchants who oversee the practice of their craft/trade in a particular area. The earliest types of guild formed as organizations of tradesmen belonging to a professional association. They sometimes ...

* First Act Custom Double Cutaway * Reverend Club King 290 *Custom 77 The Watcher T-Sonic * Yamaha SA503 TVL ;Effects * Z-Vex Octane 3 * Z-Vex Machine * Z-Vex Super Duper 2-in-1 * BOSS DD-5 Delay * BOSS PH-2 Phaser * BOSS NS-2 Noise Suppressor * SCH-1 Stereo Chorus * Big Cheese * Ring Stinger *

Meatball A meatball is ground meat rolled into a ball, sometimes along with other ingredients, such as bread crumbs, minced onion, eggs, butter, and seasoning. Meatballs are cooked by frying, baking, steaming, or braising in sauce. There are many type ...

* Wobulator *Interfax Harmonic Percolator * Tube Tape Echo * Octavia * Super-Fuzz * Repeat Percussion *Locomofon - Fuz Fabrik * Compressor * Quicksilver * POG * Microsynth * Deluxe Memory Man *

Holy Grail The Holy Grail (french: Saint Graal, br, Graal Santel, cy, Greal Sanctaidd, kw, Gral) is a treasure that serves as an important motif in Arthurian literature. Various traditions describe the Holy Grail as a cup, dish, or stone with miracu ...

* Screaming Bird * Swollen Pickle * Whine-O-Wah * Mold Spore Wah * KP2 & KP3 KAOSS Pad *Gig-FX - Chopper * Sitar Swami * Bacon N' Eggs * Verbzilla * Whammy * Ground Control Pro ;AmplifiersAaron North of Nine Inch Nails - The Gearwire Interview
gearwire.com Retrieved: 2009-12-31 * Marshall 1959HW "Plexi" *Ampeg V-4 *Mesa Boogie Custom 150 watt "Racktifier" Heads *Fender Twin Reverb

Discography

;With The Icarus Line * ''Highlypuncturingnoisetestingyourabilitytohate'' - EP (1998) * '' Red And Black Attack'' - EP (1998) * ''Three Jesus Songs'' - EP (2003) * ''

'' - Album (2001) * '' Penance Soiree'' - Album (2004) * 'Kill Cupid With A Nail File' - Single (2000) * 'Feed A Cat To Your Cobra' - Single (2001) * 'Love Is Happiness' - Single (2003) * 'Up Against The Wall, Motherfuckers' - Single (2004) * 'Party The Baby Off' - Single (2004) * 'On The Lash' - Single (2004) * ''w/ Ink & Dagger (We're Never Gonna Make It)'' - Split Album (1998) * ''w/ Burning Brides (Angelfuck)'' - Split Album (2002) ;With Nine Inch Nails * '

' - Music Video (2005) *'' Beside You In Time'' - Live DVD (2007) *'

' - Music Video (2007) ;With Jubilee * 'Rebel Hiss' - Single (2008) * 'In With The Out Crowd' - Single (2008)

References

External links

Nine Inch NailsAaron North
a
The Nine Inch Nails Wiki
{{DEFAULTSORT:North, Aaron 1979 births Living people Nine Inch Nails members Guitarists from Los Angeles American rock guitarists American male guitarists The Icarus Line members