As Nine Inch Nails prepare to embark on a string of summer festival dates, followed by a full-scale tour in the fall, frontman Trent Reznor recently spoke with the New York Times on a variety of topics.

One of those subjects was the band's upcoming album 'Hesitation Marks,' due out Sept. 3. Reznor talks about how he composed the music on his laptop, using it mainly as a drum machine. “It feels sparse, and it feels minimal,” he said. “It’s hard for me to do that. I’ve realized over the years that if I have 100 tracks, I’ll use 110 tracks. This was really about economy. It was just a weird puzzle of grooves.”

Reznor went on to say that he didn't realize until he almost finished the album that he didn't raise his voice that much, and there are no screaming choruses. “I don’t think it’s a gentle record," Reznor said. "I do think it’s more subversive in how it gets you. It’s not about everything being at 11 and the pyrotechnics of sound and scare tactics, which I’ve definitely used in the past. But it doesn’t feel like the middle-aged, I’ve-given-up record either.”

The album, which is the first from Nine Inch Nails since 2008's 'The Slip,' features collaborations with Fleetwood Mac guitarist Lindsay Buckingham and The Who touring bassist Pino Palladino. Guitarist Adrian Belew (King Crimson) also played on 'Hesitation Marks,' but has since departed the group.

Nine Inch Nails' run of festival dates begins July 26 at the Fuji Rock Festival in Japan.  They also have a full U.S. arena tour that launches Sept. 28.

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