Artists Answer – What Music Did You Hate Growing Up?
Growing up, we all had strong opinions about the music we hated. At this year’s Louder Than Life festival, we asked musicians from Mastodon, Clutch, Wargasm and more about the music they couldn’t stand as a kid and if their taste has since changed.
Plenty of the artists we talked to weren’t fans of pop or country music, however, some have grown to appreciate the genres. “What makes pop as big as it is is because it’s so simple, and writing with that level of simplicity where anyone can understand it is actually really difficult,” said We Came as Romans vocalist Dave Stephens. “I have a lot of respect for pop now that I’ve learned more about writing songs, but at the time, I hated it.”
“I actually really despised country and western for a long time,” Milkie Way of Wargasm told us. “Which is stupid because I fucking love Dolly Parton. I think she’s one of the greatest songwriters in the world.”
Mastodon drummer Brann Dailor actually used to hate opera, but came around to the style after watching the movie Amadeus. “I kind of warmed up to [opera] and really fell in love with Mozart’s "Requiem." Still, to this day, I think it’s one of the heaviest albums ever released.”
Though many of the artists we talked to no longer have ill will towards the music they despised as kids, Clutch vocalist Neil Fallon still has a tough time getting through Broadway show tunes. “I blame my little sister for playing Cats and Miss Saigon and Les Miserables over and over again. I’m trying to be more openminded about it, but it’s a steep hill to climb for me.”
See who else hated certain genres of music or specific artists in the video below.