JRE 1326 · July 30, 2019

Maynard James Keenan

musicbusinessphilosophycreativity

Who is Maynard James Keenan?

Maynard James Keenan is a singer, songwriter, producer, winemaker, and actor, best known as the vocalist for Grammy Award-winning rock band Tool, Puscifer, and A Perfect Circle. Look for TOOL's catalog coming to streaming services on August 2 and their new album "FEAR INOCULUM" releases on August 30.

Topics and Timestamps

01Maynard discusses Tool's catalog finally coming to streaming services on August 2, 2019, after years of being unavailable
02Tool's new album 'Fear Inoculum' is set to release on August 30, 2019, marking their first album in 13 years
03Maynard talks about his winemaking operation in Arizona and how it parallels his approach to music and creativity
04Discussion about the creative process behind Tool's music and the band's approach to songwriting and production
05Maynard shares insights about his other projects including Puscifer and A Perfect Circle
06Conversation touches on the music industry, streaming services, and how artists navigate modern distribution
▶Tool's catalog coming to streaming on August 20:15:30
▶Fear Inoculum album release date announcement August 300:22:45
▶Maynard discusses his winemaking operation in Arizona0:35:20
▶Creative process behind Tool's music and songwriting approach0:48:15
▶Maynard talks about maintaining artistic integrity across multiple projects1:05:40

The Show

Joe sits down with Maynard James Keenan, the enigmatic frontman of Tool, and the conversation covers some major announcements that have Tool fans losing their minds. For the first time, Tool's entire catalog is hitting streaming services on August 2, which is a huge deal considering how long the band kept their music off platforms. Maynard explains the reasoning behind finally making that move and what it means for the band's legacy and accessibility. But that's not even the biggest news, because Tool's dropping a brand new album called 'Fear Inoculum' on August 30, and it's been thirteen years since their last release. That's a long time to wait, and Joe and Maynard dig into what took so long and what fans can expect.

Beyond the Tool talk, Maynard is surprisingly open about his other creative ventures. He's heavily invested in winemaking in Arizona, and the dude treats it with the same meticulous attention to detail he brings to music. He's got this philosophy about quality and patience that applies to everything he does, whether it's crafting a wine or writing a song. The conversation flows naturally between music, creativity, business, and what it takes to maintain artistic integrity in different mediums. Maynard discusses how the creative process for Tool works, the challenges of making music that resonates, and how the band has evolved over the decades. He also touches on his other bands, Puscifer and A Perfect Circle, and how those projects scratch different creative itches. The whole vibe of the episode is Maynard being real about the music industry, the evolution of streaming, and why artists sometimes need to step back and do things on their own terms rather than chasing trends or pleasing record labels.