Henry Rollins has explained why he’ll never make music again, saying he’s “smart enough to not come back for the encore”.
After briefly fronting hardcore band State of Alert, Rollins went on to front Californian hardcore band Black Flag from 1981 to 1986. After their breakup, he formed the 2.13.61 record label and publishing company and formed the Rollins Band, who have toured under various line-ups from 1987.
The punk icon ventured into activism, radio hosting, acting, presenting and spoken word, and since his departure from music, Rollins’ focus has remained on writing. On Tuesday (October 1), he released the latest book in his Stay Fanatic!!! series, Stay Fanatic!!! Vol. 4 – Lessons In Possession and Confessions of Obsession.
Following the book’s release, he sat down with Loudwire Nights‘ Chuck Armstrong to discuss why writing has become the hill he’s willing to die on, calling it “a thankless business”.
“You play chess with your brain and, you know, I lose. It’s a very solitary task and no one can help you, right? Or maybe they can, but I don’t collaborate really, so I sit alone and I work and I get my big break from writing and I go to the gym and I come back and I do some more writing until it’s time to read – and then I go to sleep.”
He also shared that he is currently working on two other books. “I’m always clacking away at something,” he said. “And that’s just what I’ve chosen to do, it’s the hill I’m going to die on.”
Rollins shared that his relentless work ethic was informed by his time in Black Flag, who he described as a “very hard-working band”.
“It was Greg Ginn and Chuck Dukowski, they were like kind of the elders, the big dogs in the pack and I learned my work ethic, as far as music and all of that, from them because they were unbreakable,” he said.
“It was intense and I had to run to catch up. I don’t know if I ever made the grade, but I tried.”
Once onto the topic of music, Armstrong referenced a 2023 interview where Rollins stated he “wouldn’t go back on stage with a band for anything”, the ‘Low Self Opinion’ singer maintained that was still the case.
“I have not thought lyrically since about the year 2000, 2001,” he said. “I’m smart enough to not come back for the encore. Hey, you missed me? I never asked that question. I just leave … I don’t quiet quit. I don’t fade. I just split after every obligation has been met.”