Even if you’re not familiar with the name Ilan Rubin, rock fans have definitely heard his work.
The in-demand session wizard has recorded and toured with Nine Inch Nails, in addition to his studio work with Paramore, Angels & Airwaves, and Haim and M83’s recent collab “Holes In The Sky.” But he’s also got his own band, and Billboard is excited to premiere its latest release — an eight-song album called Exhibit B that he wrote, sung, recorded, produced, and played every instrument on.
“Working on music during a tour is actually a great way to feel productive and pass time when you’re not on stage,” the 26-year old tells Billboard. “With NIN I had the luxury of dragging around a guitar, bass, and a couple synths with me so I was able to get quite a bit done in hotel rooms and dressing rooms at the venues. Aside from traveling you have to understand that you’re only ‘working’ for a couple of hours a night on stage. Recording throughout the day is a great way to keep moving forward.”
Nine Inch Nails Drummer Ilan Rubin Talks Trent Reznor’s Influence, Shares Solo Work
For Rubin, “moving forward” means combining his own creative energy with the classics. He lists the Beatles, Queen, Led Zeppelin, the Police as his key influences. Undoubtedly, the time he spent in the studio and on stage with other great musicians helped as well.
He continues:
My favorite song on the album would probably be “Where I’ve Headed All Along.” It’s a song that remains fresh to me even after the lengthy process of recording, listening to mixes, and approving mastering. I usually want a listening break from most everything else but this song is always something I enjoy. The lyrics are very relevant to my everyday thoughts and the production is one of my best. I love the sounds and the dynamic build throughout the whole thing. I also did a bit a cello multi-tracking which came out nicely!
Exhibit B is out March 31 via Command!. It’s available for pre-order here.