Tool's Maynard James Keenan: 'Just Maintain Your Art, Dude'

Maynard James Keenan, the singer and lyricist of Tool, A Perfect Circle, and Puscifer, doesn't need TikTok in his life, he told Joe Rogan in a recent interview.

"I won't be relevant to the TikTokers of the world because it's just not on their radar," he explained, knowing that his music is still vital to fans and mightn't necessarily click with a generation of people glued to the video-sharing platform. "Those people that listen to the things they listen to and the things they respond to now, I'm not necessarily relevant."

The Schism singer went on to say, "But there’s an entire generation of people that’s not just my generation. There’s people older than me and much younger than me that have grown up with this thing. So as they’re ageing, they’re discovering it."

When Rogan prodded his brain about relevance and what it means to him, Keenan responded, "You can’t [get caught up in relevancy] because you’ll start being desperate and getting plastic surgery and looking like a fucking alien and trying to insert yourself into some stupid fucking thing. 

"I’m not talking about anybody. I’m not talking about my peers. It turns to desperation very quickly; it reeks. So just maintain your art, dude."

Earlier this year, Tool released their first music video in 15 years, Opiate², which the band released on Blu-Ray. 

Opiate² is a re-imagined and extended version of Tool's 1992 single Opiate, with both the song and video marking the 30^th anniversary of the EP of the same name’s release.

The Blu-Ray is housed in a 46-page art book with behind-the-scenes and making-of photos, and it also includes interviews and insights from special guests. Visual artist Dominic Hailstone (Alien: Covenant, The Eel) worked with Adam Jones on the 10-plus minute film. The clip continues Tool's knack for merging the aural and visual worlds, creating an all-encompassing experience for the listener that has been a hallmark of the outfit since their inception. 

Check out Keenan's interview with Joe Rogan below.