Remember the Stephen King novel and movie where the kids of some small town murdered the adults in the name of their god, he who walks among the rows? The children of the Korn, the hundreds of thousands of fans who are turning an ear to the sounds of the Bakersfield, California based band, seem to be worshipping their god with just as much fervour - Korn has torn up the charts and topped playlists on alternative, metal and rock stations nationwide, and is currently picking up still more devotees while on tour with Ozzy Osbourne. So what's the secret to Korn's sudden success? Frontman Jonathan Davis has a few ideas :

"First of all, we are just like all of our fans. We love music and they can identify with that. We don't try to be anything more than what we are. We are very committed. There is not one day that I wish I was doing something else. This is my life long dream. I don't want to thingk about going back to work at the coroner's office. I was set in my job. I'm young and I knew I had to pay my dues when I started all of this. Fieldy(bass) was cleaning carpets. David (drums) had a gig at Pizza Hut, Brian (guitar) and Munkey (J. Munkey Shaffer, guitar) worked at a furniture moving company."

Davis continues, "Korn was a dream come true for us all. When we first got together, we felt the committment. We knew this was right. We knew we were a team and the vibe was there. We're all friends and hang out together. When we get days off and get to go home and relax, we are still hanging together. Most bands can't say that. Korn would not have made it this far had it not been for our committment and our fans can feel that. That's why they are committed."

Mixing thumping hip-hop with thrashing metal/industrial aggression, Korn are a mixture of disparate influences that blend seamlessly. Jonathan's parents owned a music store and it was this exposure to different types of music and sounds that influenced their eclectic approach (the singer even plays the bagpipes on the song, "Shoots and Ladders".) "Korn is real," he states. "We are what is going on now. I don't mean that in an arrogant way. What we talk about is here and now. This music is all of our influences plus our experiences. We aren't a band that tried to mix hip-hop, industrial and metal, we're a blend of these sounds. We write about our experiences and what we see in society. It's not all nice but it doesn't have to be negative. I think music fans like a well rounded opinion." Jonathan quipped.

Davis is responsible for all of Korn's lyrics, and it's obvious from Jon's live performance that some of his lyrics he holds close to his heart. It's rumored that the band rarely performs the song "Daddy" because Jonathan gets so involved. "It's sort of funny. I go on-stage and give my all. The songs I have written do have a place inside of me and so as I perform them, I get very involved. After the show is over, I'm physically exhausted because every bit of me was thrust into those songs and have to do them justice on stage. Growing up, I guess is a theme for the album. It's a very important part in all of our lives -'

"'Faggot' deals with acceptance in school. 'Shoots and Ladders' uncovers the hidden messages in nursery rhymes, the first songs many of us ever hear. 'Shoots and Ladders', to set the record straight, calls out nursery rhymes for what they really are. I chose each rhyme for a different reason - 'Baa Baa Black Sheep' has racist overtones. 'London Bridges' talks of all the people of London dying, as does 'Ring Around The Roses' Then there's 'Little Red Riding Hood', one story tells of the wolf raping Red Riding Hood and killing her." Wait a minute - did the PMRC or some right-wing conservative sneak in on the conversation here? These are only nursery rhymes, after all ... "I'm not saying these songs should be banned. Nursery rhymes are supposed to be innocent. The song is about the hidden evils of innocence. There is a lesson anyone for censorship should realize. The fact is you are covered from the world and once you are born into the world, your eyes open and it's all over"

Davis' less than sugar-coated view-point may have been solidified by his other job of working in the coroner's office. It may also explain his infatuation with youth. The County Coroner's office is a pretty heavy job site for a 23 year old. "Yes, I know it has an effect on me, being surrounded by death. I have learned to appreciate my life," he admits. "You have no idea what I see. There are all these bodies brought in, and so many of them are kids. I see people my age mutilated from carwrecks, gang violence, or just being in the wrong place at the wrong time. It's really sad. I was working on all these kids that were my age, and younger. They never got the chance to experience life.. It made me decide to live mine to the fullest. I don't want to waste any time because nothing is promised."

Taking the "nothing is promised" attitude has helped Davis and his bandmates keep their heads up. Korn's debut disc, the one that everyone is grooving to, was released in 1994. The band has been on the road non-stop since 1994. They have shared stages with Biohazard, Danzig, House Of Pain, 311, Life of Agony, Monster Magnet, and most recently, Ozzy. It would be impossible for a band to stay on the road that long without learning anything.

"We have been out with some great bands, and we've learned a lot, too. Ozzy was inspirational because he has been around for so long. When he made his first album, I'm sure he had no idea that it would last for this long. He's survived many changes in music, and that's cool. Then there's Megadeth. We learned how not to treat the opening band. The other Mega-guys were cool; it was that Dave guy. There were all these rules. We almost got kicked off the tour for throwing some water at the crowd. It was ridiculous."

"We don't have the whole touring thing down perfect" he continues. "I think we figured a lot of stuff out. This band had to tour to accomplish anything significant. It's been a battle to break us on radio; there were people who refused to play us, that it would be a cold day in hell before they played our music. We never gave up and the record company never gave up. We stayed on the road until enough people saw us to make a difference. MTV picked us up and the radio stations started coming aboard. The stations are playing us now because we never gave up and neither did our fans. All the work is paying off."

Korn is currently in the studio working on their next record, their debut having just reached gold status. As Jonathan describes Korn's music as "here and now", what can we expect for the next album? "We don't plan on being a one-hit wonder. We are in touch with society. Bands that make music that doesn't mean anything expect in that moment to remove themselves from society. A band may get a big hit album and they stop doing the things they used to do and spend most of their time at home and away from the world. I want my fans to grow with me. In order for that to happen, I have to stay involved with the world. I believe in speaking the truth," Davis explains. "You can not do that unless you are aware and involved. We had a studio out on the road with us to capture the moments when a song pops out. We want to keep it real and every kid can sense that. Out next album will be Korn. We would have grown and learned some things, but we still will be Korn."

LiveWire magazine, July 1996