Nick Cave Talks Grief, Hope and His Deep Connection With Johnny Cash on ‘Colbert’: Watch

August 14, 2024 E Jazz Reporter

Music

“He transformed from this sort of suffering individual into something really extraordinary,” Cave said of the country music icon.

Nick Cave on ‘The Late Show’ Aug. 13, 2024.

CBS

Nick Cave, the enigmatic frontman of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, opened up about his music, personal tragedies, and upcoming album during a revealing appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on Aug. 13.

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Cave’s new album, Wild God , set for release on Aug. 30, marks a shift in his musical journey.

“It’s essentially a joyful, uplifting kind of record,” the Australian singer explained, adding, “This record is some years on from events that happened in my life that sort of required my music to be different in a way.” Cave was referring to the devastating losses he has endured – the death of his son Arthur in 2015, followed by the passing of his son Jethro in 2022.

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Reflecting on the power of music, the acclaimed songwriter described it as “one of the last legitimate opportunities we have for a transcendent experience.”

However, the music legend shared deep concerns about the impact of AI on creativity: “I think there’s forces out there that that are expressly designed to take the creative act away from us, especially with AI as it’s coming out at the moment, to purely industrialize it, to create music as simply a product and to take away the actual creative experience.” The frontman of The Bad Seeds emphasized, “That worries me a lot.”

The multi-award-winning artist revealed a profound experience of recording with Johnny Cash, his musical hero.

“When I got there quite early at the studio and when he arrived, he was not well at all,” Cave recalled. “He was a sort of terrifying apparition of a man.”

The influential musician vividly described the moment: “He sat down with me and he said, ‘Look, you know, I’ve had the flu, I’ve had laryngitis, I have no voice. I’ve never asked Jesus for anything, but I had to perform with you today. Last night I dropped down on my knees and I said, ‘Jesus, I got to sing with Nick. Give me back my voice.’”

Despite Cash’s frail health, Cave witnessed an extraordinary transformation: “He transformed from this sort of suffering individual into something really extraordinary, literally before my eyes.”

On grief and healing, the he reflected, “We must be able to turn ourselves the other way and look at the world and understand that we are part of the world.”

Cave added, “I saw the world not as a cruel place but as an extraordinarily systemically beautiful place to live in.” The Australian music legend offered a perspective on finding joy after profound loss: “There is joy and happiness in a way you never believed possible on the other side of grief. It’s a difficult, it’s a terrible truth about grief that ultimately you feel you can feel joy in a way that you never thought you could.”

The conversation also touched on the importance of small acts of kindness. The influential musician recounted a memorable interaction: “I went into a vegetarian takeaway restaurant… I gave her the money and she handed me back the change and just squeezed my hand as she gave me back the money. This I’ll never forget because it was so beautifully, quietly articulate.”

As for Wild God, the multi-award-winning artist described it as “a warm embrace,” suggesting that fans can expect a more uplifting experience when the album drops on Aug. 30.

Watch Nick Cave on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert below.

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