--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I never wanted to start a band to sound…" description: "\"I never wanted to start a band to sound like Nirvana.\" — Paul Banks" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/329/paul-banks-25147_band_i-never-wanted-to-start-a-band-to-sound_1880243.jpg" --- # I never wanted to start a band to sound like Nirvana. ![“I never wanted to start a band to sound like Nirvana.” quote by Paul Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/329/paul-banks-25147_band_i-never-wanted-to-start-a-band-to-sound_1880243.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/329/paul-banks-25147_band_i-never-wanted-to-start-a-band-to-sound_1880243.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/329/paul-banks-25147_band_i-never-wanted-to-start-a-band-to-sound_1880243.jpg) > “I never wanted to start a band to sound like Nirvana.” [Paul Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-banks/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He started a band without aiming to copy Nirvana, emphasizing original artistic direction. **In simple terms:** Wanted a unique band sound. Key Takeaway Create music true to your vision. Themes authenticity music identity Mood thoughtful determined Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - band formation - songwriting - record production Key Concepts influence originality artistic integrity Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance inspiration and originality? - What defines your band's unique voice? A Different Perspective Avoiding influences can be limiting. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Nirvana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nirvana/) [Sound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sound/) ## Related quotes > [The idea of starting a band because of Nirvana and thereby trying to sound like Nirvana is totally not the case.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-banks/the-idea-of-starting-a-band-because-of-nirvana-and-thereby-trying-to/) [Paul Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-banks/) > [I was big into grunge, like Nirvana and Hole, when I was younger, which has been a really huge inspiration because of its rawness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tove-lo/i-was-big-into-grunge-like-nirvana-and-hole-when-i-was-younger-which/) [Tove Lo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tove-lo/) > [Nirvana was like that- Nirvana was like the only band to come out of that- it was like the same thing, Seattle was like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-fishman/nirvana-was-like-that-nirvana-was-like-the-only-band-to-come-out-of/) [Jon Fishman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-fishman/) > [Obviously, for Geffen, if it wasn't for us, it's quite possible that bands like Nirvana or Beck would not be on the label.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-ranaldo/obviously-for-geffen-if-it-wasn-t-for-us-it-s-quite-possible-that/) [Lee Ranaldo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-ranaldo/) > [If you take a band like Nirvana, their biggest hits are structurally the same as even a hair metal band's biggest hits. The structure's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-osborne/if-you-take-a-band-like-nirvana-their-biggest-hits-are-structurally/) [Buzz Osborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-osborne/) > [After watching a couple of live performances of bands like Nirvana, I was really excited and inspired by how raw and powerful it was.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/panda-bear/after-watching-a-couple-of-live-performances-of-bands-like-nirvana-i/) [Panda Bear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/panda-bear/) > [I like Nirvana, but I couldn't say that I was influenced by them. I like to tell a story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/art-alexakis/i-like-nirvana-but-i-couldn-t-say-that-i-was-influenced-by-them-i/) [Art Alexakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/art-alexakis/) > [Punk helped musical fringes get attention. Stuff like Nirvana could never have happened without it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toyah-willcox/punk-helped-musical-fringes-get-attention-stuff-like-nirvana-could/) [Toyah Willcox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toyah-willcox/) > [Weird Al was something that kids would listen to. It's funny, super funny, smart. It's just kind of jokey. I remember hearing 'Smells Like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gourley/weird-al-was-something-that-kids-would-listen-to-it-s-funny-super/) [John Gourley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gourley/) > [Bands like Nirvana had theatrical sensibilities, playing with image, challenging assumptions people were making about them, the apex being Kurt Cobain in a dress…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-palmer/bands-like-nirvana-had-theatrical-sensibilities-playing-with-image/) [Amanda Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-palmer/) > [People act like Nirvana invented grunge; they just took it and personified it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-corgan/people-act-like-nirvana-invented-grunge-they-just-took-it-and/) [Billy Corgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-corgan/) > [I always like to think that I make movies that are like Nirvana songs. They have a slow verse, and then they pop into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gunn/i-always-like-to-think-that-i-make-movies-that-are-like-nirvana-songs/) [James Gunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gunn/) > [I blow my own mind like Nirvana, and go the whole nine like Madonna.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/big-pun/i-blow-my-own-mind-like-nirvana-and-go-the-whole-nine-like-madonna/) [Big Pun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/big-pun/) > [Hang in there. If you believe what you're doing is unique. Otherwise give up or sound like Nirvana or Pearl Jam.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joey-ramone/hang-in-there-if-you-believe-what-you-re-doing-is-unique-otherwise/) [Joey Ramone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joey-ramone/) > [The R.E.M and Nirvana successes don't mean much to me except as a potential distraction for bands who want to cash in on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-ginn/the-r-e-m-and-nirvana-successes-don-t-mean-much-to-me-except-as-a/) [Greg Ginn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-ginn/) ## More by Paul Banks > [...It's an unmeetable level of writing. But even if it's something I feel like I can't ever attain, it doesn't crush my spirit. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-banks/it-s-an-unmeetable-level-of-writing-but-even-if-it-s-something-i-feel/) [Paul Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-banks/) > [It's not like changing one word with my lyrics is going to make them more intelligible or relatable. I was always very misunderstood and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-banks/it-s-not-like-changing-one-word-with-my-lyrics-is-going-to-make-them/) [Paul Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-banks/) > [The idea of starting a band because of Nirvana and thereby trying to sound like Nirvana is totally not the case.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-banks/the-idea-of-starting-a-band-because-of-nirvana-and-thereby-trying-to/) [Paul Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-banks/) > [“You were like a cloud, you were just like a flower, then you were a lime, now our love is sour.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-banks/you-were-like-a-cloud-you-were-just-like-a-flower-then-you-were-a/) [Paul Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-banks/) > [My influences are vast and varied. I was into classic rock at the same time that I was into hip-hop. It was just that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-banks/my-influences-are-vast-and-varied-i-was-into-classic-rock-at-the-same/) [Paul Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-banks/) > [If you're an artist, you do what you do, and in a way, you don't even control the core essence of what you do.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-banks/if-you-re-an-artist-you-do-what-you-do-and-in-a-way-you-don-t-even/) [Paul Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-banks/) > [If time is my vessel, then learning to love might be my way back to sea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-banks/if-time-is-my-vessel-then-learning-to-love-might-be-my-way-back-to-sea/) [Paul Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-banks/) > [In an artistic and spiritual sense I'm really not that concerned about what happens after the album is done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-banks/in-an-artistic-and-spiritual-sense-i-m-really-not-that-concerned/) [Paul Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-banks/) > [I perceive everything to be constantly subjective and strange. My version of truth in what I express, it feels like that opaque quality that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-banks/i-perceive-everything-to-be-constantly-subjective-and-strange-my/) [Paul Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-banks/) > [Everyone is broken-hearted except for the drastically unimaginative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-banks/everyone-is-broken-hearted-except-for-the-drastically-unimaginative/) [Paul Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-banks/) > [That's for non-musicians to say: "I only listen to this or that type of music." I think musicians love all music, or at least…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-banks/that-s-for-non-musicians-to-say-i-only-listen-to-this-or-that-type-of/) [Paul Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-banks/) > [I don't really get a lot of clarity in my everyday life and my interactions with people. Most things that happen to me aren't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-banks/i-don-t-really-get-a-lot-of-clarity-in-my-everyday-life-and-my/) [Paul Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-banks/) > [I didn't come in and say: "I'm a singer." I came into the band as a second guitar player and a vocalist, but not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-banks/i-didn-t-come-in-and-say-i-m-a-singer-i-came-into-the-band-as-a/) [Paul Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-banks/) > [Sometimes you learn about the personality of your favorite artist, and you like their art a little less, because it doesn't jibe with what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-banks/sometimes-you-learn-about-the-personality-of-your-favorite-artist-and/) [Paul Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-banks/) > [When I say I had a cosmic confidence that we were capable of writing good music, I'm speaking about that time when we met…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-banks/when-i-say-i-had-a-cosmic-confidence-that-we-were-capable-of-writing/) [Paul Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-banks/) [Explore all 23 Paul Banks quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-banks/) ## More Band quotes > [The reason I was drawn to the Band Perry was because they have a knack for doing rollicking country music that can sound a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phoebe-robinson/the-reason-i-was-drawn-to-the-band-perry-was-because-they-have-a/) [Phoebe Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phoebe-robinson/) > [It was an important period for us, because even though we weren't a "punk band", and what became a model for a punk band,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mallinder/it-was-an-important-period-for-us-because-even-though-we-weren-t-a/) [Stephen Mallinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mallinder/) > [There is something to be said though when you have 4 or 5 guys playing with no net, there is a sense of urgency,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-mendoza/there-is-something-to-be-said-though-when-you-have-4-or-5-guys/) [Marco Mendoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-mendoza/) > [My Nirvana experience was much different than the other three guys. For me, it was really new and exciting. I was just a guy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-smear/my-nirvana-experience-was-much-different-than-the-other-three-guys/) [Pat Smear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-smear/) > [I think my music has always been a mixture, depending on whom I'm working with - what band, what musicians, what producer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matisyahu/i-think-my-music-has-always-been-a-mixture-depending-on-whom-i-m/) [Matisyahu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matisyahu/) > [As you'll never hear the thing again, my boy, why not throw in a couple of brass bands?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-beecham/as-you-ll-never-hear-the-thing-again-my-boy-why-not-throw-in-a-couple/) [Thomas Beecham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-beecham/) > [I've always made sure that I tour with bands that people aren't expecting me to tour with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mayer-hawthorne/i-ve-always-made-sure-that-i-tour-with-bands-that-people-aren-t/) [Mayer Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mayer-hawthorne/) > [There is more to me than just having been in the Runaways. And even though I'm really, really proud of what the band accomplished,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-fuchs/there-is-more-to-me-than-just-having-been-in-the-runaways-and-even/) [Jackie Fuchs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-fuchs/) > [I like the bad-boy types. Generally the guy I'm attracted to is the guy in the club with all the tattoos and nail polish.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-fox/i-like-the-bad-boy-types-generally-the-guy-i-m-attracted-to-is-the/) [Megan Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-fox/) > [Bass guitar is the engine of the band.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzi-quatro/bass-guitar-is-the-engine-of-the-band/) [Suzi Quatro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzi-quatro/) > [I just became accustomed to being all the members of the band. That was something that was really exciting to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-collier/i-just-became-accustomed-to-being-all-the-members-of-the-band-that/) [Jacob Collier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-collier/) > [I guess because we're essentially a two-man band, we're attracting Wham's crowd. But Wham! are more of a businessman's band.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curt-smith/i-guess-because-we-re-essentially-a-two-man-band-we-re-attracting/) [Curt Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curt-smith/) > [I'm about as privileged as you can get. I'm a white, male, heterosexual front man of a rock band.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-reynolds/i-m-about-as-privileged-as-you-can-get-i-m-a-white-male-heterosexual/) [Dan Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-reynolds/) > [I'd been playing in bands for something like seven years at this point. 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I'm not sure that when it ends in five, ten years, I'm going to put an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lars-ulrich/metallica-s-the-only-band-i-ve-ever-been-in-i-m-not-sure-that-when-it/) [Lars Ulrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lars-ulrich/) Browse all 6,497 Band quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I never wanted to start a band to sound like Nirvana.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Paul Banks" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-banks/i-never-wanted-to-start-a-band-to-sound-like-nirvana/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Band" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-banks/i-never-wanted-to-start-a-band-to-sound-like-nirvana/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/329/paul-banks-25147_band_i-never-wanted-to-start-a-band-to-sound_1880243.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/329/paul-banks-25147_band_i-never-wanted-to-start-a-band-to-sound_1880243.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/329/paul-banks-25147_band_i-never-wanted-to-start-a-band-to-sound_1880243.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I never wanted to start a band to sound like Nirvana.” — Paul Banks", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Paul Banks", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-banks/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I never wanted to start a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-banks/i-never-wanted-to-start-a-band-to-sound-like-nirvana/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-banks/i-never-wanted-to-start-a-band-to-sound-like-nirvana/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```