Aaron North

Aaron Wright North, born March 22, 1979, is the singer and guitar player for Jubilee, and the former lead guitarist for both Nine Inch Nails and The Icarus Line. He is partial to using Hagstrom guitars, and is noted for his chaotic and unconventional guitar approach, his use and command of feedback, and flailing his guitar wildly while on stage.

Trent Reznor described the first time North “jammed” with Nine Inch Nails by saying:

He shows up, he looks shitty, he’s got junk equipment, he looks like he’s just got up and I want to punch him. And then Aaron starts playing and on the first note it’s like, ‘You’re the guy’. He wasn’t trying to be me, and play like I play. He played and chaos came out. It immediately made the band turn into something else.
—Trent Reznor, New Zealand Herald

In 2002, North made music headlines after an Icarus Line performance at the Hard Rock Cafe in Austin, Texas where he “liberated” a guitar that had belonged to Stevie Ray Vaughan. He broke its protective case with the base of a microphone stand, took it out, tried to plug it into his amplifier, but was then quickly set upon by security. The incident resulted in North receiving numerous death threats from outraged Texans.

North co-owns the Buddyhead webzine with Travis Keller. Perhaps most infamously known for its gossip section, Buddyhead is also a record label with releases for such bands as Wires On Fire, The PoPo, Modwheelmood, The Cassettes, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Ink & Dagger, Moccasin and more.