Deftones Earns GRAMMY Nomination for Latest Album After Three Decades in Music

Deftones snagged a GRAMMY nod for best rock album with their newest work, Private Music. This recognition arrived after more than 30 years since the band first formed.

Lead singer Chino Moreno discussed how the group thinks about creating music during a World Cafe interview. The band has tried to separate itself from other acts that rose up in the 1990s and early 2000s.

"We always try to do things a little left of center from the types of records that we started making," Chino Moreno said. "Especially around 2000. We did White Pony. I think that was like where we really started our kind of departure ... I always felt like I just want to stand on our own two feet in some way the most we can."

Critics have praised Private Music. Many describe it as work from a band that has sharpened their sound while continuing to push into new territory.

Chino Moreno revealed to World Cafe that nerves still hit him before performances. "Every time before I go on stage, I'm still nervous," he said. "I think there may be something healthy about that, as well — that I still do have these nerves that work."

White Pony came out in 2000. That record marked a turn in what the band wanted to do musically, and it influenced how they would tackle albums going forward.

The World Cafe talk explored how Deftones build their soundscapes. Chino Moreno opened up about battling shyness throughout his years performing. He mentioned how Simon Le Bon from Duran Duran shaped what the band does.

The GRAMMY Awards ceremony will happen later this year. Deftones will face other contenders in the best rock album category.