Henry Rollins Discusses Writing + Why He’s Done Making Music

“That’s the thing with writing. If I could stop, I would.”

Henry Rollins recently celebrated the release of the latest book in his Stay Fanatic!!! series, Stay Fanatic!!! Vol. 4 – Lessons In Possession and Confessions of Obsession. On Tuesday (Oct. 1), he joined Loudwire Nights to discuss the book, his passion for writing and much more.

“It’s a thankless business,” Rollins, who owns and operates the publisher and record company 2.13.61, said about writing.

“You play chess with your brain and, you know, I lose. It’s a very solitary task and no one can help you, right? Or maybe they can, but I don’t collaborate really, so I sit alone and I work and I get my big break from writing and I go to the gym and I come back and I do some more writing until it’s time to read — and then I go to sleep.”

As Rollins shared that with host Chuck Armstrong, he was quick to say he is grateful for the many different outlets he has — and he has no plans to slow down on the writing front anytime soon.

“I’m writing two other books besides the Stay Fanatic!!! book, so I’m always clacking away at something. And that’s just what I’ve chosen to do — it’s the hill I’m going to die on.”

He admitted he’s not trying to “make it” as a writer, but rather, he something he simply finds great joy in doing.

“After all these years, it’s what I do.”

Why Henry Rollins Is Done Making Music

There’s no conversation with Rollins without bringing up music, whether it’s the music he obsesses over or the music he helped create with Black Flag and Rollins Band.

“Black Flag was a very hard-working band,” Rollins said.

“It was Greg Ginn and Chuck Dukowski, they were like kind of the elders, the big dogs in the pack and I learned my work ethic — as far as music and all of that — from them because they were unbreakable.”

Rollins recalled that regardless of how little the band had eaten or slept, Ginn and Dukowski were still “pulling the sled.”

“It was intense and I had to run to catch up. I don’t know if I ever made the grade, but I tried.”

READ MORE: Page Hamilton Says Helmet Knew They Were Making Unique Music In Their Early Days

As much music as Rollins is connected to over the years, in a 2023 interview, he was very clear that he’s done making music. When Chuck brought that up to him, he seemed to not have any change of heart.

“I have not thought lyrically since about the year 2000, 2001,” Rollins revealed.

“I’m smart enough to not come back for the encore. Hey, you missed me? I never asked that question. I just leave … I don’t quiet quit. I don’t fade. I just split after every obligation has been met.”

What Else Did Henry Rollins Discuss on Loudwire Nights?

• What his “white whale” is in regards to record collecting: “I have many. Some I can disclose, some I must keep my cards close to my chest.”
• Why fans shouldn’t get too excited about the reissues of Rollins Band’s Weight: “Imago Records actually lost the tapes and they never registered those records with the RIAA. It’s too bad, because I think my bandmates would have liked those gold and platinum shingles on their wall.”
• Why he cares so deeply about preserving the history of music and telling other people’s stories: “They could have been thrown out. That’s what happens to a lot of this stuff. Not on my watch. I think all that stuff is worth preserving because the music was great, the times were amazing and they’re not coming back.”

Listen to the Full Interview in the Podcast Player Below

Henry Rollins joined Loudwire Nights on Tuesday, Oct. 1; the show replays online here, and you can tune in live every weeknight at 7PM ET or on the Loudwire app; you can also see if the show is available on your local radio station and listen to interviews on-demand.