The Legendary Musician Who Made JAMES HETFIELD Rethink His Entire Creative Process

Summary

• James Hetfield says spending time in his home studio is soul-nourishing, focused more on writing than practicing.
• Meeting Elton John and watching Rocketman led Hetfield to rethink his creative process.
• The Metallica frontman was inspired by how Elton composes around lyrics, a contrast to his usual riff-first approach.

Even after more than four decades with Metallica, James Hetfield is still learning.

The frontman has spoken about what keeps him motivated creatively, crediting an unexpected influence, Elton John, with challenging the way he approaches songwriting and performance.

Speaking on The Metallica Report podcast in 2024, Hetfield described his home studio as a kind of creative safe haven. “Got a computer, a few guitars and a little rig set up,” he said. “It is just my soul-nourishing place to go in there, and just play. Not so much practicing. It’s just writing.”

That process, according to Hetfield, is often spontaneous. He doesn’t sit down with a plan. He plays what comes naturally. “There’s always ideas. I get inspired from all kinds of different music I’m listening to.”

But one particular artist caught his attention in a different way.

James talked about meeting Elton John and Bernie Taupin, the songwriting duo behind many of John’s most famous songs. That experience gave him a new way to think about music.

“Hanging out with Elton and Bernie Taupin challenged me,” Hetfield said. He pointed to the 2019 biopic Rocketman as part of that inspiration.

Watching how Elton worked, Hetfield said, changed his perspective. “Bernie sets a set of lyrics, a poem, in front of him, and he sees the music just appearing, which is bizarre to me.”

Hetfield admitted that his songwriting process is often the reverse of that. He starts with riffs and then fills in the lyrics later. That approach has worked for Metallica, but it’s not how everyone does it.

Even producer Bob Rock once called out the band for writing “backwards.” According to Hetfield, Rock told them, “You guys write so backwards. You’re supposed to have the lyric, and then you build around it.” Metallica didn’t agree. They built their songs from the guitar up.

Still, the meeting with John and Taupin left an impression. Hetfield seemed fascinated by how John could turn words into melodies instantly, like the music was already there.

That ability, Hetfield said, made him rethink his own method.

The respect goes both ways. Elton John has spoken highly of Metallica in the past. He once called their ballad “Nothing Else Matters” one of the greatest songs he’d ever heard. In return, Metallica performed a heavier version of John’s “Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding”, blending their style with his classic sound.

There’s more than one connection between them. Both John and Hetfield have a deep appreciation for structure and emotion in music. John, trained in classical piano, brings a wide range of musical knowledge.

Hetfield, though known for heavy riffs, has shown similar depth, especially when Metallica performs “The Ecstasy of Gold”, a tribute to film composer Ennio Morricone.

For him, these moments of creative challenge matter. He’s not chasing chart success. He’s trying to grow as an artist. “Watching Rocketman and seeing how they wrote, that challenged me,” he said.

Metallica’s early work didn’t follow radio-friendly formulas. Tracks like “The Call of Ktulu” were long, loud, and layered. Their heroes, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, and Deep Purple, often favored extended jams and experimental arrangements.

Even with mainstream success, that mindset stuck. Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich focused more on making music they enjoyed than aiming for Top 40 hits.

Still, Hetfield’s openness to new ideas suggests he’s not stuck in the past. He might write from the riff up, but he’s paying attention to those who do it differently.

Especially when it comes from a legendary songwriter with a piano and a set of lyrics.

At 61, James still calls his home studio his “soul-nourishing place.” And if a conversation with Elton John leads to one more good song, or a new way to look at music, he’s more than happy to take it.

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