Changes

Working nights at Right Track Studio ==History==While gigging in Cleveland, OH as a handyman part of [[Exotic Birds]] and janitor[[Lucky Pierre]], [[Trent Reznor]] used studio "down time" to record began the initial songwriting and develop his own musicideas for NIN.[https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=vCimjf7nYxE] Playing most of the keyboards, drum machines, guitars, and samplers himself, he recorded began recording demos. He eventually took a job working nights at Right Track Studios as a demohandyman and janitor, and used studio "down time" to develop and record more refined and professional demos. Teaming up with manager [[John A. Malm, Jr.]] they sent the demo to various record labels. Reznor received serious offers from many of them. He signed a deal with TVT Records who, until then, were known mainly for releasing novelty and television jingle records.

After the album ''Pretty Hate Machine'' was released, a [[bootlegs|bootleg]] called ''[[Purest Feeling (album)|Purest Feeling]]'' surfaced. It contains early tour rehearsal recordings versions of most of the tracks found on the album (including an early version of "Ringfinger" entitled "Twist"), as well as a couple that were not used ("[[Purest Feeling (song)|Purest Feeling]]" and "[[Maybe Just Once]]"). This session was initially believed to be demo recordings, but was eventually revealed by original NIN drummer [[Ron Musarra]] to be a recording of tour rehearsals for NIN's [[VIVIsectVI Tour|first tour dates]] opening for [[Skinny Puppy]]. Various sets of demo recordings exist, but not all are circulated. Versions of "Sin", "Terrible Lie", "Sanctified", "Twist", and "Down In It" are on an uncirculated cassette, one copy of which is privately owned by [[Martin Atkins]][https://exclaim.ca/music/article/early_demo_of_nine_inch_nails_pretty_hate_machine_hits_ebay]; versions of "Down In It", "Sanctified", "Kinda I Want To", and "Twist" can be found on the ''[[Demos & Remixes]]'' bootleg; and another batch of assorted early tracks, including non-rehearsal recordings of "Purest Feeling" and "Maybe Just Once", was leaked in 2025.

A 2011 dissertation by Rock & Roll Hall of Fame museum employee Jason Hanley[https://dspace.sunyconnect.suny.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/b096437e-e280-48ed-8a6a-c4ed87b49736/content], written while a student at Stony Brook University, gave additional background info on the album's early stages. Unheard and unshared demos from Cleveland in early 1988 were played for him by original NIN drummer [[Ron Musarra]], and among these were a track called "I'm Not Listening" and an early version of "That's What I Get" entitled "I Can Make Myself Forget". Also included were versions of "Kinda I Want To" and "Purest Feeling". According to the dissertation, the next recordings were pre-production demos that were made in London with John Fryer, and it is mentioned in the footnotes that these tracks have been previously available on bootlegs for many years. As ''Purest Feeling'' was eventually revealed by Musarra to be a tour rehearsal recording rather than demos, this would imply that the London demos are the batch from the bootlegs known as ''Demos & Remixes'' and ''Purest Feeling II''.

The album also gained popularity through word-of-mouth and developed an underground following. Reznor quickly hired a band for touring with [[Skinny Puppy]], [[The Jesus and Mary Chain]] and [[Peter Murphy]], including guitarist and future Filter/Army of Anyone frontman [[Richard Patrick]]. The headlining [[Hate Tour|Hate]] and [[Sin Tour|Sin]] tours followed, as well as a slot on the first [[Lollapalooza Tour]]. Nine Inch Nails' live set was notorious for louder, more aggressive versions of the studio songs, and also for destroying their instruments at the end of sets. Reznor preferred using the heel of his boots to strip the keys from keyboards. Taking inspiration from the photography of Jeffrey Silverthorne, who did NIN's early press shots, the band would douse themselves in cornstarch before taking the stage.[http://www.nin-pages.de/artwork_phm.htm] This practice would continue through the [[Fragility]] tour.