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==History==
While gigging in a member of Cleveland, OH as part of bands [[Exotic Birds]] and [[Lucky Pierre]], [[Trent Reznor]] began the initial songwriting and ideas for NIN.[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCimjf7nYxE] Playing most of the keyboards, drum machines, guitars, and samplers himself, he began recording demos. He eventually took a job working nights at Right Track Studios as a handyman 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 ''Pretty Hate Machine'' was released, a [[bootlegs|bootleg]] called ''[[Purest Feeling (album)|Purest Feeling]]'' surfaced. It contains 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.