Cold War Kids Frontman Nathan Willett Pays Tribute to J.D. Salinger

Luke McGarry/LA Record

​It's really no surprise that Cold War Kids frontman Nathan Willett is a J.D. Salinger fan--just take a listen to "Sermon vs. Gospel": "Lord, have mercy on me/I believe the words can change the heart."

LA Record--which is edited by former Weekly-er Chris Ziegler--asked Willett for his reaction to the death of Salinger, who passed away on Jan. 27 of natural causes:



"Salinger epitomized our American fascination with the celebrated artist gone recluse. I imagine his name will become a metaphor for the recluse in the future. No one deliberately kept fame at a greater distance, save an occasional flirtation with the media, and every new generation of writers wanted him back because of it. But based on his books and the little there is to know about his personal life, I can safely assume that all the way to his death, he was a man who cared most about the style of his soul and the integrity of his art. These are no longer traits that we value in artists. Today, spirituality and integrity are the characteristics of monks and irrelevant artists."

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