A Space Odyssey

Today, Thirty Seconds to Mars releases their new album, This Is War.  To celebrate, we interviewed Jared Leto for the latest issue.  Below, some highlights.

His early days of exploring music.
“I thought art would be my life.  It was either that or selling drugs.  I always had an aversion to being part of some corporate structure or working in a clearly defined job.  I like to explore different things.”

His really early days (childhood).
“I was born a poor white-trash boy… We were vagabonds, and I had a peripatetic childhood; our mother brought us on her journey of escape from the oppressive nature of the South… It’s been a journey of dreams, but it's also been heartbreaking and challenging.”

Why the new record is called This Is War
“We went to war and fought for what we believed in, and we refused to give in or give up until they addressed our concerns.  One day, they finally addressed our concerns and we were able to make peace and move forward.  But it was a long and sometimes vicious, brutal, and bloody battle.  It occupied every waking moment, and I carried a lot of it.  I tried my best to shield Shannon and Tomo from it so we could all focus on the creative aspects of making this record on our own.  We are very, very glad we took on that fight.  We never doubted it was the right decision, but we didn’t know how it would end up…. But we’re stronger as a result of it, and it will always be a part of our story.”

Food obsessions - everybody has them.
“You know how sometimes you can’t stop eating hot sauce? I’m in one of those phases now.”

Read the entire story in NYLON Guys Magazine, and buy This Is War on iTunes now.

LUKE CRISELL