It Was “Mind-Blowing” When Madonna Gave Deftones Her Approval

Deftones were one of the earliest signings to Maverick Records, the label co-founded by Madonna. Looking back on that time, frontman Chino Moreno admits it was “mind-blowing” to get the pop superstar’s seal of approval.

The Deftones singer discussed the band’s interactions with Madonna in a new interview with The Irish Times. As he recalled, “It was [A&R rep] Guy [Oseary] who discovered us first, and then he and [Maverick co-founder] Freddy DeMann flew us from our base in Sacramento to Los Angeles, where we played a couple of songs for them in a little rehearsal space.”

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Moreno continued, “That same day we were invited to the record-label offices in Beverly Hills, where I got to meet Madonna, which was mind-blowing. So, yeah, she definitely gave us the thumbs-up. It was crazy to be a 20-year-old kid and have somebody whose music I’ve been listening to since I was 10 years old give us her approval. It was hard to take in.”

As for Madonna’s input into Deftones’ music, Moreno said she “wasn’t as hands-on as maybe you would think. In no way was she dictating our creative direction or anything like that, and, in general, the label let us be us.”

The Material Girl has attended a number of Deftones concerts over the years, with Moreno noting, “They were a little nerve-wrenching, because you knew she was watching you… One of the biggest artists in the world knew who we were. It was awesome and very, very cool.”

Deftones remained on Maverick Records from 1995 through 2006. Maverick went defunct in 2009, and Deftones have been releasing their music through Warner Music’s Reprise Records ever since.

The band’s latest album is Private Music, which arrived last month. Deftones are currently supporting the LP with a North American tour (pick up tickets here), with dates running through September 19th show in Atlanta, followed by festival appearances at Louder Than Life, Aftershock, and their own Dia De Los Deftones.