The Cover Uncovered: The problematic nature of Deftones album ‘Around the Fur’
The rock scene of the 1990s was largely dominated by the advent of nu-metal and alternative rock, with groups like Limp Bizkit, Korn and Rage Against the Machine rising to the top of the American rock music industry. Among these alt-metal progenitors, there were few as popular or iconic as the California outfit Deftones. Whereas most nu-metal album covers were pretty terrible, Deftones had a strong image which translated exceptionally well to the front of an LP.
Formed in 1988, the world was first exposed to the distinctive and heavy sounds of Deftones with the release of their debut album, Adrenaline, in 1994. The record does what it says on the tin, quickly becoming one of the most highly acclaimed records of the nu-metal era. However, it was the follow-up that really established the band as a global rock phenomenon.
Even if you haven’t listened to Deftones, you are probably familiar with the cover of their sophomore album, Around the Fur. Emblazoned on T-shirts and posters worldwide, the 1997 record features an up-close image of a young woman – Lisa M. Hughes – in a black bikini, looking down upon her to create a strange sense of perspective. For all its popularity, the album’s cover art is incredibly problematic, leading even lead singer Chino Moreno to call it “horrible”.
Marking a departure from the weird rendition of a bulb syringe on the front of Adrenaline, Deftones chose to feature a photograph on the cover of Around the Fur. For this, they recruited noted skateboard photographer Rick Kosick, who had made a name for himself during his time with the skate magazine Big Brother. Disciples of skate culture, Defontes invited the frontman up to Seattle, where they were recording the record, to shoot some images of the band for the cover.
As the more perceptive of you might have noticed, Around the Fur does not feature Deftones on the cover. The final image came from a late-night afterparty, to which Kosick took his camera. His iconic photograph of Lisa Hughes came largely as an accident – or rather as a result of his misogynistic tendencies. As he explained to Revolver, “I just happened to take a photo of a girl at, like, four o’clock in the morning”.
Adding, “I don’t even know who she is—she was just a groupie, I think. I just saw her big tits and was like, Damn, I gotta photograph this.”
Understandably, many people at a late-night party, fuelled by drink and drugs, were not too pleased with the idea of being photographed, with Hughes being no exception. Taken with a fish-eye lens in one take, Hughes was not best pleased with Kosick’s invasive techniques; the photographer remembers, “She was offended because I was in her personal space. She made some comment about being too close to her boobs.”
The origins of the cover are debated, with Hughes’ account of the shoot differing from Kosick’s. In 2017, on the anniversary of the release, Lisa told Pousta in 2017, “I have heard some silly ass stories about me not consenting to this photo, and well, yeah, none of that shit is true”.
Hughes also added that he is a “lucky woman” for being included on one of the most iconic rock album covers of the 1990s.
