One of the most iconic album covers of the 90s has returned to the center of attention. It's the cover of the album Around the Fur by Deftones.
Nearly 30 years after the album's release, Jenkem Magazine managed to locate Lisa Hughes , the model in the photo, in Seattle, where she still resides. The image, taken by photographer Rick Kosick, shows a woman on the edge of a hot tub in a spontaneous moment.
Lisa Hughes explained that she wasn't a "groupie" or someone directly connected to the band, but was simply enjoying a fun night out when Kosick took the photo and had no idea the image would end up on the cover [transcription via MNE ]. "I was kind of oblivious to who they were. I always knew a lot of people in the area, so I always went to parties after the bar closed," she revealed.
“I came across those articles, you know, about me supposedly being a groupie and blah blah blah. I thought, maybe I should create a page just about me so people know I’m Lisa. I’m just an amazing girl from Auburn and I like to have fun. And it has nothing to do with groupies here. Just me having a great time, you know? What’s really happening [in this photo] is someone living the best phase of their life, having a great time in their early 20s,” explained Lisa Hughes.
Looking back at the photo, she commented: “It’s a really cool photo, isn’t it? Like, with the fisheye lens looking from above. You know, it’s kind of daring, showing my breasts. And people ask: ‘Look, you have a pimple there.’ I think: ‘Who cares? What difference does it make?’ I’m a human being. I’m not a model and, honestly, I don’t care. This is me. It’s just cool. And if you look at the whole photo, with my legs going into the hot tub, it’s amazing.”
The artist now lives a private life and gave her first major interview about the incident to Jenkem .
What does the photographer who took the candid shot say?
Kosick, who at the time worked for Big Brother Magazine Jackass crew , said that he didn't originally intend for the image to become an album cover. He simply captured relaxed moments with the band during the recording period in Seattle. Later, the record label and art director Kevin Reagan chose the image precisely for its spontaneity and unique aesthetic.
“I was simply instructed to go there, have fun, spend some time with them and take pictures – without knowing that they wanted a photo for the album cover. They were kind of in the party phase of the band, so we went to the apartment they rented during the recording of the album, and there was a girl relaxing in the jacuzzi. And I just went there and took a couple of pictures. That's it. I left,” said Kevin Reagan.
Chino Moreno , the vocalist of Deftones, commented on the album cover art last year in an interview for the Broken Record podcast , explaining that Lisa was simply "a friend we met in Seattle."
Released in 1997, Around the Fur quickly became a landmark in the music scene, propelled by singles such as "My Own Summer (Shove It)" and "Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away)," and also by the cover art that captured the attention of fans and critics.
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