• Yeah, Trent was the only permanent member of the band. Live shows were different, but he had absolute control in the studio. The plural band name is (maybe intentionally) distracting.

      Edit: also, I had the pleasure of seeing Trent Reznor at a Bridge School Benefit concert many years ago. That concert series was famous for, among other things, acoustic performances, and so it was just Trent and a piano. It is one of the best performances I’ve ever seen by any musician to date, so I’m not at all surprised he was able to pull off a lot alone.