A Painter's Surreal Call: Mick Jagger, a Kitchen, and a Rolling Stones Album Cover

Imagine you're in your Brooklyn kitchen, minding your own business, and then your phone rings. It's Mick Jagger. Oh, and producer Andrew Watt. By the end of the call, you've agreed to design the album cover for the Rolling Stones.

That's exactly what happened to painter Nathaniel Mary Quinn last fall. His description? "Surreal." Which, honestly, feels like an understatement when a rock legend is on the line talking about Foreign Tongues, the Stones' new album.

Quinn's creation is a striking composite portrait, a Frankenstein's monster of rock royalty, blending the faces of Jagger, Keith Richards, and Ronnie Wood. He even took a crack at redesigning the band's iconic tongue-and-lips logo for the campaign. Because apparently, that's where we are now: the Stones getting a facelift from a Brooklyn artist.

From Gagosian to Jagger's Ear

The whole wild ride kicked off after Quinn’s solo exhibition, "Echoes from Copeland," in Chelsea. Mick Jagger, ever the art connoisseur, apparently liked what he saw — enough to visit twice. A few weeks later, Quinn’s wife and studio manager, Donna Augustine Quinn, got a text from music executive Jimmy Iovine. The Stones needed an artist. Then came Andrew Watt, and then, the call.

Quinn’s initial pitch to Jagger was audacious: "My first vision was to create an amalgamation of all of your faces into one flesh." Jagger's response? "That’s exactly what I was thinking." Because, of course, they were on the same wavelength. As one does with Mick Jagger.

During that first chat, the band played Quinn three unreleased tracks. They wanted the music to inspire him. And, apparently, it worked. Over the next nine months, Quinn was in regular contact with Jagger and Richards, chatting every couple of weeks. He pored over photos, meticulously weaving Richards’s headband, Wood’s hair and nose, and Jagger’s unmistakable lips into his creation.

Richards even invited Quinn to a private rehearsal in Lower Manhattan. Quinn watched him jam, heard stories of the band’s early days, and came away calling Richards "a lovely, down-to-earth human being" who is "all about the music." Which, if you think about it, is both impressive and slightly terrifying for someone with a reputation like Keith Richards.

A few weeks later, Quinn met Jagger for lunch at the swanky Baccarat Hotel. They discussed everything from family to London, race, and the Black American musicians who inspired the Stones. Jagger, Quinn recalled, said, "All of our music is influenced by Black American music. We studied those musicians. We wanted to be like them." A nice reminder of where the roots truly lie.

The Scared Face and Leo's Claim

The process wasn't entirely smooth sailing. Jagger, a man who has seen a thing or two, initially found Quinn's first painting "a little scary." He asked for a second option: the three band members exiting a vintage sports car. Quinn delivered, but in the end, the band unanimously chose the original, slightly terrifying composite portrait. Because sometimes, the first gut feeling is the right one, even if it’s a bit unsettling.

Crucially, Quinn still owns both paintings and, even better, retains the copyright. His wife, Donna Augustine Quinn, was the one who wrestled with the Stones’ legal team to ensure the artist kept ownership while the band used the image. Smart move.

Once the album rollout began, things moved fast. Elton John, already a Quinn collector, video-called him, exclaiming, "You’ve made album covers cool again!" Which, let's be honest, is a high compliment coming from someone whose career spans countless iconic covers.

Then came the launch event in Williamsburg, where Conan O’Brien interviewed the band beneath Quinn’s artwork. Before the main event, Leonardo DiCaprio — because of course, he was there — approached Quinn, jokingly claiming credit for the whole collaboration. "Don’t believe anybody else," Leo apparently said. "I’m the guy who told Mick Jagger you should do the cover." Classic Leo.

During the event, O’Brien put Quinn on the spot, prompting Jagger to publicly praise the artist. Quinn found it hard to process. "Man," he said, "Mick Jagger gave me a tribute in front of all those people. It was amazing." And honestly, if Mick Jagger is giving you a public shout-out, you’ve probably done something right.