Mike Shinoda Explains Decision to Reunite Linkin Park, Says New Singer ‘Isn’t Trying to Be’ Chester Bennington

“At that point, we were considering, ‘Should we call this a different band name?'”

Mike Shinoda reflected on how the decision to reunite Linkin Park came about, suggesting that the band’s new vocalist Emily Armstrong isn’t trying to copy Chester Bennington.

Yesterday, the world of rock music was hit by what was arguably the biggest surprise of the year — Linkin Park is back with Emily Armstrong of Dead Sara as the new vocalist, and they’re about to unleash a full new studio album titled “From Zero” and an accompanying world tour. The return of the beloved nu-metal band takes place seven years after Chester Bennington’s tragic death, during which Linkin Park’s remaining members busied themselves with other projects and/or kept a lower profile.

Moreover, Shinoda tells Nicole Alvarez of KROQ in a new interview that the reunion wasn’t the result of a conscious effort — instead, it began as a desire to do something creative together again, and not necessarily under the Linkin Park name. He said (transcription via Blabbermouth):

“We didn’t have like a moment where we said, ‘Hey, let’s get the band back together.’ We didn’t have a moment where we said, ‘Let’s try out singers.’ People have suggested stuff like that — not suggested as much as, like, ‘Hey, is this an idea that you’d like?’ They floated things by us…. A couple of people were, like, ‘What if you did like an ‘American Idol’, ‘Voice’-style competition and the winner is the singer?’ That’s the opposite of what we wanted to do, or the opposite of what we felt was the right thing, because our band is built on natural chemistry and relationships.”

Shinoda added:

“I think that probably around [a few years ago], Dave [“Phoenix” Farrell, bassist] and Joe [Hahn, turntables, synths and programming] and I had started talking more often, and we were like, ‘What if we get together and we just start making some things, making some music? It doesn’t have to be Linkin Park. Let’s just get together and be creative and have fun,'”

“And that’s what we did. So, back then, it was more about just spending more time together. And then, the more time evolved into songs and the songs evolved into, ‘Let’s invite some other people in and see how that feels.’ And eventually, we got to the point where it’s, like, ‘That girl, Emily, the stuff we make with her is special. I don’t know why it’s special. It just feels special.”

“And even though the things we’ve made are good, I bet we make stuff that’s great with her if we just do it more often.’ We also met Colin [Brittain] who’s playing drums for us now. Colin is a writer and producer that I met [at] some random session a few years ago, and just instantly clicked with him. And so, once the six of us all started to get together with Brad [Delson, lead guitar] and Joe and Dave, it just slowly came into focus.”

The moment Linkin Park was back

Shinoda notes how recording “The Emptiness Machine”, which also ended up as the lead single for the album and which was released yesterday, turned out to be one of the significant turning points when he and his bandmates gave reuniting Linkin Park more serious thought:

“We were, like, ‘That’s a Linkin Park song.’ You can’t listen to that song and say it’s anything else. At that point, too, we were considering, ‘Should we call this a different band name? Do we need one singer? Maybe we’ve got multiple people playing different roles and stuff.’ And when she was singing on certain things, it sounded so much like the band, for me, I was just, like, ‘That feels good.’ I don’t know. I can’t be logical about it. It’s an illogical thing. It just feels good.”

Needless to say, Emily is going to face a lot of comparisons to Chester Bennington, given the late singer’s unrepeatable energy and just how many lives he touched with his art. Still, Shinoda notes that their new vocalist isn’t trying to copy Chester:

“We’ve all talked about it with each other and with her a million times, and we’re still talking about it. One difficult thing that people are experiencing is just that they’ve heard Linkin Park for so long with Chester’s voice and the idea of somebody else being in that role, it feels really different. I know that in the context of the music that’s not released yet, I know that I love it. I think her voice is incredible.”

“And the best thing for people who have such a strong connection to Chester to know, just to know about me, is that Chester was a one-of-a-kind person and a one-of-a-kind voice, and Emily is also a one-of-a-kind person and a one-of-a-kind voice. She’s not trying to be him. She’s trying to be her. And it so happens that I think she singing on these songs sounds like Linkin Park.”