Linkin Park’s Mike Shinoda: “Our New Lineup Came Together Naturally”
New album marks first release since 2017 with fresh lineup and global tour
- Linkin Park returns with a new album, ‘From Zero’, featuring new members Emily Armstrong and Colin Brittain, marking their first release since 2017.
- Mike Shinoda says the band let things happen organically, finding a lineup and sound that felt fun and natural.
- A massive world tour kicks off in January 2025, with stops across North America, Europe, Asia, and South America.
Linkin Park is back. New album (listen below). New lineup. Same vibe. This one’s called “From Zero”, which feels like a bit of an oversell for a band that’s been rehashing itself since 2017. That was the year of “One More Light”, the last album before Chester Bennington’s death. Now, they’ve brought in Emily Armstrong to sing, Colin Brittain to drum, and Alex Feder to stand in for guitarist Brad Delson. Delson’s taking some time off—probably to figure out how to avoid playing “In the End” for the millionth time.
Mike Shinoda spilled his thoughts to KROQ’s Kevan Kenney, calling the comeback “overwhelming.” No surprise there. It’s not every day you overhaul a band that defined the early 2000s angsty teen soundtrack. According to Shinoda, they “let things happen organically.” Translation? They winged it. He said it all started clicking once Emily and Colin joined the crew, and suddenly, the music was “fun” again. Imagine that. Having fun while making music. Groundbreaking.
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Kenney suggested the album sounds like a return to the band’s roots. Shinoda jumped on that one, saying it’s got “strong Linkin Park DNA.” Sure, Mike, because nothing screams fresh and innovative like reminding us it’s still Linkin Park. He added that the record touches on “every era” of the band. So, it’s like a greatest hits album but without the hits? Got it.
Even bassist Phoenix Farrell piped up, though his comments were more, let’s say, abstract. Something about being too close to the music to describe it. Inspiring, really. He did mention that integrating Emily and Colin felt natural, like they’d been part of the band all along. Cute. He also said they just “do their thing” and hope people get it. Translation? Please, please buy this album.
The band introduced their shiny new lineup during a September livestream in Los Angeles. People tuned in to see if this Frankenstein’s monster of a lineup actually worked. Spoiler: it kind of does. Not mind-blowing, but it’s not a trainwreck either. After that, they announced a massive world tour kicking off in January. Stops include Mexico, Japan, Jakarta, and, of course, North America and Europe, with South America getting the finale. It’s ambitious, but hey, gotta justify all those new band T-shirts.
Their São Paulo concert, livestreamed on Multishow, will serve as the backbone for an upcoming documentary. When’s it dropping? Who knows. Maybe when we’ve all stopped asking. For now, it’s just another teaser in a sea of marketing stunts.
At the core of it, Linkin Park is still Linkin Park. They’ve polished the old formula with a few new faces, hoping it sticks. Is it groundbreaking? Not really. But it’s decent enough to keep the nostalgia machine running. If nothing else, they’ve managed to keep it just interesting enough for us to watch.
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