Linkin Park’s Mike Shinoda is getting candid with what went behind the scenes with the band. In an interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, co-vocalist Mike Shinoda (appearing with guitarist Brad Delson and bassist Dave Farrell) claimed that their record label attempted to “change the DNA” of the band and turn Linkin Park into more of a Chester Bennington solo project.
“There was a question from the label like, ‘Well, the singer’s so good.’ At a certain point, they kept trying to meddle in our creative process and change the DNA of the band. And at one point, there was a suggestion, ‘Well, maybe you just have the singer sing and you don’t do any rapping,’ which to all of us was an offensive suggestion,” Shinoda said.
He later claims that the label approached Bennington separately, saying that he was the star of the band and it would revolve around him. Bennington went back to the band and said ‘Hey, you guys, you need to know, they did this to me today. They said these things to me.’ And he recounted the whole conversation. And we were all like, ‘Holy shit.’ In my mind, I’m like, ‘Oh, boy. This is the beginning of the end.’ Right? Because they’re right, he’s incredible, and we need him. I don’t know if he needs us.”
Shinoda then says Bennington told the label to “go fuck themselves,” ultimately standing by his Linkin Park bandmates. “He has our back, we have his back. That was the start … To me, that was a real galvanizing moment. That was the start of all for one and one for all.”
The band recently released their latest single “Fighting Myself.”
Photo Credit: Shareef Ellis
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