HINDER's CODY HANSON Rules Out Reunion With AUSTIN WINKLER: 'Our Focus Is On The Future'

In 2013, original HINDER singer Austin Winkler parted ways with the band following a long battle with substance abuse. He was initially replaced by Nolan Neal before the Oklahoma City rockers recruited Marshal Dutton as their new vocalist two years later. Dutton previously sang for HINDER on some tour dates during Winkler's hiatus from the band in 2012.

In a new interview with The Logan Show, Dutton spoke about how he was received by the HINDER fans after joining the group nearly a decade ago. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "So many of the fans have been super gracious and kind to me, but in the beginning, there was a lot of a lot of haters. I remember when the guys first approached me about doing it. I was really scared. I was, like, 'I don't know, man. My voice is completely different from this guy's.' I'm, like, 'It's gonna be tomatoes for me.' But surprisingly enough, the vast majority of people were really kind and kind of took to it and have been nice. And now, after so many years have gone by — God, it's almost been a decade now — I feel like people just embrace me as if I was always there. So, I have to say it's been kind. And I don't know if I don't know if the way that I seeing that's raspy has helped bridge that gap or not, but I feel like the older I get, the less raspy I sing and kind of the more clean I sing. So, I don't know how that happened."

HINDER drummer Cody Hanson added: "I think, honestly, if I'm being perfectly honest, I think the fact that when people come to shows, they see us having a good time and being a band again. I think that's something that was that was missing toward the the end of the old era, as I'll put it. The fact that that that we're a tight-knit unit again, I think that makes a big difference, man. When people show up to the shows and we're having fun on stage, they feed off that energy and it makes them have a good time. We've been out on the road — I mean, he's been here for over 10 years now — so, that's a lot of exposure to a lot of fans."

Asked if HINDER would be open to the possibility of reuniting with Winkler for a one-off show or tour, similar to what THREE DAYS GRACE is doing with Adam Gontier and Matt Walst, or if such a scenario is "totally off the table", Cody said: "I think right now it's off the table. I think right now our focus is on the future. The focus is on the new record, the new material and just moving forward and being happy in life. I think that we've been doing this for 20 years, so I think that we've earned the right to be happy and have a good time and just do this and enjoy ourselves. So I think right now that's the focus moving forward."

Dutton also talked about how he became the lead singer of HINDER. He said: "Well, kind of going back, I met these guys back in 2005, 2006, 'cause we toured a lot when I was with FAKTION. And Cody and I became good friends. At one point, after FAKTION got dropped, we went through this period where Cody was actually managing FAKTION for a little bit. We were shopping for another deal, and through the process, we started recording music together. And he ended up asking me to come out on the road with him, like right before we recorded [2010's] 'All American Nightmare' record. And I was out with them a large portion of that year, just recording demos on the back of the bus. They were writing all these songs; I think I think they wrote, like, over 60 songs for that record. And so every day, every evening after the show, we would record vocals and then we would build tracks during the day in the back lounge. It's actually how we came up with our production company's name, is Back Lounge Studios. But anyway, through that process, we just started working together. And then I ended up co-producing 'All American Nightmare' and then [2012's] 'Welcome To The Freakshow'. And through a lot of that process, I would end up singing the demos sometimes, if the other guy wasn't around. And so I was always just really familiar with the songs. And so when he kind of crashed and burned to begin with, they asked me to come out and fill in for him. And I did that. And then — I don't know — after a year of looking for singers and not finding a good fit, they just asked me to do it. And at first it was a terrifying prospect to me, 'cause it's a big job and big shoes to fill there. So I was really scared and a little intimidated at first, but I'm really glad I did it 'cause it's been one of the greatest experiences of my life being able to be a frontman. 'Cause I was never really a frontman before that; I was always a 'B' singer, or I was a guitar player in the band. So, it kind of gave me the opportunity to explore a whole different side of performing, just by being the guy with the mic. It's kind of hard to figure out what to do at first, but now that I've done it for so many years, I absolutely adore it and I'm glad I got the opportunity to do it."

Last month, HINDER shared the official Reagan Elkins-directed music video for its new single "Everything Is A Cult". The track, available to stream now on all DSPs worldwide, comes in the wake of the U.S. election at a time of unprecedented division and showcases HINDER's patented songwriting and Dutton's dynamic range.

HINDER's story begins in 2001, when Cody Hanson (drums),Joe "Blower" Garvey (lead guitar) and Mike Rodden (bass) met and activated their musical chemistry. The 2005 hit "Lips Of An Angel" from the band's debut album, "Extreme Behavior", since certified three times platinum, topped the charts and remains a radio mainstay. Powerful lead vocalist Marshal Dutton joined them in 2015. Throughout their discography, HINDER has embodied an ethos of defiance and tenacity through gutsy lyrics, rousing melodies, and soaring choruses. Each album in their musical journey has reflected a progression, from the grittier early days of "Take It To The Limit" to the more introspective and exploratory energy of their most recent album, 2017's "The Reign".

HINDER started 2024 strong, with a series of sold-out shows and live performances with CREED, 3 DOORS DOWN and DAUGHTRY.

HINDER's most recent album, 2017's "The Reign", was the band's second with Dutton.

Photo credit: Doug Schwarz