LINKIN PARK's MIKE SHINODA: EMILY ARMSTRONG Is 'Not Trying To Be' CHESTER BENNINGTON

LINKIN PARK's Mike Shinoda spoke with Nicole Alvarez of Audacy's KROQ about yesterday's (Thursday, September 5) announcement that Emily Armstrong of the group DEAD SARA has joined him and his bandmates to be a co-vocalist in LINKIN PARK.

LINKIN PARK introduced its new lineup during a live performance event, with Armstrong and Colin Brittain, a songwriter and producer for G FLIP, ILLENIUM and ONE OK ROCK, joining Shinoda, Brad Delson, Dave "Phoenix" Farrell and Joe Hahn. LINKIN PARK also released a new single, "The Emptiness Machine", and announced an upcoming album "From Zero", which will arrive on November 15 via Warner. It will mark LINKIN PARK's first full-length effort since 2017's "One More Light", which was the last LINKIN PARK album before the death of lead vocalist Chester Bennington.

Asked about the process of enlisting Armstrong to be LINKIN PARK's new singer, Mike told KROQ (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Basically, what's important to remember, what's important to know here is that 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. One of which, by the way, which is my favorite, I talk about this all the time now, 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 like the right thing, because our band is built on natural chemistry and relationships. And it's just very important.

"I think that probably around [a few years ago], Dave and Joe and I, in the very beginning, had started talking more often and we were just, 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,'" he continued. "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 who's playing drums for us now, Colin is a writer and producer that I met in a session, some random session, a few years ago and just instantly clicked with him. And so once we all, once the six of us all started to get together with Brad and Joe and Dave, it was, like… it just slowly came into focus."

Asked what the next most significant moment or a turning point with all of them was when this started to become more of a reality, Mike said: "I bet everybody has different answers to this. I might even have different answers to it. I think, for me, the first one that comes to mind is… Well, I mean, there were a couple songs, and 'The Emptiness Machine' is one of 'em, there was a couple songs where, when we did them in the form that you hear on the record, on 'The Emptiness Machine', for example, when Emily sang on it. The song at that point was pretty written. And we had been making new songs with her from scratch, and we're, like, 'Oh, you know what? Will you sing on this one that we've already done, like, just learn the words and whatever?' And she came in and crushed it. And 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 like 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."

Shinoda also discussed the scrutiny Emily will encounter as the replacement for an iconic singer like Chester. He said: "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."

Later this month, LINKIN PARK will embark on a six-date arena tour, making stops in Los Angeles, New York, Hamburg, London, Seoul and Bogota.

Pre-sale tickets for the "From Zero" tour will be available for the LP Underground fan club members starting on September 6. The general sale will start on September 7.

According to a press release, Shinoda, Delson, Farrell and Hahn "quietly began meeting up again in recent years" and "rather than 'trying to restart the band,'" they worked with numerous musicians and "found a special kinship with Armstong and Brittain."

Regarding the band's new lineup and future plans, Shinoda said in a statement: "Before LINKIN PARK, our first band name was XERO. This album title refers to both this humble beginning and the journey we’re currently undertaking. Sonically and emotionally, it is about past, present, and future — embracing our signature sound, but new and full of life. It was made with a deep appreciation for our new and longtime bandmates, our friends, our family, and our fans. We are proud of what LINKIN PARK has become over the years, and excited about the journey ahead."

"The Emptiness Machine" is said to "channel the DNA of LINKIN PARK." Shinoda said the band feels "really empowered with this new lineup and the vibrant and energized new music we've made together," adding that they are "weaving together the sonic touchpoints we've been known for and still exploring new ones."

Armstrong made her live debut with LINKIN PARK onstage in a one-hour global livestream of a concert in Los Angeles on September 5, featuring performances of "The Emptiness Machine" as well as the LP hits "Somewhere I Belong", "Numb", "Faint", "Bleed It Out", "One Step Closer", "What I've Done" and "In The End".

Armstrong spoke in an interview with Apple Music's Zane Lowe about stepping in for Bennington.

"Obviously on the side of the feelings and the emotions of it, I would love to do him proud," she said.

Regarding the task of singing LINKIN PARK classics that featured Bennington, she said: "It's never a thought where it's, like, 'I need to make this song my own.' It's, like, 'How do I make this song have the same impact, as much as possible, with my voice?'"

"There was a huge leap of faith that we had to say, 'I think she's the one,'" Shinoda said in the Apple Music interview.