MIKE MUSHOK 'Would Love To' Make New STAIND Music With AARON LEWIS

Massachusetts-based rockers STAIND will reunite for a few select dates this fall after a five-year hiatus. With more than 15 million albums sold worldwide, original members Aaron Lewis, Mike Mushok and Johnny April along with longtime drummer Sal Giancarelli, will play some select shows, including the Louder Than Life festival in Louisville, Kentucky in September and the Aftershock festival in Sacramento, California in October.

Asked by iRockRadio.com in a new interview how the STAIND reunion came about, Mushok said (see video below): "Aaron and I have been talking for years: 'When is the time right to play?' So it was really just trying to put that together and make it work.

"Danny Wimmer, who owns all those festivals, is a really good friend. And Danny's actually been… [Laughs] I'd get a call, and he's, like, 'I need to make an announcement. Does STAIND wanna play the show?' So, Danny absolutely played a big part in really helping get that together.

"When STAIND first started working with Fred Durst in Jacksonville, Danny used to run a club down there called the Milk Bar. And I remember we played a New Year's Eve gig there opening for LIMP BIZKIT. That was the first time I met Danny. I wanna say that was in '97. I've known Danny forever. And he was our A&R guy at Atlantic Records for a minute, then he went on to do Danny Wimmer Presents, so we've had a long history with him. He really wanted the band to play again. I think he helped get everybody to the point where it's, like, 'Let's do this.'"

Mushok also didn't rule out making new music with STAIND, which hasn't released a new studio album since 2011's self-titled effort.

"I think for me, in a perfect world, it would be great to be able to go out and do a handful of STAIND shows," he said. "We don't have a label. It would be great to write some music. It doesn't have to be a full record at this point, 'cause we don't have that obligation. We have a studio, and it would be easy to do. I think right now, it's, 'Let's get in a room together. Let's play together again. Let's do a couple of shows and see how it goes,' and kind of take it from there."

Asked why it is important for him and other musicians to continue to make new music in addition to going out on the road, Mike said: "I'm a musician. I love writing music and creating music. It gets me excited. I'm always very proud of what Aaron and I did together. He's super talented, and I really enjoy bringing my ideas to him and seeing what they become at the end. So the idea of being able to do that again, I'd love for that to be able to happen.

"We're in a position right now with these festivals that we can go do them without necessarily having new music, which is nice," he continued. "But I think you wanna have something out there for the fans too. It's great that they come to see your show, but I think they'd like to see the progression of where you're going musically as well."

The last time STAIND performed was back in August 2017 at the "Aaron Lewis And Friends" benefit concert in Northampton, Massachusetts. The event saw three of the band's original members — Lewis, Mushok and April — playing a three-song acoustic finale with Giancarelli. It marked STAIND's first live appearance in three years.

Lewis released his third full-length country album, "State I'm In", on April 12 via Big Machine imprint Valory Music.

Mushok and ex-THREE DAYS GRACE vocalist Adam Gontier unveiled SAINT ASONIA in early 2015, releasing a self-titled debut album and scoring a Top 10 rock single with "Better Place". SAINT ASONIA's second full-length effort is due later this year via Spinefarm Records.