MIKEY DOLING Hopes To Release Long-Awaited New SNOT LP In Early 2027: 'We Mean Business With This Album'

In a new interview with The Vulgar Display Of Podcast, SNOT guitarist Mikey Doling spoke about the reactivated Santa Barbara-based metal/punk rock hybrid's long-awaited new studio album. The upcoming effort is being recorded with producer, engineer and mixer Chris Collier and will mark SNOT's first release with new singer Andy Knapp, who made his live debut with the band in January 2025 in Anaheim, California. Mikey said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET):  "First I gotta say, filling [late SNOT singer] Lynn Strait's shoes is not fucking easy, man. And we cycled through a few people to try to get the right guy, and we finally fucking found [Andy]. Andy is... He's just got the vibe, the energy. He's even from where SNOT's from, up there in Ventura, Santa Barbara area. And the fit is perfect, and also the dude is so fucking talented, man. He just gets it. So we went into the studio with Chris Collier. Chris Collier produced a couple of KORN records and PRONG and a lot of records I like. And working with Chris is just — he just totally gets it, too."

Mikey continued: "We started working with [Chris] — God, it's been about eight months, I think we started, just started chipping away at new songs. And we are now eight songs into the record, man, and it's fucking amazing. We're stoked. It's punk rock. It's got that funk element to it. We kept it real. It's got that taste of metal in there. And we kept all that loungey stuff we did on [the debut SNOT album, 1997's] 'Get Some'; we're putting that in there as well. So what we did was we tried to stay in our lane as SNOT, and I think we accomplished it. And so I can't wait to put this record out for everybody to hear it, 'cause it's on fucking point. We're very excited to release this thing."

Asked if there is a tentative release date for the new SNOT album, Mikey said: "Not yet. We're starting to think about it. I'd like to get it out definitely next year, in the spring or something, 'cause I'd like to have something to tour on for the summer festivals and all that, a new album. I'm hoping to get a new single, or our first single, out before the end of the year, with a video and all that, and maybe drop another one and then just drop the record. But it's definitely coming. We are on it. I mean, we mean business with this album."

Earlier this month, SNOT bassist John "Tumor" Fahnestock told SWOMP about the band's upcoming LP: "I never thought it could be done until we met Andy, to be honest. We've tried for the last several decades to put something together. But it feels so real now. And with the new music being written and hearing what Andy's bringing to the table, we're definitely confident we're gonna come out swinging."

Asked at what point in the process they wanted to start working on new music, or if that was always the plan, Mikey said: "No, it wasn't always the plan. We started touring and we realized how great he is. So we tried a couple of songs and it went so well, we just kept writing."

Fahnestock added: "Mikey and I had been tracking music for eight years. And then we just had it in our back pocket. And we always knew if somebody could bring something to what we've written… Otherwise we're, like, 'Well, I guess we've got a bunch of instrumentals until we find somebody.'"

Mikey chimed in: "We knew once we did the first song with Andy, we could do a record. So we've been chipping away at it."

Last month Doling shared in a social media post that the writing process for a new SNOT album was "going exceptionally well or I should say fucking killer".

He continued: "Restarting the musical SNOT engine isn't as challenging as expected. The creativity is flowing effortlessly, like back in 1995! It's stankalicious funk, punk, and high-energy rock 'n' roll with sprinkles of what we used to call lounge jams. Andy Knapp's impact and talent, on this album has been hi level, he's crushing it!"

Mikey added: "Stepping into the great Lynn Strait's role is virtually impossible, but Andy's done it head first, professionally and with class and my god he's owning it big time."

Last fall, Fahnestock told Australia's Heavy about SNOT's return to the live stage and the band's plans for the coming months: "Well, I think things are a lot different now. We're pretty much saying SNOT is back at this point. We finally found, in Andy, what we basically were dreaming of having. And I'm not saying anything negative on the past singers that we had. Before, when we put SNOT together, it wasn't, like, 'We're reforming. We're back,' anything like that. We were just more doing it for fun, for the love of music, love of Jamie [Miller, SNOT drummer] and Mikey and myself playing together. And we were, like, 'Let's go out and play the songs,' but it wasn't seriously saying, like, 'We're back and coming back to here to stay and swing,' like we are now. And, like I said, it's a blessing to have found Andy and what he's doing. And, obviously, the response from the fans has been nothing but positivity."

Asked what it was like returning to the live stage under the SNOT banner, Fahnestock said: "Yeah, coming off this last tour and seeing the response from the crowd, it brought tears to our eyes. And it brought tears to their eyes, to our fans. I'd look out and see people crying, and there are 16-year-olds and they're singing our songs and they knew all the lyrics and they're fucking losing their mind. And I wasn't expecting that at all. And it wasn't that way 10 years ago when we ran through those areas. Yeah, a lot has changed. I think there's a big resurgence now of bands from the '90s, the late '90s, getting a whole resurgence. And I see it a lot, and it's a good thing — it's a really good thing. I think that style and the ['90s] metal thing is actually coming back now and being embraced."

Reflecting on how the latest SNOT reunion came about, John said: "There was a festival in the U.S., and it's kind of where this all started, and it's called Sick New World. And I went there, and it was SYSTEM OF A DOWN and COAL CHAMBER and INCUBUS and all the bands that came up in that era. That's when Mikey and I again started getting a fire under our ass, thinking, 'Dude, if we could only find the right singer, we could do this again.' And we did. So we're back."

Asked if the new SNOT music follows the same "eclectic" direction as the band's 1990s output, John said: "Exactly. It's how we write. It's crazy. Mikey picks up a guitar and it smells like SNOT, bro. It's fucking eerie. And what's really eerie is I could hear Lynn. Like, 'What would Lynn do on this?' In my head I could hear him, 'cause it sounds like he should be there. So, yeah. It's crazy."

In September 2025, Doling told Ore Bihovsky of TotalRock's "Louder" radio show about SNOT's return to the live stage: "I'm really excited, first of all. Just having SNOT back — [I] never expected it. We found a new singer who's amazing, and he made it all possible. And we put some tickets on sale and they're all selling out, all the shows, and we're pretty blown away. We're very grateful to be doing it and super stoked."

Asked how it feels to have Knapp fronting SNOT, three decades after the band's formation and 27 years after the passing of Strait, Doling said: "Honestly, it feels kind of like it used to, with Andy. Andy brought energy to the band that we haven't seen or had since Lynn Strait… Having Andy in the band, he's brought that energy again to us. The shows are full of energy. It's wild, man."

After Ore noted that this is the first time that he has heard the members of SNOT say that the band is officially "back", Doling clarified: "Well, before, when we [played gigs with other vocalists], it was more like we wanted to fucking just get together and play. We weren't really focused on new music or promotion or selling shows. We didn't give a shit. We just wanted to go out and play. This time, we feel like we found the right singer. Also, that it's the right time to actually bring it back full blown. So we're getting in the studio, we're recording new music, we're booking tours. We've got the booking agent. And we're just going full-on, man, and it's great."

Asked about new SNOT music, Mikey said: "It's funky. It's punk. It's got attitude. It's cool. It sounds like old SNOT. And we're trying to keep it like that. We don't wanna change the sound. We wanna keep it like 1996, '97 — lots of wah pedal, lots of grooves, some heavy punk influences. It's cool."

In April 2025, SNOT recruited Doc Coyle (GOD FORBID, ex-BAD WOLVES) as the band's touring guitarist after the group's split with Sonny Mayo.

The news of Mayo's departure was broken by Doling, who stated in a video message at the time:  "Sonny Mayo has decided to quit SNOT. SNOT doesn't fit into his life right now, and he just wants to focus on himself and his life. And SNOT's just too busy for him to be able to continue.

"So I'd like to wish Sonny Mayo the best of luck in his future, and I wanna thank him for all he's contributed to SNOT over the years. We love you, brother," Mikey continued.

"That being said, our very, very good friend from GOD FORBID, formerly BAD WOLVES, Doc Coyle, is going to be filling in on guitar for the upcoming shows. And we're excited to have him on board. And thank you very much, Doc Coyle."

When SNOT's longtime drummer Jamie Miller is unable to tour with the band due to his commitments with BAD RELIGION, he is replaced on the road by Chris "Seven" Antonopoulos, who has previously played with OPIATE FOR THE MASSES and CHANNEL ZERO.

SNOT disbanded in 1998 following Strait's death, putting an end to a career that generated considerable promise but only one studio album, "Get Some". The band had been writing material for its sophomore CD and had completed 10 songs at the time of Strait's tragic passing. As a memorial to Strait, SNOT eventually decided to release those tracks, with lyrics and guest vocals provided by a host of stars from the alt-metal community. The resulting album, "Strait Up", was a fitting tribute from Strait's peers and friends, featuring members of LIMP BIZKIT, KORN, SLIPKNOT, SEVENDUST, (HED) P.E., COAL CHAMBER, SUGAR RAY, SYSTEM OF A DOWN, SOULFLY, and more.

SNOT in 2014 recruited Carl Bensley (VITIATE, CONSUME THE FIRE) to sing for the band following the departure of Tommy "Vext" Cummings (ex-DIVINE HERESY, BAD WOLVES).

According to the Los Angeles Times, Lynn died in died in a car accident in December 1998 as he attempted to drive across Highway 101 in Mussel Shoals, California. The 30-year-old singer died instantly after his 1992 Ford Tempo was broadsided by a southbound full-size pickup truck about noon. Also killed was Strait's small bulldog, SNOT's mascot Dobbs, who adorned the cover of the band's debut album, the 1997 Geffen Records release "Get Some". Strait, a Santa Barbara resident, was crossing the highway after visiting his girlfriend in the community. Lynn apparently pulled into the path of the truck, which was going about 65 mph. The impact sent Strait's car spinning into the center divider where it stopped, a California Highway Patrol officer told the Los Angeles Times at the time.

Cummings fronted SNOT in 2008-2009 before he and Mayo exited the group amid "strained relationships."