SONNY SANDOVAL On P.O.D.'s Upcoming LP: 'It Could Be The Best Album That We've Ever Written'

In a new interview with Robert Filipowski of Poland's link textTeraz Rock, P.O.D. vocalist Sonny Sandoval confirmed that the band has completed work on a new studio album. The recording sessions for the follow-up to 2024's "Veritas" took place in the Whitman section of South Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with Grammy-winning music producer and engineer Will Yip at his new Memory Music Studios. Sonny said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We actually finished [recording the new LP]. We spent a couple of weeks in Philadelphia. It was our first time recording outside of California. And it came out more incredible than we had ever planned. I think we were more prepared to go into the studio this time. We had already done writing on tour. Vocally, I had finished about nine songs here at home. The producer is Will Yip. He just won 'Best Rock Album' with TURNSTILE, he won a Grammy for 'Best Rock Album'. But we had already been friends prior and agreed to work together even before all of that. And so we went with him."

Elaborating on how P.O.D. approached the recording sessions for the upcoming LP, Sonny said: "We only had two weeks. And we didn't even think we'd finish the record. We just wanted to get started, but we went in, and because we were so prepared, and Will is such a genius, we finished the whole record. And so now we're done, with 13 songs ready to be mixed and mastered. And so hopefully you'll start hearing songs soon enough. But it's heavy, but also it's extremely beautiful. I'm singing in ways that I've never done before, and it's... [Will] really pushed me to do that. It's the first time [P.O.D. guitarist] Marcos [Curiel] ever wrote on a seven-string guitar, so we have about six or seven songs on a seven-string [guitar]. And, yeah, it's amazing. I would even dare to say it could be the best album that we've ever written."

Asked if there is a timeline as to when the new P.O.D. album is going to be released or when the first single will arrive, Sonny said: "I know we will probably start releasing singles, just waterfalling it, but we're already coming into all of our touring in Europe, and the holidays will be here. And so, if I was to guess, I would guess maybe the first quarter of next year, but that allows us to release three or four songs beforehand, which we like doing. We like sending out songs and just getting people familiar with it. But we'll be touring our butts off up until then. We'll most likely will land an amazing tour to support it. And, yeah, I can't wait for the whole world to hear it."

Last month, Curiel told the 99.7 The Blitz radio station about P.O.D.'s upcoming LP: "We did vocals, guitars, bass, everything that needed to be recorded, in 12 days in Philadelphia. Now it's going to mix. And we went in with Will Yip. Will Yip, actually, his latest claim to fame is he got a couple of Grammys for TURNSTILE. And he also produced a lot of hardcore bands like TITLE FIGHT and QUICKSAND and all that. We went to Philly and recorded a record that we had been writing since October, and we just banged it out. We're, like, 'Hey, we got a little window. Let's go.'"

As for a possible release date for the new P.O.D. album, Marcos said: "We don't have a release date. We don't have a title yet, but it's coming. And I think we're gonna hopefully release a new song just to the public in August. And we're excited about it because we really feel strongly about this new music."

Asked how the new P.O.D. album will be different from "Veritas", Marcos said: "I think that's ['Veritas'] kind of the introduction of where we were into where we were headed. Now this new album is an extension of that, but fresh."

He added: "We're excited. We can't wait for people to hear it, 'cause as an artist, people are, like, 'Oh, yeah, you're playing all your bangers, all your big hits.' We're grateful. Those songs are timeless, but we're not done. We wanna create, we wanna create music that rocks, and hopefully people love it as much as we did creating it and playing it."

Earlier in May, Curiel told SWOMP about working with Yip: "Will is credited for pretty much working from everything from CIRCA SURVIVE, Anthony Green, QUICKSAND, CODE ORANGE, TITLE FIGHT, and most recent, his biggest accolades, Grammys for TURNSTILE. And now he's working with P.O.D.

"It wasn't, like, 'Oh, we're gonna get with Will 'cause he's a Grammy [nominee]...' It was because we've been fans of his work, but he was also a fan of our band," Marcos explained. "And when the opportunity arose, he took it, and was, like, 'Dude, I love your band. I wanna produce you guys.' And we were, like, 'Let's go.' And we're super excited about it."

Regarding the recording process for P.O.D.'s upcoming album, Marcos said: "I can say this proudly, we did a record — 13, 14 songs — all tracked, vocals, drums, and guitars, in 12 days. It kind of set the tone, like, it's good to be prepared. I kind of like it… And the songs came out so dope. We're extremely proud of it, dude."

On the topic of what it was like for P.O.D. to record outside of California for the first time, Marcos said: "[It was] awesome, actually."

P.O.D. bassist Mark "Traa" Daniels chimed in: "Sometimes it's good to get out of our element. It's easy in California, because everything's there. Our family's there, so it was good to get out of our element, be in a situation where we can pull 10-, 12-hour shifts and have nowhere to go."

Marcos added: "We had a 10-minute walk every morning from our Airbnb to the studio. And we got to soak in the community and the culture and the vibe of South Philly. I felt like Rocky sometimes, bro [a reference to the fictional movie character who has become the city's unofficial underdog mascot]… But the streets were just like that. We were, like, 'Look at these houses.' So much culture and vibe there, bro."

Asked what Yip brought out of P.O.D. throughout the recording process, Marcos said: "He's heavily invested. He understands our band. That was one of the key things that kind of enticed me as a writer, as a musician. He started way back with [1990s hip-hop label] Ruffhouse [Records, home to THE FUGEES, CYPRESS HILL and Lauryn Hill], so he has that whole hip-hop background and foundation. Lauryn Hill, FUGEES, all that stuff. But then he has this indie rock and punk rock, post-hardcore, hardcore vibe. We thought it would be a perfect thing for our band. And when we got with him, we weren't mistaken. It was a good vibe, just everything. Vibe, cultural, food-wise. He's a foodie. So there's things you're passionate in life. There's food, then there's music and your family. He's all of those things… He wasn't trying to change us. He was, like, 'This is what P.O.D. is. Let's try to enhance that and make it fresh.'"

Sonny Sandoval added: "It was so good. And he's a fan of our band, which, it was inspiring. His energy was inspiring. A lot of producers, they're just jaded, and a lot of it is all, as Marcos says, transactional. They do a record because they get paid. It's money, and they're trying to build their catalog. But [Will is], like, 'I only wanna work with bands that I actually respect and like.'

Marcos continued: "It was a team effort. His positivity is very contagious in a great way, man."

P.O.D. released a studio version of its rendition of THE BEATLES classic "Don't Let Me Down" last September.

In May 2024, P.O.D. released its eleventh album, "Veritas", via Mascot Records. The album was a Top 10 hit across the U.S. Billboard Current Hard Rock, Current Rock, and Current Alternative album charts.

P.O.D. released several singles from the album including "Drop", "Afraid To Die", "I Got That" and "I Won't Bow Down".

"Drop" featured a vocal feature from LAMB OF GOD singer Randy Blythe, while "Afraid To Die" featured JINJER vocalist Tatiana Shmayluk.

Photo credit: Alicia Hauff