Linkin Park’s Mike Shinoda chatted with KROQ about Emily Armstrong’s addition to the band. Shinoda also talked about the attention and pressure Armstrong might face stepping in as the replacement for Chester Bennington.
“We’ve all talked about it with each other and with her a million times, and we’re still talking about it,” he explained. “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.”
Shinoda also addressed the comments of the fans saying Armstrong is trying to sound like the former frontman: “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.”
Armstrong herself also discussed taking over for Bennington in another interview. “Obviously on the side of the feelings and the emotions of it, I would love to do him proud,” 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?’”
Armstrong made her live debut with Linkin Park during a one-hour global livestream concert in Los Angeles on September 5. The setlist included ‘The Emptiness Machine’ as well as hits like ‘Somewhere I Belong,’ ‘Numb,’ ‘Faint,’ ‘Bleed It Out,’ ‘One Step Closer,’ ‘What I’ve Done,’ and ‘In The End.’
‘The Emptiness Machine’ is said to capture the essence of Linkin Park. Shinoda mentioned that the band feels “really empowered with this new lineup and the vibrant and energized new music we’ve made together.” He also added that they are blending the familiar sounds they are known for while exploring new ones.