In a new conversation with Derek Scancarelli of Forbes, Gene Simmons stood up for Linkin Park’s new singer, Emily Armstrong after criticism.
“I listened. I saw some videos. The new female singer, great! She fits the band. She sounds great and good luck to them,” the bassist said when asked about Linkin Park’s decision to continue with Armstrong.
He continued, “Life is short. Go out there and live it up, enjoy it. Linkin Park got fans. They want to hear the songs and the music. Why not? There are bands that tour, Lynyrd Skynyrd, lots of bands that barely have any original members or no original members. People want to hear those songs.”
Linkin Park came back earlier this month with Emily as their new singer along with Mike Shinoda. Fans have had mixed reactions and Armstrong received backlash due to her past involvement with the Church of Scientology and her backing of Danny Masterson, who was convicted of rape.
“Several years ago, I was asked to support someone I considered a friend at a court appearance, and went to one early hearing as an observer. Soon after, I realized I shouldn’t have. I always try to see the good in people, and I misjudged him,” Armstrong said in a statement to defend herself.
She added, “I have never spoken with him since. Unimaginable details emerged and he was later found guilty. To say it as clearly as possible: I do not condone abuse or violence against women, and I empathize with the victims of these crimes.”
“There is so much to this band — this is a very, very important band to this world,” she also told Billboard about replacing Chester Bennington. “And the integrity of the band was really helpful in keeping me grounded. There were so many of those moments where it was like, ‘Holy sh*t,’ when you talk about the size of the shows, stuff like that. I’m on cloud nine, but then it hits you that there’s a lot of work to be done.”
Armstrong also noted, “And going into these [older] songs, by a singular voice that’s beloved by so many people — it’s like, ‘How do I be myself in this, but also carry on the emotion and what he brought in this band?’ That was the work that I had to do. The feeling, the energy, was already there as we were doing the album, so it’s just incorporating that feeling.”
Shinoda also talked to KROQ about Emily joining the band. He said they’ve talked a lot about the challenges she will face replacing Bennington. Shinoda knows fans might find it odd to hear someone new, but he praised Armstrong’s unique voice. He added that Armstrong isn’t trying to copy Chester; she is bringing her own style to the music.