by Mike Shinoda recently opened up about Linkin Park’s difficult journey following Chester Bennington’s death. He shared candid details about the band’s failed comeback attempts in an interview with 105.7 the Point.
The Linkin Park co-founder discussed the band’s years-long struggle to find momentum and direction after losing their iconic frontman.
“We thought about what a future version of the band could be like for years. I mean, in 2020 – after Chester passed – in 2020, like 2018-2019, I did a solo project to kind of get some of that stuff,” Shinoda said. “I had already been writing things, whether we had been planning to go on tour, and so I kind of had this void that, instead of like, hiding away, I felt like I needed to get out there and be with people and put some of those ideas, these things I was feeling and ideas that I had down on songs.”
Shinoda explained how his solo work led to the “Post Traumatic” album and tour. However, the experience left him exhausted.
“And so I went out and did this album and this tour called ‘Post Traumatic,’ and when I came home from that, I was really, really exhausted. And I recovered from that as I started talking to, in particular, Joe [Hahn] and Dave [Farrell] a lot more,” he continued. “And bit by bit, we tried to write some things, and it didn’t- there was no momentum. We tried again, no momentum. And we tried again.”
The band explored various options for moving forward. They considered different types of vocalists to potentially fill the void left by Bennington.
“As we did that, we started talking about what would it be like – a male singer, a female singer, somebody older than us, somebody younger than us, somebody our age, somebody who sounded a lot like Chester, who sounded nothing like Chester. There were cover bands who have singers that sound like him, probably half a dozen or a dozen of them. There are lots of options,” Shinoda revealed.
He also mentioned their eventual work with Emily. He praised her talent and potential.
“We tried out a few things, had a few people in the studio. And I think the more we worked with Emily in particular, it was like, ‘Oh, she’s so, so talented. We all felt like she hadn’t even reached her full potential for as long as she’s been singing, which is as long as we’ve been doing it, almost,” he said.
Despite the struggles Shinoda described, the band has since found their path forward with significant developments in their comeback story.
Loudwire reported that Linkin Park is planning a 2025 reunion tour featuring three classic members — Mike Shinoda, Brad Delson, and Dave Farrell — along with a female vocalist who would take over the lead singing role previously held by Bennington. However, drummer Rob Bourdon and turntablist Joe Hahn might not be part of this lineup.
The band has already returned to live performances in 2024 with Emily Armstrong as co-vocalist. They are supporting their eighth album, From Zero. Spin noted that they have a lengthy global tour scheduled through mid-2026 including major arenas and festivals.
This renewed activity represents a significant turnaround from the period of uncertainty Shinoda described. XS Noize indicated that the reunion tour has been considered a success. This suggests the band has finally found the momentum that eluded them for years after Chester’s passing.
The journey from the failed comeback attempts to their current active status demonstrates the band’s persistence in honoring their legacy while moving forward. Emily Armstrong’s integration as co-vocalist appears to have provided the creative spark that multiple previous attempts could not achieve. This validates Shinoda’s earlier praise of her untapped potential.
