Mike Shinoda on not wanting Linkin Park reunion to sound like a cover band

Mike Shinoda has opened up about not wanting the newly reunited Linkin Park to sound like a cover band.

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The band’s co-founder opened up about the band’s decision to bring on new vocalist Emily Armstrong (formerly of Dead Sara) in an interview with Los Angeles radio station Alt 98.7, and acknowledged how some fans were upset that the ‘Numb’ hitmakers didn’t find a singer with a similar voice to the late frontman Chester Bennington.

“We just want Emily to be Emily,” Shinoda said. “The songs are the songs. Emily is Emily… There was a time early on, like 2020-ish, 2019, whatever — like, I remembered I was watching videos… I think a video of a cover band, a Linkin Park cover band, showed up in my feed. Fans were loving it. They were all like, ‘Oh my God, this person’s so good. They sound so much like Chester.’”

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He continued, comparing his reaction of watching the covers to the “uncanny Valley”. “Your brain likes it better and better and better the more it gets more real and close to the real thing, and then the moment before it becomes exactly as real, your brain goes completely the opposite direction … right back down to ‘I hate it,’ because your brain can tell that it’s trying to be tricked. And nobody’s brain likes that.

“So, when I was watching this YouTube video, or Instagram video, of this cover band, I was like, ‘That’s really cool, but it’s also creepy that it sounds so much like Chester.’ I don’t like it, it weirds me out. It made me immediately know that it wasn’t the move for us. I don’t like it. I like it for [the cover bands], I just don’t like it for us… These bands do a great job, but I wouldn’t put that in our band.”

Linkin Park announced their comeback in September with a livestream event, where they revealed the addition of Armstrong as their new co-vocalist. The announcement of the new vocalist became divisive among fans after it emerged that she seemingly had ties to Scientology and convicted rapist Danny Masterson. Armstrong has since issued a statement “to clear the air”.

Shinoda previously opened up about how it feels to be part of the band in 2024, as well as the “culture” between the members.

“The dynamic of everybody in the band, but especially those of us that have the most history together, the dynamic is so good. It’s really good. To me, it’s easily the best culture we’ve had,” he began on the From Zero podcast, going on to clarify how that wasn’t a jab at any former members.

The band recently released their eighth studio album ‘From Zero’. The LP was given a three-star review by NME, who described the record as having “an intriguing mix of sensational, knockout stadium rock and some perplexingly tired songwriting”.

In other news, Linkin Park recently announced details of a massive world tour for 2025, which includes a stop at London’s Wembley Stadium.

The shows come as an extension of the ongoing ‘From Zero’ tour and will commence at the beginning of next year, hitting stadiums and arenas across North America, Europe, Asia and Latin America.

Just one UK show is lined up, taking place at London’s Wembley Stadium on June 28, and other European dates include stops in Paris, Frankfurt, Milan, Hannover, Arnhem and more.

Special guests for the extensive run of shows will be Queens of the Stone Age, Spiritbox, AFI, Architects, Grandson, Jean Dawson, JPEGMAFIA, and PVRIS. Tickets for US shows will go on sale next Thursday (November 21) at 12pm local time, and tickets for Europe and the UK dates commence on Friday (November 22) at 10am local time.

Pre-sale options are also available to members of the underground fan club from November 18. Visit here to buy UK tickets, and here for international tickets.

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