Rockezine.com interview with Linkin Park on Jun 30, 2001

with Joseph Hahn on Jun 30, 2001

Since Korn and Limp Bizkit paved the way for the so-called `new-metal` sound, there are a lot of new bands trying to claim their own spot in the music scene. One of the most successful groups of this second wave of new-metal (there debut is double platinum, sold out tours, spot on the Ozzfest-bill) is Linkin Park. So when the guys came over to Holland as a support act of the, we sat down with DJ Joseph Hahn for a little chat.
		First of all, there`s a rumour going around that Linkin Park is a band that`s created by the record company, instead of being formed by friends. Kind of like the alternative answer to the Backstreet Boys. Is this true? No, that`s just some crazy rumour going around Europe. We`re all friends from high school.
		We`ll I`m glad we cleared that up, hopefully for once and all! About the album: Hybrid Theory just reached platinum status in America. Are you surprised or overwhelmed by it`s success? We`re doing a lot of touring right now, and are working really hard on building a foundation. So we haven`t had that much time to think about it.
		How low long have you been on the road? For about three quarters of a year, pretty much non-stop. Just a weekend at home, now and again, but that`s all. It sucks for girlfriends..
		Well, you can always write love letters, and perhaps even get some inspiration for new material from those.
		I noticed that there is no bass player mentioned on the album, just a stand-in for touring, Scott. What`s the deal with that? Does Linkin Park have a bassist? Phoenix, our original bass player, who`d been with us since we started 5 years ago, also played in another band. At one time, he had commitments with the other band, and left Linkin Park for a while. Just when we started recording Hybrid Theory. So Brad, our guitarist, recorded the bass lines for the album, and we used Scott for the gigs. But Now Phoenix is back, and re-installed as official band member.
		The lyrics on Hybrid Theory deal with emotional issues. As far as the writing of these lyrics is concerned, how is this done? There are two vocalists in the band (Mike Shinoda and Chester Bennington), so whose innermost feelings do we listen to? It`s a collaboration between the both of them. It`s the same as with everything else in the band: people bring in different parts, and these are merged into a song.
		There is a real chemistry between Mike and Chester. Part of the reason we went for the singer/rapper concept was that there is normally one person doing both, and usually he doesn`t excel at either. We wanted a strong foundation at both sides, plus they bring a great dynamic on stage.
		But the lyrics are so personal. I think each person has their own issues, or certain places where emotions come from. The way they come together is finding that common ground, and in doing that they create a universal idea where more people can relate to it than just the two of them.
		On the song With You you`ve collaborated with the Dust Brothers. How did that come to be? When we were looking for a producer, we hung out with them for a while, and they gave us this beat, and we were like: "Cool, we`ll work with that." So we picked it apart, took out the parts we liked, and just started building from there.
		So you didn`t actually write the song with them? No, they gave us some building blocks, and we took it from there, eventually shaping it into With You.
		You`ve already toured with bands like Deftones, Papa Roach, (hed)PE, amongst many others. Who`s left on your touring wish list, if anybody? Actually we don`t really care who we tour with. Our music is compatible with just about any band, be it a hiphop act, or a heavy metalband. As long as we can play, we`re happy!
Well, my time is up. Thanks a lot and hope to see you guys again soon! (Tjerk Teitsma)