Dot Music Interview

Friday, February 11, 2005

Dot Music Interview

January 2001

Face to Face with Linkin Park

It's the morning after the night before. After witnessing their awesome UK live debut dotmusic is faced with three members of America's hottest nu metal export, Linkin Park. As cabin sets in, dotmusic sits back, fires off some teasing questions, and attempts to separate fact from surreal fiction.

dotmusic:
Linkin Park's UK debut single 'One Step Closer' is heading for the Top 30 this week. Did the band realise that it would be such a successful breakthrough record?

Brad (guitarist):
"We basically wanted to make 12 songs that represented the band really strongly. We're really happy that people have respond the way they have to 'One Step Closer' - it seems to have struck a chord. "If you had to pick one song that represents the band, in my opinion, it would be 'Papercut' cos that seamlessly blends everything we're trying to do - Mike's verses, Chester's melodic singing at the end and how that all comes together with the guitar and the electronic music!"

Mike (vocals):
Those things do exist on 'One Stop Closer'. It's like a calling card, a first introduction to the band. It's accurate."

dotmusic:
So what did you make of your debut UK live show?

Mike:
"A couple of kids wanted samples to take home of our pubic hair, they had tape."

Joe (DJ):
"...cos they wanted to clone us."

M:
"Yes - we enjoyed then show!"

Brad How does it compare to shows back home?

B:
"They have an accent over here."

J:
"...and the people are very polite."

B:
"Rather than just stealing your shit they ask if they can steal it. Chester (singer) came back into the dressing room without his shoes or clothes or basically anything of him. He was like 'you know what, people are so polite about taking my stuff that I gave it to them'."

Things start to take a turn for the bizarre when dotmusic asks how Linkin Park formed. The trio explain that to save time in interviews they've drawn up a flow chart. You have to see the video to believe it! Continuing on the surreal track, guitarist Brad places tongue firmly in cheek to enlighten us about his influences.

B:
"The way we went to create this record - 'Hybrid Theory' - was I listened to Craig David's record. I listened to it over and over again, really trying to get into what is garage. I just started, not just feeling garage, but really being garage."

J:
"The great thing about it was that we all have a little bit of garage in us!"

M:
"Some of us are still discovering it and finding it."

J:
"You have it in you, I saw it the other day."

B:
"For real, a band that is one of all our favourite bands is the Deftones and the fact that they invited us to come out and tour with them in Europe in March is a tremendous honour. I feel like I'm going to wake up tomorrow and someone's going to tell me 'Just kidding'. Ha Ha!"

M:
"It feels like someone is playing a big joke on us."

B:
"The day before the tour we're going to have all our bags packed and we're going to be like 'alright we're going to Europe' and they are going to be like 'the Deftones really don't want you to play with them!"

M:
"Like the Deftones are going to want you guys to play with them!!!!"

B:
"So they are a big influence. Everything from hip-hop stuff like Black Star, The Roots, Mos Def to more electronic sounding stuff. Roni Size, Aphex Twin, even Depeche Mode. All of those bands we really like. The only "joke" was Craig David.

dotmusic:
Do Linkin Park listen to the same music?

B:
"We're kind of forced to because we live on a tour bus when we're not staying in posh hotels near Kensington. Everyone's doing their own thing we're not just sitting round listening to music all the time. We've got a Playstation in the back.

J:
"We play chess"

B:
"And we've got a toy factory way at the back and we actually sell handmade toys to kids who come to the show. That's been a way of supplementing our income. We're just getting to the point where we're starting to make money!"

dotmusic:
Recently the nu metal/rock-rap idea has suffered a major backlash. What do Linkin Park say to these critics?

B:
"Listen to our record!"

M:
"I think it's evolving. People are more used to mixing styles now. There are a lot of band's mixing styles at the moment."

B:
"It's a great time for music."

The big question is do Linkin Park think they can repeat their stateside success here? Joe says they 'think' they can but Mike points out that "it's not up to us."

B:
"We hear that band's won't come (to the UK) until they're really big in the US but our idea was like 'lets come over here now while we're growing the United States and try and grow at the same pace. "Cos what happens sometimes is that band's are playing huge venues in the United States and they're come to Europe and their record isn't out and no-one knows who they are and they're playing a little dodgy club."

M:
"And that's hard 'cos they've got to downscale their production. Their show is made for a large stage."

dotmusic:
With the likes of Limp Bizkit and Deftones taking nu metal to a massive global audience, do Linkin Park feel part of this scene?

J:
"We don't have any intentions of being part of a genre but it's quite flattering to be grouped in with those bands."

M:
"The thing with nu metal is that it's such a broad description that you can lump in a lot of things with that. It's almost not descriptive."

J:
"We're fans of vinyl records so maybe nu plastic would be cool!!!"

As Mike and Joe discuss the issue of their new tag, dotmusic draws the interview back to the return to the UK in spring supporting the Deftones.

B: "I'm sure the Deftones are going to be phenomenal. I've seen them since I was in high school and I think they are the best live band for hard music there is. If you watch Chino his performance is so emotional and frickin"

M:
"All the guys in that band could just stand there and it's crazy to see them get on stage."

B:
"The fact we're playing before them on the same show is weird. We just want to do a good job."