Staind guitarist and founding member Mike Mushok chatted with Chuck Armstrong on Wednesday evening’s version of Loudwire Nights, opening up in regards to the band’s new music, “Lowest in Me,” and their upcoming album, Confessions of the Fallen.
“It’s been a long time coming,” Mushok admitted to Chuck. “It took us a while to get to the end, but I’m real happy with the final outcome. Listen, it’s been 12 years since our last record, but I want to say, really, things started coming together probably when we were on the Korn tour in 2021. I spent a lot of time working on music [and] I was able to get together with Aaron [Lewis] on that tour and play him some ideas and kind of go through and figure out what he liked and where he was and get some direction as to where to go. A lot of it came together on that tour and it was the following year that we hired [producer Eric Ron] and really started putting things together.”
The finish result’s Staind’s first full-length launch since 2011’s self-titled album. Over the course of the final 12 years, the band has shifted a bit with the addition of drummer Sal Giancarelli whereas the opposite members have expanded their very own work, whether or not it is Lewis and his solo profession or Mushok working with bands reminiscent of Newsted and Saint Asonia.
And simply as all the world confronted a brand new actuality within the face of a worldwide pandemic, Staind needed to adapt to new, sudden adjustments, too.
“We had a lot of plans for 2020 that obviously got put on hold and moved around,” Mushok mentioned. “Honestly, though, for me, I look back at that time—the kids were home, it was actually a really cool time as a family. We were together, going for hikes, we got a new dog. I kind of fondly look back at that time. There was nothing else to do, we were just together and made the most of what it was. It was definitely a very strange time, though, and I’m really glad we’re on the other side of it.”
The Next Staind Album is “Definitely Different”
As Mushok contemplates the “other side” of the pandemic, he reiterates that issues started to really feel “normal” with Staind’s tour with Korn in ’21 and continues now as they put together to launch their eighth studio album later this yr, an album that packs some surprises for followers.
“[Confessions of the Fallen] is definitely different,” he instructed Chuck. “One thing that Aaron wanted to experiment with…He had a programmer that he had worked with and he had brought a few of the ideas to him and those guys took what the songs were and kind of interpreted them with more electronic elements in them. When we finally got [our producer], he helped expand that even further. Although there’s not a lot of that in [“Lowest in Me”], there are some other songs that have more of an electronic element to them. A lot of that is like a guitar part I wrote played on a synthesizer, so it’s not so far removed—it’s just different textures and different sounds.”
Besides the addition of some digital parts and the extremely heavy breakdown with Lewis within the again a part of “Lowest in Me,” the lead single from the brand new report is a contemporary however acquainted sound for Staind.
“It’s us in 2023,” Mushok mentioned. “We’ve grown a little, we’ve evolved. Here we are.”
The New and Familiar Sounds on Confessions of the Fallen
Mushok defined on Loudwire Nights that “Lowest in Me” was one of many songs he offered to Lewis whereas on tour with Korn and it got here collectively actually easily. While some writers could also be hesitant so as to add electronics to a music they created once they’re not used to that form of factor, the Staind guitarist was completely open to the brand new path Lewis wished to take.
“Whatever is going to make it better and make everybody happy,” Mushok defined, confidently and comfortably. It helps that with the addition of new issues, Mushok was by no means restricted or restricted in his guitar enjoying. While there are new parts to the 2023 model of Staind, there are additionally a whole lot of acquainted sounds, too, like his trademark harmonics within the midst of his heavy riffs.
“I actually get producers who make me add more of that in,” he admitted. “Even Eric was doing that, there were parts I wasn’t doing things like that and he was like, ‘Oh, do some of those harmonic things.'”
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At the top of the day, Mushok is blissful to not solely be making new music, however he is blissful that he is having fun with making new music together with his band. While his soon-to-be tour mates and fellow New Englanders Godsmack are slowing down on recording new music following their latest album, Lightning Up the Sky, Mushok does not appear able to shut the door on the studio anytime quickly.
“I have no major announcement to make,” he mentioned, laughing. “For me, let’s get this record out. We have these shows coming up and let’s get through that and let’s see where we end up. I was really happy making this record…I was on a flight the other day coming home and I just sat and listened to the whole record. I was happy it was done and happy with the way it came out and there will come a time when I don’t listen to it for years. Right now, I’m enjoying that we finished it and what it is. I definitely get enjoyment out of creating something like that that I like.”
With each assertion he made about Staind, their new report and what the long run holds, Mushok’s happiness was evident on Loudwire Nights. And when Chuck requested him if he all the time felt that approach when releasing a report, Mushok was fast to reply within the optimistic.
“You kind of have to feel like that on any record before you put it out,” he defined. “I’ve always said—I’ve heard other people say the same thing—selfishly, you write it for yourself. You want to create something that gives you enjoyment and you’re happy with and you’re proud of. Over the years, we’ve been lucky that other people have liked what we do as well. I hope that continues.”
Mike Mushok joined Chuck Armstrong for Loudwire Nights on Wednesday, April 20; the present replays on-line right here, and you’ll tune in reside each weeknight at 7PM ET or on the Loudwire app; you may as well see if the present is offered in your native radio station. Check out Staind’s full tour schedule right here.
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