Chapter VII
“There’s no question that the majority of our success has come from some of the softer songs that we’ve done…”
Sixteen years after their inception, melodic hard rockers Staind are still going strong. Surviving nu-metal, metalcore and even the current post-hardcore era, the Massachusetts outfit are always a constant on the charts and playlists of rock fans around the globe. In fact, it seems like all that Aaron Lewis (vocals/guitar), Mike Mushok (guitar) and Johnny April (bass) touch, inevitably turns to gold.
Unlike many modern counterparts, the band have had a regular line-up for most of their entire career – until the recent exit of Jon Wysocki (drums), who left after the recording of their new album. Undeniably, this departure must make things feel a little different in the Staind camp, and the remaining members will have some thinking to do about finding an adequate replacement for Jon.
“Of course…it is definitely different. It wasn’t an easy choice or path,” says guitarist, Mike Mushok. “As of right now, we have our drum tech, Sal Giancarelli, who is also a great drummer, playing drums for us. We have plans to try and do some auditions, possibly towards the end of the year, because we don’t have a lot of time right now.”
Get Heavy!
One of the reasons why the trio might not have much time on their hands is because they’ve just dropped a brand-new self-titled release, their seventh studio album. Refusing to release another collection of soft songs, Staind have promised that their new album will feature harder and heavier material – but why the sudden change?
“We felt it was time. Especially with our last record [2008’s The Illusion of Progress], [where] we experimented and wanted to try something different, and we did that and we were happy with how it turned out,” Mike says, before adding how the band discussed the direction of their next album after TIOP and how they were going to go back to their roots. “I focused on writing heavier songs and making a heavier record. We’re really happy with the end results and how it came out. It’s definitely a return to where we came from, but with a more modern sound.”
It’s actually quite surprising that Staind have gotten heavier now in their old age (snicker), because most bands seem to get softer as their career progresses. Perhaps the band decided that they don’t want to be remembered just for their ballads?
“I definitely consider us a rock band,” Mike laughs, insisting that he hopes that no one considers Staind as just a ballad band. “Even if you go back to our last record, there’s still some heavy songs on there – it’s always been a part of what we do – but there’s no question that the majority of our success has come from some of the softer songs that we’ve done.”
Deadlines and Legacy
Interestingly, for the first time in the band’s history, their record label gave them a deadline for their new album. So, did this deadline make the band feel pressured or did it force them to just deliver a raw record without over-thinking too much?
“That’s a good question,” Mike pauses. “I don’t know if we’ve ever over-thought anything. There’s always pressure when you go to make a record. You always want to do something different and come up with a group of great songs – in that, it creates its own kind of pressure, especially if you’ve had any kind of success. I do think that the pressure was definitely more on this record for that reason. More so for Aaron, as the songs were pretty much done – he writes the lyrics around the music once it’s done. While we were doing it, he was doing his solo thing, so it made for a difficult process, but I really think he stepped up and did a great job. Funny thing with Aaron is that he kind of needs that pressure to get things done.”
In closing, I ask Mike the hypothetical question: if Staind were to end tomorrow, would this to be the album he would want to be remembered for?
“Sure. I’m definitely proud of this record. You have to feel like the last record you’ve put out is the best thing you’ve done. If you don’t feel that way, then the record is probably not done. I do think from all that pressure and turmoil of making this record, something great came from it.”
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