Mike Shinoda on why Linkin Park didn’t change their name for new relaunched line-up

Mike Shinoda has opened up about why Linkin Park chose to keep their band name for the newly relaunched line-up.

• READ MORE: “This is not the end, this is not the beginning”: Linkin Park look to the future with new faces

Last week Linkin Park announced their comeback with new singer Emily Armstrong and songwriter and new drummer Colin Brittain, along with returning members Shinoda, Dave ‘Phoenix’ Farrell, Joe Hahn and Brad Delson.

The group shared details of their new album ‘From Zero’, which will be their first since 2017’s ‘One More Light’ – the last to feature late singer Chester Bennington.

The newly reformed group will also be embarking on a short world tour, performing in six arenas across the world between September and November this year, including Los Angeles, London and Seoul.

With a new chapter ahead of them, Shinoda has opened up about why they chose to stick to their current band name.

Speaking during an interview with Chicago radio stadium Q101 (per Blabbermouth), the vocalist and multi-instrumentalist explained: “In the middle of the process, we were open to, like, maybe the lineup is like a moving lineup, maybe there’s multiple vocalists, maybe it’s a different name, stuff like that.”

He went on: “And then as the music came into focus, we were, like, ‘This is as Linkin Park an album as we could make. It’s so Linkin Park that if we call it something else, then we are idiots.’ Because it would be like misrepresentation. It’d be silly. And when people hear more of the album, they will understand that.”

Shinoda also explained that their new album name also holds meaning about their fresh start, recalling that their original band name in the late ’90s was Xero, which turned into Hybrid Theory, which ultimately became Linkin Park.

“So the name of the album is a double entendre,” he explained. “It’s us starting over, but it’s also us kind of being in touch with the things we loved back then.”

As for what fans can expect, he teased that the album is “energetic” and also features a “lot of guitars”.

While there was initially a positive reaction to the new line-up, the announcement also drew some controversy after Armstrong’s alleged links to Scientology and convicted rapist Danny Masterson began to circulate on social media.

The singer has since addressed the controversy, writing in an Instagram post that she “misjudged” someone she previously “considered a friend”, before adding: “To say it as clearly as possible: I do not condone abuse or violence against women, and I empathize with the victims of these crimes.”

The artist has also paid tribute to the late Bennington’s legacy, saying she would “love to do him proud”.

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