Brent Smith of Shinedown Talks to WGRD About New Music

On Saturday, February 4, 2017, I got the chance to sit with Brent from Shinedown before the sold out show at 20 Monroe Live. We talked about new Shinedown music, some of the amazing opportunities the band got on this last tour, inspiration, and more.

On the new things the band got to experience on this tour for their latest album, Threat to Survival, including touring places they’ve never been.

I gotta be honest, last year was a pretty groundbreaking year for us, we were able to do a lot of things that we hadn’t done in the past. We were able to go to some countries that we’ve been waiting close to two decades to get to. Went to Japan for the very first time. Went to South America for the very first time. We just been very up front with each other that we’re always looking for another glass ceiling to break, man. We’re never going to be a band that’s ever going to be satisfied…You have to push yourself as an artist, you have to push yourself as a performer. The audience doesn’t deserve anything but your absolute best. We’re always looking for a bigger mountain to climb.

Brent talks about the latest single, How Did You Love, and it being their 23rd single.

We’re on the 4th single right now, and hopefully in the next couple weeks, we’ll be able to say that we have another number one at rock radio, which we’ll see what happens. But it’s crazy, cuz it’s the 23rd single that we’ve released as a band. I’m talking about How Did You Love. The other day I realized that it was the 23rd single that we’ve released. I have to say thank you to all of Michigan for that, for giving us a job!

The band has already begun working on their next album, and things have been coming together a bit differently this time.

I have to say this up front. He took it upon himself. Eric Bass, our bass player, which he’s way more than just the bass player. When we were with Five Finger Death Punch in 2016, and we did those 36 cities, he said he was going to walk in every day and write a composition and record it. So he actually has 22 pieces that I actually have just heard five of them for the very first time. I didn’t want to hear them when I was on the road, cuz I was in a different mindset just with the production of that show that we were putting on last year. But yeah, I’ve got a lot of homework, let’s just put it that way. What he’s written, and this isn’t lip-service, man. What he’s tapped into here is quite remarkable. I think people might be looking at the first legitimate concept record from the band.

Brent isn’t sure all 22 songs will make the record, so there may not be a double-album coming, but you never know. Previous albums were very much more jam-based, and everyone was in the room together, and this time Brent has compositions ready for him that are laid out and ready to be finished. He’s looking forward to that.

Brent likes to keep in touch with new music, and feels it's really inspiring to find new bands to listen to, and how great it is that we have so much access to be able to discover new music, and new artists.

That’s the great thing, too. With the way that the world is right now, and the consumption of music, there’s a lot out there. And I think that people should understand that that’s a privilege. Especially now, with the way the industry is, and the way professional musicians make our living, as we’re able to go out and really do what it is we truly, truly love, and people are able to find out about artists that they would have never known about had it not been for the infrastructure that we have, and the fact that technology in regards to listening to new music and any music tat you can think of…it’s literally at your fingertips. I think that’s a good thing, because what that does…it inspires people.

Watch the video above to learn more about what inspires Brent, how Shinedown was hand-picked by Iron Maiden to go on tour, and what Brent thinks of newer bands like Ghost, Pretty Reckless, and Highly Suspect.

Also, be on the lookout for that double-concept record! Haha…I’m going to get into so much trouble for saying that...

Check out some live vides of Shinedown from 20 Monroe Live later that night.