Linkin Park guitarist Brad Delson recently did a phone interview with Philippines newspaper "The Philippine Star." In the interview Brad looked back at the success and meaning of "A Thousand Suns" while also talking about things like his charity opportunities, his thought's on Linkin Park's staying power, and how the band continues to evolve. Here are highlights from the article:
Looking back on "A Thousand Suns":
“I’m very proud of the album A Thousand Sounds. It was really a labor of love. And I’m appreciative of all the amazing support we received because it definitely was a departure from our earlier records”“It’s a concept album in the sense that it’s a cohesive narrative — a creative journey that we set the listener on. It’s not conceptual in the literal sense, but it’s conceptual because it’s a cohesive album as opposed to a collection of songs”“It’s definitely, you can say, political and global-themed, but on a personal level, like the unconscious level, I wouldn’t say that there’s really an overt message… it’s more of an emotional or subconscious exploration of fears that we confront on a daily basis,” Brad said. “The emotional substance in the album is something that resonates with most of us in the band.”On the charity opportunities that he has:“We have very eclectic arrangements that it’s almost impossible how to figure playing them live. It requires a lot of flexibility and ingenuity. A favorite track would have to be When They Come From Me because here I get to do drums, guitars and sing a little bit. It definitely is a challenge performing the songs every time.”
Regarding the 15 year anniversary of the band's creation:“What’s really cool about being in this group is that there are so many diverse opportunities not just for creative expression or for business. But it has also put us in a position to help people. I am personally interested in it, and it’s something I enjoy doing”
Talking more about the band itself:“That makes me feel very old,” Brad laughed. “But it’s been fantastic because when we started playing music together, we just did it for fun. We certainly never thought that we’d get paid to do it, that we’d get to travel the world, including the Philippines, and perform before many great people. So, it’s really a blessing and I try not to take it for granted.”
“Everyone’s real cool, goofy and fun. When we’re not on stage, the energy is very light, there’s a lot of amateur comedy going on. The operative word is ‘amateur’,” he said. “Before the band started, we were friends. Through the years, we’ve worked really hard to be respectful of each other. As we grow older and hopefully wiser, the level of friendship has also grown.”Asked for the secret of Linkin Park’s staying power, he pondered, “I think the fundamental tenets for the building blocks of longevity have been creative honesty, openness to risk and integrity. By the latter, we mean we’re not thinking of how we can make this or that song make people feel (a certain way) about it. We create music that inspiring to us.”You can read the full article HERE“In terms of work, the stage the band is at… it’s always a moving target. I can speak for myself that I’m very appreciative of the opportunities that we have artistically. I’m very proud of the music we’re continuing to make. I love how things keep on changing and evolving.”
As many Linkin Park fans know, interviews from Brad are hard to come by as of late. Especially one this long. What are your thoughts on this? Let us know in the forums!
Source: The Philippine Star via Jake
Originally Posted by TheZlajaZlo
