Throughout an look on The Mistress Carrie Podcast, SHINEDOWN bassist and producer Eric Bass, who’s selling his upcoming debut solo LP, “Eric Bass Presents: I Had A Title”, was requested if the band’s eighth studio album continues to be on observe for an early 2025 launch. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “I’d say we’re 85 p.c completed writing, in all probability a 3rd of the best way completed — utterly completed with the document, which means that now we have songs which are blended and completed and all the pieces. We have now quite a lot of work nonetheless left to do.”
Bass went on to say that there might be “no new [SHINEDOWN] track” launched by the tip of the 12 months, regardless of drummer Barry Kerch‘s earlier ideas that followers would hear new music in 2024. Eric added: “[And there will] in all probability no new [full-length SHINEDOWN] document by first quarter, however positively subsequent 12 months. I’d enterprise to say center of subsequent 12 months. That is simply me — I am only a producer. I’ve obtained a reasonably shut view on it.”
Addressing the explanations for the delay in placing out new music from SHINEDOWN, Bass stated: “Loads of that form of pushing stuff again — and other people get mad at me — has to do with this document that I’ve made and having to see that by means of. And likewise giving ‘I Had A Title’ its due, ‘trigger it isn’t gonna come out till February twenty eighth. And on the identical time nonetheless actively engaged on the SHINEDOWN document, too.
“I am certainly one of these individuals, man, I’ve gotta do one factor at a time,” Eric defined. “And if I do one factor at a time and I pour myself into that complete factor, it is gonna be nice. The minute that I begin making an attempt to unfold issues round, they do not find yourself the best way I need them to. So if I need the SHINEDOWN document to be nice, then that is all I’ve to be doing on the time. So I’ve to get by means of enhancing these movies [for my solo album] and getting all of them completed and brought care of and packaged and able to go. After which, as soon as that occurs, I will be doing interviews like this [to promote my solo album] and do the SHINEDOWN document, in fact. That can proceed. However [I’m] the concentrating creatively on one factor at a time… It is pushing the SHINEDOWN timeline again only a contact, nevertheless it’ll be value it.”
Elaborating on what followers can anticipate from SHINEDOWN‘s upcoming LP, Eric stated: “It’s not an idea document. It is simply gonna be only a straight-up SHINEDOWN album, which is completely different. Once more, individuals can blame me for it or no matter they wanna do. ‘Planet Zero’ was an unintentional idea document due to the interludes that occurred and the best way all of it obtained form of woven collectively. And the subject material was there already, however that occurred the final three days of creating the document. We made these interludes after which — ta-da! — it is a idea document, so to talk. And ‘Consideration Consideration’ was a narrative document as effectively. After which my document, ‘I Had A Title’, is clearly an idea document. So, yeah, the SHINEDOWN document is simply gonna be a group of nice songs.”
Late final month, SHINEDOWN took to social media to share the next message in response to the query, “What is going to the brand new SHINEDOWN album sound like?”: “It’ll sound like all the pieces… Every part that now we have been by means of personally. Every part that we’re enthusiastic about. Every part that we’re prepared to specific to the world.
“We have now stated this many instances as a result of it’s the absolute fact on this band. We solely have one boss. It simply occurs to be everybody within the viewers…
“We have now by no means walked right into a studio to write down songs for trophies,” SHINEDOWN continued. “We’re writing these songs as a result of we consider in what we’re doing, and we consider within the message we’re presenting to the general public…
“What we will inform you is that we hope you pay attention with an open thoughts, a full coronary heart, and a daring creativeness… We’re doubling down on each type that has ever impressed us in order that we could also be fearless, and be the band that we got down to be from day one and that features bending genres, flirting with soundscape’s and persona, and above all pushing the envelope with regards to creativity… And likewise, sure, doing our greatest to take our love of ROCK N’ ROLL to the subsequent stage.
“We hope you’re as excited as we’re for the subsequent chapter,” the band added. “Tell us within the feedback.
“Love you!!! Brent, Eric, Barry, Zach“.
Earlier in November, Bass informed Meltdown of Detroit’s WRIF radio station concerning the progress of the songwriting and recording classes for the follow-up to 2022’s “Planet Zero” album: “We have already recorded and produced a few songs — effectively, a handful of songs — already for it. [We’re] half to 2 thirds [done writing and recording], possibly. We nonetheless have some writing left to do.”
He continued: “We’re doing this one a little bit bit in another way the place we’re form of monitoring as we go considerably. So we’ll get some stuff written after which we’ll observe just a few songs, after which we’ll get some extra stuff written and observe just a few songs. Normally we wait till all the pieces’s compiled after which we begin monitoring, however we determined to attempt it a little bit in another way this time. I do not know if I would do it once more. It is a little bit tough on the mind to modify gears from writing to producing again to writing. For me, I am very course of pushed, so the method of writing, for me and my mind, is method completely different than the method of engineering and producing and that type of factor. So, I believe that only for my very own sanity, I’d return to the best way we have completed it prior to now the subsequent time. However that being stated, it is gonna make a really fascinating document. And we’re tremendous, tremendous excited concerning the subsequent SHINEDOWN document.”
When Meltdown famous that all the pieces SHINEDOWN writes and information falls beneath the “rock” umbrella however that “there’s been some crossover a little bit bit right here and there,” Eric stated: “I simply form of lump what we do into rock. I am unable to keep in mind a time when our band ever had a dialog about ‘that is this type’ and ‘that is that type’ and ‘that is this’ and ‘that is that’. For me, it is, like, if you concentrate on — ‘Second Likelihood’ is a rock track and ‘Planet Zero’ is a rock track and ‘No Sleep Tonight’ is a rock track. And I do know a few of them possibly will skew a little bit extra midtempo or a little bit extra metallic or no matter, however I’ve by no means, and neither have any of the opposite guys within the band, we have by no means considered it as something different than simply making rock music.”
This previous September, Kerch informed the 100.3 The X Rocks radio station about SHINEDOWN‘s subsequent LP: “We’re hoping to launch some new music by the tip of this 12 months after which an album spring of subsequent 12 months. We’re about, I would say, midway by means of the document, give or take. I do know I’ve recorded, like, seven songs for it to date.”
He continued: “Each document’s completely different, and this one’s gonna be completely different as effectively, however you are by no means gonna change [SHINEDOWN singer] Brent‘s [Smith] voice. So I am excited. With the success of [‘A’] Symptom [Of Being Human]’ [single] and the way effectively that did, we do not wanna actually take an excessive amount of day without work ‘trigger now we have an entire new viewers with that track that need to see us dwell. ‘Trigger I believe, sure, our information I am very happy with, and I believe they’re nice, and other people latch on to ’em, however they actually do not develop into a SHINEDOWN superfan till they see the dwell present. So it is time to get on the market and let individuals see the present.”
Earlier in September, Kerch was requested by WRIF if he often works out his drum components to demo variations of the SHINEDOWN songs. Barry stated: “For me, quite a lot of instances, Eric will ship the demos over to me with simply fundamental drum machine tracks, simply placeholder tracks, and I will take heed to it. Typically, relying on the track, I will make a small cliff-notes chart of, ‘Okay, verse, refrain, what number of beats per fill right here,’ that form of factor, and write out my little Nashville chart. Typically I simply wing it, and generally once we go in, now we have the track, however we’d wanna make a change or we by accident stumble throughout one thing. So then we’ll take it piece by piece. ‘Okay, let’s get some actually good verses. Let’s get the choruses, after which let’s work on this new part that we’re fascinated with and simply vibe forwards and backwards on it until we make that transition,’ possibly a pre-chorus or one thing like that. So, it varies, however I am often despatched some type of a demo type of the track to take heed to ‘trigger I like to come back in ready. Can I play it proper then? Yeah. However I wanna be ready so I’ve thought concerning the vibe of the track and drum tones and, ‘Hey, possibly this snare would sound good. Possibly these symbols can be the symbols I would wanna deliver and use. And this fill may be cool. This fill may be higher.’ After which Eric and I struggle over it for hours. After which we give you what we give you.”
Barry went on to say that Brent is “fairly early on the sport” when it comes to understanding the lyrics and the melodies for the SHINEDOWN songs. “The lyrics are often 98 p.c completed, if not totally completed,” he stated. “And generally within the demo, they’re utterly completed. These vocals you hear on the ultimate merchandise have been the demo vocals. He is simply form of prolific that method. And he actually desires to get the vibe out.”
He continued: “The best way I’ve at all times performed drums with SHINEDOWN is to the vocals greater than something. So I am making an attempt to essentially help what the vocals are and provides lead-ins and lead-outs to no matter — I do not wanna step on these vocals. And you may hear it when singers put their lyrics on after the music’s been written, that generally there will be this battle between drum fills and lyrics and possibly the place it ought to have gone. And I believe it steps on it generally. Typically it makes it cool. Such as you take heed to a band like TOOL. A lot of the music is written, then it is handed to Maynard [James Keenan], after which he writes his vocals over that. In order that’s how they get that cool… It is simply completely different. And it is, like, solely Maynard would have thought to sing that as a result of the music’s already there. We are the polar reverse. I wanna help what vocals are already there.”
In August, SHINEDOWN‘s single “A Symptom Of Being Human” turned the primary track by a band or solo artist to chart within the high 10 on three main Mediabase charts: Lively Rock, Different, and Grownup Up to date (AC).
Along with holding Mediabase chart historical past with probably the most No. 1s, Prime 5s and Prime 10s within the Lively Rock class, SHINEDOWN has achieved a record-breaking 23 chart-topping songs.
It is uncommon for a rock band to interrupt into pop music, however SHINEDOWN has at all times believed that music is common and does not should be put in a style field. “A Symptom Of Being Human” is resonating with listeners worldwide due to its uplifting and vital message about how we’re all a piece in progress. Collectively, “A Symptom Of Being Human” has amassed tens of hundreds of thousands of streams throughout all variations together with a dwell model, pop remix, acoustic model and piano model.
“A Symptom Of Being Human” is the fourth No. 1 Lively Rock single from SHINEDOWN‘s acclaimed seventh studio album, “Planet Zero”. The set debuted at No. 1 on Billboard‘s Prime Rock & Different Albums chart in July 2022.
Photograph credit score: Sanjay Parikh