Mike Shinoda addresses his loyal listeners as he looks ahead to the new year.
It's been another huge year for Mike Shinoda, who completed the touring cycle for last year's 4K-rated Post Traumatic album – including performing a Kerrang!-sponsored debut solo show at London's Roundhouse – as well as releasing a brand-new single, Fine, for the movie The Blackout, amongst other things.
Now, in a brand-new interview in this week's epic 84-page issue of Kerrang!, the Linkin Park man reflects on his 2019 as a whole – and how he managed to successfully carry out the many plans he had for his live show across places such as the UK, Europe and Asia.
“One of my goals for the Post Traumatic tour, in general, was to make every show special," Mike explains. "I wanted to change the setlists dramatically from show to show; to take requests from fans, and improvise on songs, and basically just vibe out on whatever the crowd was giving me on the night. With that said, I don’t think I have a favourite show of all of them. All of the shows were so remarkable, and I don’t even know what happened or how. I think we were all just going with the flow.”
As for how he's managed to balance these many creative projects with life away from music, too?
“I think the most important milestone for me this year was wrapping up the Post Traumatic tour cycle," he says. "I did a few videos for the album, including one of my favourites, for World’s On Fire. I also got back into the studio to write and produce with a handful of other artists. Those projects will slowly be coming out over time. On a personal note, I took some short breaks from social media, because I was finding it to be a negative influence in my life. I actually love Instagram in particular, but this year I’ve found that I need to limit my interaction with it to smaller doses.”
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And, when asked if he has a message for both his and Linkin Park’s fans going into the new year, the musician's response is typically heartwarming and thoughtful:
“The last couple of years have been all about gratitude for me," says Mike. "I hope that fans can share in that perspective and spirit.”
Mike's full interview is available to read in the new issue of Kerrang!, which you can get anywhere in the world through Kerrang.Newsstand.co.uk. But for UK residents, it hits the shops on Wednesday, December 18 from all good newsagents – and it looks like this…
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