In an unfortunate twist of fate, Linkin Park were forced to cancel their highly anticipated headline shows in the US this year due to a leg injury sustained by frontman Chester Bennington. As one of the hand-picked supports for The Hunting Party Tour (alongside Rise Against), Of Mice & Men’s Austin Carlile knows firsthand the disappointment and regret that Linkin Park felt when it became apparent Bennington could not continue.
“Life is unpredictable – we can’t always control where life takes us,” Carlile says. “We’ve become really close to all of the guys in the band, they’re a great bunch of guys. When Chester is healed we will be right there with them. I can honestly say there isn’t a band I would back more. When life gives you lemons…” he smiles.
Of Mice & Men have had their fair share of misfortune. Lineup changes, addiction issues and personality clashes had created general unrest within the band for years. However, since the arrival of former Jamie’s Elsewhere lead singer Aaron Pauley on bass and clean vocals, the band has experienced a rebirth. The newfound conviction can be heard within the verses of Restoring Force, Of Mice & Men’s third studio album.
“The making of the new record was such a different experience this time round,” Carlile explains. “Aaron and I flew out to the studio for about two-and-a-half weeks before the rest of the band did. We started working on pre-production and wrote some skeletons of songs. Then together Aaron and I trialled some basslines. Soon our producer [David Bendeth] suggested we work separately and see what we could come up with.”
After years of turbulence in the band, Carlile admits he felt pressure to produce something that was worth the wait. “I’d be lying if I told you it was easy. We’d never recorded with Aaron before and we didn’t know if it was going to work – until one day he asked me to listen to a chorus and verse he said he’d had in his head forever. As a musician, you know when you have a good chorus and verse – the rest is cake. Even still, there was a lot riding on this and Aaron knew it.”
Following the release of 2011’s The Flood, Carlile knew everyone needed a break from recording and touring – the tension was getting to them. It was back in California where he ran into Linkin Park’s Mike Shinoda. “We had seen each other around but that was about it,” says Carlile. “Anyway, we got to talking and had lunch together. I’d mentioned I was working on a new record and he seemed interested, so we went to his car and we listened to these super rough demos. I was doing vocals, even though I felt pretty silly – seriously, I had idolised this guy, now I’m singing to him in his car!” Carlile laughs. “Suddenly he looked at me and said, ‘You would be an idiot not to let me help you with this. I love it!’ He helped bring that song to life and it was that day in the car that started our friendship with Linkin Park.”
That song, based on Pauley’s original ideas, turned out to be ‘Feels Like Forever’, the new record’s lead single and arguably its standout track. “It has become one of my favourite songs,” says Carlile. “I don’t want to sound corny but Aaron bringing that song to the table was the restoring force for our band.”
Now that Restoring Force has been repackaged as a deluxe edition, Full Circle, Of Mice & Men are on their way Down Under this month to share the new materialwith fans at Soundwave and sideshows. When the rock’n’roll circus hits town, they’ll be rubbing shoulders with some of the world’s premier punk and hardcore acts. “We have some buddies in the lineup!” Carlile says excitedly. “I love Slipknot and I can’t wait to catch up with the guys from Incubus and Hollywood Undead.
“We’re playing a very healthy 45-minute set, which is perfect for us. We’re not Metallica; we don’t have any eight-minute songs,” he laughs. “We plan to play half off Restoring Force, lots from The Flood and of course tracks from the re-release. There may even be an acoustic song or two in there – you never know.
“The last time we were in Australia was Soundwave 2013 and we had a lot of fun – maybe a little bit too much. Seriously though, it is such a blessing to be able to make music and travel the world. Before I started the band I’d never even left the US, and trust me, we’re the biggest bunch of tourists. We’re the band that does all the clichОd stuff, camera in hand. So if you see us around, please come say hi.”
Catch them at Soundwave Festival 2015alongsideFaith No More, The Smashing Pumpkins, Incubus, Slipknot, Fall Out Boy and many more atSydney Olympic ParkfromSaturday February 28 to Sunday March 1. Also appearing alongside Atreyu and The Devil Wears Prada at the Factory Theatre on Wednesday February 25, tickets online.Restoring Force: Full Circle out Friday February 27 through Rise/Warner.
