Linkin Park's Emily Armstrong and Dave "Phoenix" Farrell on "Up from the Bottom," Upcoming Projects

Emily Armstrong and Dave Phoenix of Linkin Park recently discussed the band's journey, new music, and evolving dynamics in an interview with Justin Scott and Spiegel on 98 Rock.

Emily Armstrong reflected on the band's journey, saying, "Well, the journey maybe, close to, I think, almost two years. I don't know. It feels like about five. Yeah, but since the reveal of the seven months feels about two years. So it's a lot. And it's really fun."

Phoenix shared how the collaboration began, "It kind of started back in 2019, before I thought it was just like writing with Mike, you know, was you kind of. It was it was it wasn't something that was like a preconceived idea of what they were going to do next. It wasn't, but it wasn't until I came back in, 2022, really, I don't know, 23, 23 somewhere in there. but I just basically just kept showing up and they just had to deal with it and be like, okay, I guess she's a, you know, she thinks she's proved herself enough."

Phoenix added, "We didn't. Mike, Joe and I got together and were just kind of saying let's be intentional about spending some time together. Let's talk, let's see if we write anything we like. But let's not put any labels on what it is or what we're doing. And then also let's just start getting together with other people. You know, it could be other songwriters, other vocalists, other instrumentalists. And let's just see what happens."

Discussing their new single, "Up from the Bottom," Phoenix said, "We have Joe in the band. Yeah. So, Yeah. that was Joe's quote. That was Joe's there on like a red carpet, which has been great, but it's. What was that. Was it a joke or was he serious. No I think I think he was actually speaking for himself in that moment."

Emily Armstrong shared her thoughts on the band's bravery and evolution, "I think just being trying to just stay here now focused, or what we're doing, we'd have no problem really, you know, and it's really showed, you know, we we have each other is the thing. It's like we it's. No, we're not just one person, you know, we have each other to lean on in. That was something that I, I didn't realize until we've gone through all of this and where we are now, how much I relied on that, you know, and and that is something that's that I love."

Phoenix reflected on the band's early days and criticism, "People forget that it's not a new thing to get to be criticized. And it's not. I feel like we've the band is always kind of huddled around itself and just felt like an underdog, because there's always you, you know, you put something out in this day and age more than ever. But even back then, New Hybrid Theory came out, it got two stars from rolling Stone. It got like panned by critics. We knew people were enjoying it and like getting into it, but there was, especially when you're in the in the middle of it, it feels like all you're hearing back or what the loudest voices are, are the ones that are just like, this is garbage."

Emily Armstrong described her experience joining the band and performing live, "I recently saw that that walk through. And I was like, oh, I was actually walking. I thought I was floating like I was, I was just like, okay, this is happening. It's like a year of buildup for me, you know, into for this moment. And I wouldn't say there was too much choreographed to it, you know, it was just kind of like, you were talking about it earlier, Dave, about, like, just kind of our stage manager managers being like, oh yeah, this is the song you can be playing first, right? Because it's the single and it's like, wait, it actually makes sense to do so, you know?"

Phoenix praised Armstrong's vocal abilities and fit with the band, "My description of Emily was that she was the absolute destroyer vocally, like, can do all the things and can just do them in a way that seems so effortless and awesome. But even more importantly, like, Emily just fits with that. Like, it's just it felt like we had known each other for forever when we first started getting together, and it was just easy and fluid, as like relationally in that sense."

Linkin Park's new single "Up from the Bottom" is now playing on 98 Rock, and the band is set to perform live at the CFG Bank Arena on May 3.