Linkin Park’s Joe Hahn has spoken to NME about new feature-length documentary Unshatter, how the band are welcoming a new generation of fans, and teased that more music is in the works.
Set for release in cinemas this Wednesday (September 30), the film provides a look at the nu-metal giants as they kicked off their new chapter in 2024 – returning with new music and their first live shows since the passing of frontman Chester Bennington in 2017.
Directed by Hahn himself – who also directed music videos of theirs including ‘Numb’ and ‘In The End’ – the doc focuses on the enduring friendship between the surviving members, gives insight into the dynamic with new frontwoman Emily Armstrong and drummer Colin Brittain, and is centred around professionally shot footage of their massive São Paulo show.
“The right time to do this was a few years ago, but it took us a few years to make it,” Hahn told NME over Zoom. “The opportunity was there from the moment we decided to come back, but we particularly wanted it to capture the day the album [‘From Zero’] was released. That was a big day for us, and it felt like there was so much that led up to that moment.”
He continued: “It all came together like this because we also had a lot of stuff that we filmed behind the scenes in the lead-up to it. So, once we made the decision that a documentary film would be the best way forward, though, it took a few years to put it all together.”
Check out the full interview below, where Hahn also told us about leaving the “naysayers” behind, expressed his doubts over whether anyone would care about a Linkin Park comeback, discussed welcoming a new generation of fans, and hinted at what’s to come following a return to the studio.
NME: Hi, Joe. There was a lot building up to that São Paulo show. Tell us, was there one specific moment where you knew that it was time for a full feature-length documentary?
Joe Hahn: “To be honest, once we made the decision to start playing again and to put an album out, we knew that it needed to be special. We wanted it to be gratifying for the fans who stuck around with us for all these years. Then, from there, it evolved into: ‘OK, let’s do this. Let’s create the biggest thing we can, or just not do it at all’. We didn’t want to limp through it… but at the same time, we were worried that people wouldn’t show up!”
There was really a part of you that thought no one would care?
“Yeah, because life has changed [since we were last playing shows]. Pop culture has changed. Everything in the world’s changed. People have moved on to house music and K-pop, and rock music fizzled away for quite a bit of time. But we just decided, ‘Hey, this is like our one shot. We’re not going to relaunch the band again. So, even though it’s risky, let’s just go for it’. We just wanted to have fun and enjoy ourselves trying to make this happen.
“I think that this is all a testament to the teamwork of the band. We’re all aligned, and everyone was so focused and fired up to make it happen. When that kind of energy is there, you start to feel unstoppable.”
And now you’ve got a new generation of listeners who only know you with this current line-up. Have you noticed a new influx of fans?
“Definitely. I’ve noticed a lot of new fans. There’s a lot of old fans too who are now bringing their kids along, too, because it’s been enough time. Once in a while, Mike [Shinoda, guitarist and vocalist] will do a quick survey of the crowd at a show and say, ‘Hey, raise your hand if you’ve been to a concert before’, and a lot of people raise their hands. But then, when he asks who is coming to the show for the first time, it’s enormous! It’s a great feeling, knowing that people are also there because they’re discovering our music for the first time.”
Does it feel like there is new momentum around the previous music too because of that? These new fans aren’t just discovering ‘From Zero’, they’re also being exposed to all of your earlier material…
“For sure, and it’s cool because we have our own kids now and we see them grow up and discover what music they’re into. Because of that, we see people come and go when it comes to music and entertainment.
“The great thing about being in a band, and our band in particular, is that we just do what we like. We know how it started and how it’s evolved… but when we write music, we’re always about trying new things. We’re experimenting. We’re having fun. We’re joking. We’re talking about serious stuff that leads to lyrics and the feelings of songs. As long as we do that, it will always be relatable.”
It must have been tough coming back with new members, knowing that everyone was going to have their own opinions. Is that why you wanted to be so hands-on directing the film, to properly introduce the new members and show the dynamic?
“Yeah, I think it’s all of that. There are a lot of things that are the same [as before] and there’s a lot of stuff that’s new too. These new people that you’re seeing, they’re amazing, and it just so happens that there were opportunities for us to work with them. There wasn’t an audition process. It was just us trying to figure out how we could make music and maybe put it out.
“At first, all we knew was that Dave [Farrell, bassist], Mike, and I love making music together, and luckily Brad [Delson, guitarist] came back into the picture, which was great because he’s a huge piece of the puzzle. It was just about getting back to the basics and making our foundation strong, then we could start working with some different people.
“With Colin, with his curiosity, his talent and his eagerness alone, he was a great energy to be around. Then with Emily, you just see her and she’s awesome. She’s such a lovely person and someone that you want to have around… but then throw that enormous talent on top of that. How does anyone find that? I think it’s near-impossible. We’re very lucky to have every single person in the band, and we wanted to show that what they bring to the table on and off-stage is really important.”
Do you ever think about those who haven’t followed you on this journey? Those who were fans, but haven’t been willing to embrace this new chapter?
“I actually think, not about the people who have made the choice not to come along, but of the people who don’t even know that we’re back because of the way that media has changed! I’m sure they’ll discover it eventually, and hopefully they’ll be into it.
“We had to go through our own healing process to even humour the idea of ‘Let’s give it another go’, so [I get that] there are people who grew up with us, and have their own feelings and attachment to the music which is really personal to them. Everyone’s going through their own process of healing in different ways. Some of those people make it to the concert and some don’t.”
When you’re working on new music and finding your footing in this new dynamic, is there part of you eager to create something that you know will please the fans who have been around for years?
“When we’re in the studio, we actually intentionally deviate as far away as possible [from what we did in the past] because we want to challenge ourselves and experiment. We don’t want to be locked into what’s been previously done.
“As songs naturally progress, some of those components might naturally start to come back into play, but we don’t go in saying, ‘Oh, we’re making this type of music and only this type of music’. We’re more like, ‘Let’s make music. This instrument will sound great over this type of thing, and this vocal will sound great over this other type of thing’.
“I often think back to what we were trying to do before we wrote [2000’s] ‘Hybrid Theory’. Hybrid Theory used to be our band name, and then it became just the ethos of what we were trying to accomplish on that first record, which was: ‘Let’s just grab from everywhere and put style into what we’re doing’. That’s what we continue to do.”
Looking back at the footage in the documentary, is there anything you wish that you did differently?
“We had a lot of time to discuss how we wanted to approach things before we started the tour, and a lot of this [comeback] started with lists of ‘What do we want to do?’ versus ‘What do we not want to do?’
“Even though the magnitude of everything got bigger and bigger, there was always this simplicity to the decisions that were made. Mainly it was: ‘If it’s not enjoyable, then it doesn’t need to be done’. So following that principle, it allowed for the tour to be fun and for those shows to be incredible.”
Was there a sense of proving any naysayers wrong when you got in front of those big crowds on the latest tour?
“There was a little bit of that. When there’s a naysayer, it’s hurtful, and you want to dissect their comment and ask, ‘Where is this coming from?’ But for us, this [comeback] came from a reflection of the past and wanting to go into the future doing things differently, and that naturally cultivated into a culture of positivity and openness.
“I think that permeated into people that work with us, all the way into the road crew too. With everyone that worked with us, there was joy in what they were doing, even though it’s really hard work. We were going through tough conditions and setting up big stages during heatwaves and tough travel schedules, but the positive energy reverberated. We saw a lot of smiles everywhere, and people were coming to the shows and enjoying themselves. So when you see a naysayer, you’re like, ‘OK, it sucks that this one person is going through something, and it sucks that they’re so loud… but that person shouldn’t ruin everyone else’s time, so let’s focus on moving forward’.”
Speaking of the massive shows that you’ve been doing, how was it to become the first female-fronted band to ever headline Download?
“It’s sad that it was the first time, but if it’s going to be the first, it has to be Emily. There are a lot of places that we haven’t played that are waiting for us, and for her.”
Have you had to deal with any misconceptions or stigmas since introducing a female singer that maybe you didn’t notice before?
“No. I’m sure it’s out there. Maybe it has come and I’ve just ignored it. There is a lot of noise out there, and me just being older and a little bit wiser, I try to simplify my life, or at least what’s going on in my head. All that kind of stuff just goes in one ear and out the other because I know that we’re doing something pretty cool. We’re not doing it to please people. We just know that it’s the right thing to do for us, and in turn it’s going to be the right thing for so many others out there.
“There’s no agenda from us as far as, ‘Oh, we want to be a feminist this and that’. We just see people as human beings that deserve to walk in wherever they feel like everyone else is going.”
Is there more on the way from Linkin Park? Have you been working on new music?
“Yeah, because we really enjoy being around each other, and we especially love the creation side of things and making music. When we were touring in different cities, if there was a day off, we would go into studios just to tinker around with stuff. And when we finished touring, we decided to take a month off because we needed a break, but then we jumped right back into the studio.”
So can we expect another full album?
“Oh, yeah… and it’s going to be really slow and boring, and very polarising to everyone [Laughs].”
‘Unshatter’ is out in cinemas on Wednesday (September 30). Visit here for tickets.
