Mike Shinoda talks grieving and healing after Chester Bennington's death

December 15, 2017

Linkin Park's Mike Shinoda talks more in a new interview about the future of the band and, even more, his own grieving process following Chester Bennington's death earlier this year.

“Grief is a non-linear process,” he told Billboard. “It doesn't have 'stages' that go in order, it has phases that come and go at random. Some people are having sad days, others are having good days, others are having angry days…add the constant stress and fear of things like the news cycle, and you've got some exceptional chaos on your hands!”

He explains that he's made it a point to share how he's doing on social media, especially when he feels like he's making progress.

“Coping with the end of this chapter is obviously devastating, but at the same time, it's also the beginning of the next story,” Shinoda says. Linkin Park have yet to announce any future plans, but the band did share a heartfelt tribute to Bennington at their all-star tribute concert for Bennington, held back in October. They also released One More Light Live, which has let them relive some of their favorite moments with Bennington.

“All six of us in the band were so proud of the shows on the One More Light Tour,” Shinoda told Billboard. “Everyone was at their very best, especially Chester. He was singing better than I've ever heard him on stage. The idea to release this album came from our fans and friends, and I’m so glad they asked for it. It's a really nice way to showcase what a special experience each night was.

“And while I don't know what comes next for us together or individually, this album is certainly a beautiful way of looking back at the body of work we created with Chester.”

One More Light Live serves as a document of the group's final tour with vocalist Chester Bennington, who unexpectedly died on July 20 at the age of 41. In revealing the new live set, the band recall Bennington's determined artistry when recording their latest studio album.

“We dedicate this live album to our brother Chester,” the band say, “who poured his heart and soul into One More Light. After we finished recording the album, we joked with Chester that—since he had delivered so many stunning performances in the studio—he had set the bar extra high to produce that alchemy on stage each night. Not surprisingly, He welcomed the challenge.”

One More Light Live now available here. Check out the record's full tracklisting below.

One More Light Live track list:
1. “Talking To Myself”
2. “Burn It Down”
3. “Battle Symphony”
4. “New Divide”
5. “Invisible”
6. “Nobody Can Save Me”
7. “One More Light”
8. “Crawling”
9. “Leave Out All The Rest”
10. “Good Goodbye” (feat. Stormzy)
11. “What I've Done”
12. “In the End”
13. “Sharp Edges”
14. “Numb”
15. “Heavy”
16. “Bleed It Out”