In recent interviews, Mastodon guitarist Bill Kelliher had been talking about new music – a subject Brent Hinds hadn’t been covering while, going by his social media posts, he was on his own trip. So perhaps the announcement of Hinds’ departure from the band shouldn’t have been the shock it was for many.
Kelliher, Troy Sanders and Brann Dailor said they and Hinds had “mutually decided to part ways,” adding: “We are still very inspired and excited to show up for fans in this next chapter.”
Speaking to Guitar World, Kelliher refuses to be drawn on details, but vowed: “We’re not going anywhere. We’ve been around a while; this is all I really have. I live and breathe it.”
On the subject of a new guitarist, he says the trio were looking for “someone who’s easy to get along with, and who really has a desire to play. And they’ve got to have the right stage clothes as well: black t-shirt, tight jeans!”
The band’s attitude is one of “onward and upward,” he continues. “I’ll continue writing, looking forward to new Mastodon material and the Coheed and Cambria tour coming up. I like being out there on the road. Hopefully, people will enjoy all the new music we’re working on. That’s all I can really hope for.”
What’s the status of Mastodon with Brent Hinds’ departure?
“It was 25 long years. Like a marriage, sometimes people grow apart and they get interested in other things. It was time to part ways. And we wish nothing but the best for Brent in his endeavors – chasing his dreams and doing what he likes to do. We look forward to a new chapter of Mastodon.”
You pivoted quickly, with YouTuber Ben Eller filling in at your most recent show.
“When we knew what was going down, and we had this show in the Dominican Republic, we had to find someone really quick who we could trust to play the songs.
“Ben and I have been friends for many, many years on the internet. We met at a Mastodon show 20-something years ago when he was a young dude and he was a fan. He showed me an old picture of us loading the van back in the touring van days, when we played Knoxville when he was a young kid, and he’d got a selfie with us!
“I’ve been watching his videos and giving him some tips on certain Mastodon parts that he didn’t quite get. He would hit me up, like, ‘How do you play Falling Torches? It’s kind of muddy in the mix.’ So we’d been sending videos back and forth. To me, he was obviously the first choice to play at least that show.”
How did the band and Ben prepare for the show?
“We had a couple of practices, maybe four. That guy’s got a mind like a trap, man – he remembered all the stuff. He did a terrific job. I mean, no-one can ever replace someone like Brent, who’s a very special guitar player. But I feel like Ben did the best he could, and we were all super-stoked.”
Mastodon has more shows planned, which you’ve said won’t be canceled. Will Ben fill in for those shows and the foreseeable future?
“We have a tour with Coheed and Cambria coming up in May, and we’re going to fulfill that. And we’re going to finish up our new record. I’m not sure what our future is with Ben. Maybe we’ll try a couple of other people out. It’s too early to say.”
Will the new record feature contributions from Brent or is it just you, Brann, and Troy?
“It’ll be the three of us. It’s stuff the three of us have written together.”
The decision to change lineup must have been difficult.
“It’s amazing we made it 25 years with the four of us. Traveling the world, trying to stay the course, having everybody agree – that we managed to do it this long, I feel like that’s a feat in itself. And yeah, you could never replace any of us because it’s the sum of four parts.
“But that doesn’t mean there’s not someone out there that has stuff to offer in a new direction. I think I’ll just leave it there, you know? It was a hard decision we all had to make.”
What can you say about the legacy of Mastodon’s first 25 years?
“It’s been a fun, wild fucking ride, that’s for sure. We achieved a lot of things that I never in a million years would have imagined. There’s been Grammys, and touring with our heroes like Iron Maiden, Metallica, Motorhead and Tool. I cherish all of that.”
I don’t get my feelings hurt when someone’s like, ‘That riff is not that great.’ I’ll just write another
What are you looking for in a guitar partner and bandmate?
“You gotta be somebody who we all get along with and can stand the true test of time. Living together in a little bus for fucking months at a time – it’s got to be someone who can do that. There’s more variables than just, ‘Oh, this person is a great guitar player.’
“We’ve got to be able to have a beer with them, go out to dinner with them, feel them out and make sure they’re Mastodon material. Like, can they hang, for sure – but it’s got to be someone who has a unique style and is very serious about it.
“I’m as serious as a heart attack about Mastodon. It’s my life. It’s all I really know. I’ve got all my eggs in this basket. So we’re going to keep looking and we’ll find the right person when the time is right and ready.”
Does Brent’s departure mean you’ll be playing more leads and less rhythm guitar?
“We’ll have to see. My lead guitar skills are decent enough – but whoever we get is going to be light years ahead of me. So it depends on the part and the song and if there are certain leads that I write that I want to play.
“If the other guitarist is like, ‘Hey, I wrote this,’ and I like it better than what I wrote, we’ll use his part. I definitely write for the best of the song and what’s best for the band.
“I don’t get my feelings hurt when someone’s like, ‘That riff is not that great.’ It’s like, ‘Okay, I’ll just write another one or change it.’ That goes for leads as well. So, as long as it’s what’s best for the song, it doesn’t matter who plays it. As long as it fits, it’s awesome.”
Have there been any updates to your stable of signature gear?
“ESP just sent me a prototype of a reverse Sparrowhawk. I’m not sure if that’s going into production; they just did a one-off for me for now. Victory Amplification and I are working together on a new Bill Kelliher signature model, which has been going on for a few years now.
“I’m not sure when and if it’s going to come out, but it’s kind of like the Super Kraken MKII. I’m going to have a couple because I use that amp along with my Friedman Butterslax in combination.
“But there’s a couple of tweaks with the Victory that I’d like to see. And I may be doing a guitar pedal – like a distortion pedal, with High Wind Pedal Company.”
Is it exciting to be embarking on a new chapter with Mastodon?
“It’s just one day at a time and getting out there. I don’t look too far into the future, you know? When I do, I get kind of lost and lose sight of today. So I just try to keep my head in the game.”
- Mastodon are on tour starting in May.
