If I'm not writing songs about things I've actually been through, it ruins the idea of making music to me.
Austin Carlile
It's disheartening to read the really negative stuff, but at the same time, I know who I am, and I'm comfortable with myself.
Linkin Park has been a band for such a long time, for me, in my eyes. I was 16 years old when I first heard them. I heard 'Hybrid Theory,' and I was floored at what I was listening to. It was angry yet melodic, it had hip-hop and it had - it was just different, good. Good songwriting.
The 'rock world' is a lot smaller than it used to be. It's doing a lot less things than it used to be. From Woodstock back in the day and Rage Against the Machine, no one sells millions of records anymore.
I'm not going to be like a rapper and mention the people I'm talking about in my songs by name.
I'm actually at home when I'm not on tour, and I have a lot of downtime.
I had actually hurt my neck, and because I went a while without getting it taken care of - it was pushing up against the back of my heart - and because I have heart issues, they thought it was this whole big deal. So I spent a good three days in the hospital, two nights in the ICU.
