Linkin Park bassist Dave Farrell opened up about the band’s journey following the tragic loss of vocalist Chester Bennington. He shared his personal reflections in an interview with Evropa2.
Farrell discussed the profound impact Chester’s death had on the band. He explained how they eventually found a path forward together.
“In the history of the band, the most tragic thing for sure was losing Chester,” Farrell said. “There’s nothing that would even come close in the process of what we’ve been through.”
The bassist revealed how the remaining members struggled to reconnect and continue making music after the loss.
“So to the effect that like me, Brad, Mike, and Joe from that point forward, it took us years before we were even kind of comfortable getting back in a room and sitting down together and saying like, ‘Do we want to try to start writing again?’ Or ‘Do we even want to do the band anymore? Do we want to make music?'” he continued.
Farrell described his initial response to the tragedy. He explained how he needed time to process the loss.
“My brain like shut off to all that and just said, ‘I’m just going to go be with my family,'” he explained. “I’ll check in with you guys when I see you but for right now like a bomb has just gone off and I need to kind of recover and figure that out.”
He reflected on how time has helped the band members cope. He acknowledged that the pain remains.
“It’s like the cliche of time heals all wounds,” Farrell said. “It doesn’t heal the wound but it does give you an opportunity to try to look at things through a different lens and see what you can do. The tragedy doesn’t leave you. It stays with you but you do figure out a way to [move forward] one step at a time.”
Farrell’s candid reflections highlight the long journey Linkin Park has taken since losing their frontman. This process involved both personal healing and professional uncertainty about the band’s future.
The band’s response to Chester’s death was marked by both tribute and retreat. People revealed that Chester had faced significant personal struggles with addiction before his death. He battled demons on an “hour-by-hour” basis. The timing of his passing was particularly poignant. It occurred on what would have been Chris Cornell’s 53rd birthday. ABC News documented the close bond between the two musicians who had toured together in the mid-2000s.
Chester’s death prompted the band to hold a tribute concert in October 2017 before largely going on hiatus. During this period, band members processed their grief individually. Mike Shinoda channeled his emotions into solo work. Los Angeles Times reported that Shinoda released “Post Traumatic,” an album that directly addressed the aftermath of Bennington’s death. It served as his way of working through the loss.
The band has found ways to honor Chester’s legacy while moving forward despite the extended hiatus. They have continued to release previously unheard songs featuring Chester’s vocals. This allows fans to experience new material from their beloved frontman. The band has also announced significant changes to their lineup. They added Emily Armstrong from Dead Sara as co-vocalist and Colin Brittain as drummer. This signals a new chapter while maintaining respect for Chester’s irreplaceable contribution to their sound.
The journey Farrell describes reflects not just personal healing but the complex process of a band learning to exist after losing such a central figure. It demonstrates that while the wound may never fully heal, it is possible to find a path forward. They keep the memory and impact of their lost bandmate alive.
