The last two weeks have been incredibly eventful in the world of Chiodos. Last Monday the band announced the departure of members Derrick Frost and Matt Goddard, who were replaced by Thomas Pridgen (ex-Mars Volta) and Joseph Troy (RX Bandits). With only a few days until the band’s run on A Day To Remember’s ‘Parks and Devastation’ tour, the band headed into Metro 37 Studios for their first series of tour practices with the new lineup.
After the tour’s kickoff date in Pittsburgh, keyboardist/backing vocalist Brad Bell spoke with The Pit before their show in New York about some of these big changes, as well as reflecting on their latest album, ‘Devil’.
Commenting on the tour, Bell states, “It’s awesome. Kind of has an outdoor vibe, so it’s almost like a mini-Warped Tour. All the bands are great live, so you know the fans are there to get rowdy and have a good time” adding, “with A Day To Remember’s production, they always get really witty with it. This time they have this National Park/Mount Rushmore vibe, so it’s really cool.”
When addressed with the recent lineup changes in the band, Bell offered his perspective, stating, “It was a little nerve-racking at first. We only had three days to prepare with (Thomas and Joseph), but we thought it was a good time to transition. Everything ended very amicably with Derrick and Matt; they were ready to carry on with us as long as we needed.”
“We don’t really know right now how this lineup will effect the band creatively. This all kind of occurred last minute. We’re definitely going to be writing a new album after this tour. I think this lineup has a ton of talent in it. No matter what, we still have our creative forces that have driven this band.”
Looking back on the group’s most recent album, ‘Devil’, Bell shares, “That album meant a lot to us. It was the first album since we got back together with Craig and Derrick, and it was really a revival of what this band is, and you can see that in the music and the message.”
Chiodos will be on the entirety ‘Parks and Devastation’ tour, and are playing a special off-date with Bring Me The Horizon tonight at Royal Oak Music Theater. Check out the clip above for the full interview!
