Recently speaking to Troy Culpan of May The Rock Be With You, Staind’s Mike Mushok addressed his relationship with his bandmate, Aaron Lewis, in light of the hunting controversy.
When asked to point out one thing that has stayed the same during the band’s almost 30-year history, the guitarist replied by saying:
“Probably the working relationship I feel like that Aaron [Lewis] and I have in that kind of that chemistry. When we get together, I feel like he takes what I have and helps me make it better and really completes what it is and really nails what I’m looking for and having a song. He just does such a great job with the melody and the lyrics.”
Reuniting In The Studio For ‘Confessions Of The Fallen’
Mushok continued, sharing how it felt to get together in the studio after a break of over a decade:
“When we got together for the first time trying to work on [Staind’s first album in 12 years, the recently released ‘Confessions Of The Fallen’], and you’re just, like, ‘Oh, what’s this gonna be like? We haven’t done this in a long time.’ It was like we just picked up where we left off.”
Lewis’ Controversial Hunting Photo
Not long ago, Lewis was criticized by the animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) for sharing a picture where he and three other hunters arranged what seems to be 32 deceased coyotes to spell out ‘Trump 24.’
PETA’s senior vice president, Lisa Lange, talked about the issue in a statement to Billboard:
“How vile and pathetic that a washed-up musician, desperate for relevance, terrorized and killed animals to get a brief taste of the attention he obviously craves.”
She continued, warning the singer to be more careful about his actions:
“PETA encourages Aaron Lewis to seek attention through some act of kindness, rather than slaughtering individuals who are simply trying to eke out an existence in an increasingly paved-over world.”
Lewis faced significant social media backlash as well. Some expressed a pro-Trump, pro-gun, and pro-hunting stance but called for respect for animals and questioned Aaron’s upbringing. Some also criticized Lewis for not contributing to conservation efforts and his approach to managing apex predators.
You can watch Mushok’s entire chat below.
