Mastodon guitarist Bill Kelliher is big fan of Turnstile, so much so that the hardcore group is even influencing his songwriting work on his band’s next album.
In a new interview with Guitar.com, Kelliher gushed about Turnstile, saying that they’re “bringing back all the cool things” that remind him of the bands he listened to back in the day.
“The stuff I’m working on is the sort of stuff that comes out swinging, you know? I’ve been listening to a lot of Turnstile, and their last record, Glow On, to me, is fucking great,” Kelliher said. “I just love their guitars, and their production of it sounds great. Their songwriting is really good. It reminds me of Bad Brains, but if they were more modern, with some Jane’s Addiction mixed in.”
When asked if the Turnstile album has “reinvigorated” his songwriting, he responded, “In a way, yes. That Turnstile record kind of [focused] my interest in writing in that way. It’s like, ‘Well, you guys are bringing back all the cool things about the bands that I used to listen to and really look up to. I wanna do more of that.’ I’m a product of the ’80s and early-’90s when all that kind of stuff was really popular.”
As for a new Mastodon album, Kelliher told the outlet that “things are happening,” adding, “I want to write music that’s really fucking heavy and to the point. I want it to sound like Mastodon but steer away from the long, drawn-out songs. I feel like we’ve been on that kind of kick for a while, and I want to move on to something a little more tangible.”
Mastodon will hit the road with Gojira for two North American tour legs this spring and summer, with tickets available here. Turnstile, meanwhile, have a busy 2023 itinerary, as well, including a number of dates opening for Blink-182. Pick up tickets to their upcoming shows here.
Kelliher also recently sat down with Heavy Consequence for a video interview, while Turnstile singer Brendan Yates spoke with us when we named his group our 2021 Heavy Band of the Year. See both interviews back to back in the player below.