Bill Kelliher has looked back on his songwriting partnership with the late Brent Hinds, which he says felt like a “competition”.
Hinds’ exit from Mastodon in March last year sent shockwaves through the fanbase. His tragic death several months did the same. The band has since released their first record following his death, Marrow Deep.
Speaking in the new issue of Guitarist, guitarist and key songwriter Kelliher admits writing with Hinds was a rocky experience.
“I’m constantly writing. With Brent, it was always a competition, which I didn’t understand. It was one-sided with him,” he says. “He was interesting – a great fucking guitar player and songwriter – but it was difficult to write with him. With this new stuff, I’m writing all the time and putting riffs into my phone.
“But with Brent, after a while, he was just on his own wave… He just wasn’t into it any more. I was like, ‘Dude, how great is it that we get to go up on stage, have people buy our albums and worship you?’ But he just had this self-destructive streak.”
The band said they were unsure about speaking out about Hinds’ troubles, and the manner in which they reluctantly parted ways, given that he wasn’t around to contribute to the conversation. Still, Hinds’ legacy lacquers Marrow Deep – a record they see as a tribute as well as a fresh start. Sadly, something had to change.
“We were on totally different ends of the spectrum as far as guitar and personality,” Kelliher continues. “We did have a lot of things in common, but he was dangerous. I think that’s what made the Mastodon we were in the early days. He would just do whatever the fuck he wanted to do, but that got old after a while.”
After a relentless career that’s produced nine albums and six Grammy nominations, the band is an established institution. At 55, Kelliher is the oldest of the core group, and everything the guitarist says points towards them growing up, while Hinds was stuck in a destructive place. It’s hard to hear, but he says life in the band improved when he left.
“Honestly, it was like a big weight had been lifted,” Kelliher confesses of Hinds' departure from the band. “I was doing the lion’s share of the writing, but I always had to think, ‘Is Brent gonna like this?’ And pretty soon, he didn’t like anything that we would come up with.”
Hinds once said he hated heavy metal – a soundbite that went on to make many headlines. But that only scratched the surface of the effervescent and complex personality he was.
Now the band is facing a lawsuit from the late guitarist’s estate, claiming they financially benefited from his image following his death. The band has strongly refuted the claims.
They’ve also added another member to their live lineup, Baroness’ John Baizely. He’ll join them on their US tour with Deafheaven and Alcest.
Kelliher’s full interview features in the new issue of Guitarist. You can pick up print and digital copies from Magazines Direct.
