Shinedown’s Zach Myers Defends Utilizing Backing Tracks in Live performance

One of many hottest debates throughout the fashionable rock and metallic scene(s) is whether or not it’s okay for bands to make use of backing tracks all through stay exhibits. In a brand new interview with American Musical Supply, Shinedown guitarist Zach Myers defended bands utilizing backing tracks throughout concert events, citing a particular legendary rock act as proof of why it’s acceptable.

What Myers Mentioned

Chatting with AMS’ Ryan Dacey at this yr’s Welcome to Rockville competition, Myers mentioned a number of subjects, together with his signature PRS guitar, how Shinedown provide you with setlists and being a dad.

Early into their dialog, Myers talked about Shinedown ditching click on tracks earlier than mentioning: “There’s some songs, clearly, we nonetheless do ‘trigger we run string tracks and issues like that.”

Dacey responded: “Properly, it’s important to. I imply, when you’re going to recreate one thing that basically was good within the studio, you wanna carry it there and also you wanna signify it as illustration of it with out it being word for word the identical actual factor.”

“Completely!” Myers replied, including:

I believe there’s a giant false impression about, like – I see all these bands that like – it’s turn into this cool pattern to brag about not utilizing tracks. [Myers looks into the camera] Like, shut up, dude! Who cares? Queen did it, so shut up. If Queen did it, shut up. Don’t say anything, and when you wanna do it, that’s nice. However, like, individuals wanna hear the symphony on “Second Chance,” and I don’t really feel like citing –

Now, when you’re working vocals and also you’re working guitars and also you’re not enjoying issues, I’m not for that. That’s – yeah. I believe individuals assume that while you run tracks, that’s what you’re doing. I’m like, “Dude, there’s not, like, . . . a guitar observe on the market. There’s not a bass observe. All the things you’re listening to is coming from us except you hear a cello or a violin.

You may see Myers’ complete interview with AMS – which was uploaded to American Musical Provide’s YouTube channel on June 20 – beneath.

Additionally, tell us when you agree with Myers, disagree with him solely or land someplace within the center!

Zach Myers Discusses Backing Tracks + Extra With American Musical Provide

READ MORE: 6 Big Things That Happened at Welcome to Rockville 2025

Myers’ Earlier Ideas on Backing Tracks

Myers beforehand gave his opinion on bands utilizing backing tracks in a 2024 appearance on The Jeremy White Show. He defined [as transcribed by Blabbermouth]:

We have by no means been this band that makes use of . . . I believe as a result of we discuss tracks, individuals assume that we’re this band that makes use of all these tracks and that is not true.

Here is the factor: all these individuals who bitch about it, and even [SiriusXM radio personality] Eddie Trunk [who has been vocal about his dismay for the use of backing tracks during live shows], I agree with sure issues they stated. If there is a guitar solo happening and the man’s not soloing, dude, that is bullshit. I agree with that. If there’s anyone pretending to play the piano, I agree with that. If there is a man up there simply [pretends to be singing without making a sound] and he isn’t singing, I agree with that. We simply use it to fill in . . . We do not wanna rent one other bandmember or two extra bandmembers. I do not wanna play a xylophone within the two seconds that I am not enjoying guitar. I do not wanna be holding the keyboard and maintain the guitar on the identical time. I can — I do it on “State Of My Head.”

Later, he continued [via Blabbermouth]:

I believe that there is methods to do it which are nice that you do not need to carry three different individuals on stage with you and mess up the dynamic of what your band is. And so I undoubtedly assume there is a manner to try this. I do not get mad at these previous “get off my garden” dudes who’re, like, “Oh, properly, I do not assume it is that manner.” The humorous factor about Trunk, to me, is 2 of his favourite bands are Def Leppard and Kiss, and I am, like, “You do not say shit about them doing it, man.” Dude, Def Leppard invented tracks. Them and Queen. I can not consider two different bands who did it first.

Here is the factor, once more: when you’re paying cash to go see a present and it is all on observe — dude, I am with you, man. That is bullshit. Go see a play. However this is the factor, and I might invite Eddie Trunk to do that: come to our present, seize a set of in-ears, put ’em in and we’ll mute the tracks which are rolling and you will not be capable to inform a fucking distinction. I agree that if bands can go on stage and never do it with out it, that is an issue. I can not inform you the quantity of exhibits that our tracks have gone down and nobody is aware of. We know, however nobody is aware of. We have completed so many exhibits the place the system shut down. “All proper, we’ll simply end the present.”

What Else is New With Shinedown?

Earlier this yr, Shinedown launched two singles (“Dance, Kid, Dance” and “Three Six Five”) from their upcoming follow-up to 2022’s Planet Zero, and so they additionally launched their 2025 tour in epic fashion again in April.

Plus, Shinedown made our record of 6 Big Things That Happened at Welcome to Rockville 2025 by bringing out guitarist Rickey Medlocke and singer Johnny Van Zant for his or her well-known cowl of Lynyrd Skynyrd‘s “Easy Man.” Medlocke kicked off the music and Van Zant carried out lead vocals previous to Shinedown becoming a member of in.

Extra In regards to the Backing Tracks Debate

As already talked about, individuals each inside and out of doors of the trade have long been discussing the pros and cons of bands relying on backing tracks. In reality, there’ve been dozens of rock and metal artists who’ve shared their thoughts on the matter.

For example, Sebastian Bach instructed Ultimate Classic Rock in 2021: “There’s gonna be a time when these tape bands are gonna need to do it for actual, and persons are gonna go, ‘This can be a fucking joke.’ And I simply know that actual musicians hit your coronary heart far more exhausting than guys miming to a tape.”

In distinction, Motley Crue bassist Nikki Sixx stated in a 2019 tweet: “We’ve used know-how since 87.Been utilizing sequencers, sub tones,  background vox tracks plus background singers and us. Stuff we will’t tour with like cello components in ballads and many others. Identical as NIN and all people else.We find it irresistible and don’t conceal it. It’s an amazing software to fill out the sound.”

There’ve additionally been numerous bands who’ve admitted to using backing tracks, akin to Shinedown, Falling in Reverse, W.A.S.P. and Fozzy. But, in 2023, Mudvayne frontman Chad Gray bluntly called the use of backing tracks an “epidemic” within the industry earlier than detailing how the group manages to retain their studio high quality on stage with out needing the controversial technological tactic.

“We introduced in a utility participant — actually — anyone simply to assist us. However he is actually singing, he is actually enjoying guitar,” Grey stated of pal and guitar tech Marcus Rafferty. “Our music is fucking trustworthy and our music needs to be performed that manner. And I do not give a shit if anyone says any damaging shit about us having Marcus. That was our reply to making an attempt to be like different bands that simply aren’t doing it anymore.”