Linkin Park is back on stage!

After being on hiatus since 2017, Grammy-winning band Linkin Park surprised fans when they kicked off their "Zero World Tour" in Los Angeles with new lead singer Emily Armstrong.

During a virtual interview, Linkin Park's co-founder Mike Shinoda mentioned that it was a hard time keeping Emily's identity a secret from the public.

"It was really hard for me because there were certain things that we had to keep quiet about, and we had so many plans on our sleeves before the launch, and I think it was a miracle that it stayed a secret," Mike said.

Mike, 47, also mentioned that having Emily on board with the band is going to be a big change for her and the fans.

"We knew so much was gonna change for them [Emily], the moment everybody found out that they were in the band, and you know the show's gonna be happening with them, and the album is written and going to be performed with them," he added.

The band's longtime keyboards Brad Nelson, mentioned that it was a miracle for them to keep it for a long time and thankful for the people who respected their decision with their timeline.

"I think it was miraculous that the secret was kept, I mean we worked with so many people for months, we are thankful and we respect those people who protected and preserved the information that we wanted to share in our timeline, it was outrageously realistic," Brad said.

But despite keeping it under wraps, Mike was thankful for his bandmates after revealing Emily to the public they could finally enjoy a nice dinner together as a band.

"I was just glad that after we did the launch show, we were out of the closet, we could be like going to dinner together, without having to worry about people spreading rumor," he added. 

Emily Armstrong, 38, is no newcomer to the music scene. She was part of a band called Dead Sara, which she formed at 16 with her friend Siouxsie Medley. Emily first encountered Linkin Park in 2019 when the band invited her for a try-out.

By 2023, she was recording with Linkin Park and officially debuted as a member this September.

A new era of music

Aside from introducing a new lead singer, the band also release a new album called "From Zero" which will be available on Nov. 15 on all streaming platforms.

"What I like about the album is that it's a Linkin Park album even though it's different, and it doesn't sound like one Linkin Park era, it just sounds like Linkin Park in general for me. And there are elements on it that are some of my favorites, that we haven't done in a while," Mike said.

As per Emily, what she's excited about in the album is performing the songs "Two Faced", "Casualty" and "Overflow" live during their tour.

"Those three, I think, were the ones we’ve kinda been talking about… like, really wanting to explore live. I think we’re gonna do some rehearsals when we get home and, you know, put it into our live set," she said.

Before the release of their upcoming eighth album, Linkin Park unveiled its newest single "The Emptiness Machine", from the same album.