We will be uploading a ton of videos over the course of the next few weeks that we shot at South By Southwest a few weeks back, documenting all the metal happenings at that event. One of my personal highlights was getting to sit down and talk with M. Shawn Crahan, aka Clown of Slipknot.
We've written a lot about the future of the band ever since the tragic passing of Paul Gray. Everybody got excited when the band announced they will be moving on and even announced as headliners on this summer's Mayhem Festival. Lately, there has been two different sides to the story regarding the future of new music from the band. Frontman Corey Taylor says it's a long ways away, meanwhile Joey Jordison has said there is already new music, and he has written it. Who is to be believed? I knew that I could get an answer from Crahan, so I asked him if there would be new music and why do we keep hearing conflicting stories from Joridson and Taylor. Thankfully, Crahan cleared it up for me. You can watch the video here, and I have transcribed his answer to the question:
I can clear it up easily for you. Everyone in the band is writing all the time. Whether it's a micro-cassette recorder or a memo on your iPhone or Corey writing random things he invents in his head on a piece of paper or Joey saying 'I got nothing to do, I'm gonna go in the studio with all these ideas. I'm going to rent out a studio for a month and a half and I'm going to fucking write.'
I think what people don't understand about what's being said is that we're all dealing with Paul's death differently. Some want to move, some want to take time. But basically, what's being said is of course things are being written. But nothing is done because we're not together yet. And there is no reason to get together to talk about it because there are other things moving, like the grieving process.
Stone Stour is going to go out and do their thing, which they should. They've earned it. It's a good thing. Just me down here at SXSW, I'm the only guy here, doing something. I should be allowed to have this outlet.
Really, what it all comes down to is that, yes, writing is being done seriously every day, but it is going to be a while. It's just going to be. There's things going on. It gets a little perverted in the press, almost like 'he says yes, he says no, we got a problem.' It's more like, yeah, writing is going on but it's going to be a while, and both of them are telling the truth, and I'm here to tell you, we're not going nowhere!
So basically, the band haven't really talked much and we probably won't get any definitive answers until they finally get together this summer. Watch the full interview to also hear Shawn talk about his upcoming photo book, playing Mayhem Fest and more. If that's not enough, check out all of our SXSW 2012 video coverage, with more clips being added daily.
