In case you missed it, LIMBS released their Only The Lonely Know EP on Friday, via UNFD. The surprise drop features the trio of “Empty Vessel”, “I Used To Be You”, and “Suffering”, seeing the Floridian band explore exasperated isolation, unrelenting pain, and swallowing the bitter pill of separation from a toxic connection. On Only The Lonely Know, LIMBS deliver their sentiments with fitting unease or wildness, as well as the occasional wistful moment of reflection.
As part of the revival of our “My Inspiration” series, we’ve heard from LIMBS’ vocalist Austin McAuley who revealed a band that has been significant to him personally, as well as inspired him on his journey as a musician.
Depth: What was the band that sparked your love for music?
Austin: The band that sparked my love for music was Linkin Park.
Depth: What was the experience you had with Linkin Park that kicked it off for you?
Austin: I remember being 10 or 11 years old and hearing “One Step Closer” on the radio for the first time. I had never heard anything like it! The heaviness of the guitars, the strong, gritty vocals of Chester Bennington, and the combination of hip hop and electronic influences had me instantly hooked. Before then, the only rock n roll I knew were the classics like Led Zeppelin or Black Sabbath.
Depth: What do you think it was about them that had it hit home for you?
Austin: I became a huge fan of the band for so many reasons, downloading everything I could find by them off Napster or LimeWire at the time (showing my age there). But it was just all new to me: screaming vocals, electronic elements and meaningful lyrics all encompassed by heavy distorted guitars and driving drums.
Depth: Tell us about the stand out albums or songs for you.
Austin: Hybrid Theory, their first album, is the first CD I ever bought. I listened to it exclusively for the better part of a year and still remains to this day, one of my top five favorite records of all time. Every song is absolutely perfect. But if I had to pick favorites, I’d go with “Crawling” and “A Place For My Head.” These were the anthems of my adolescence.
Depth: In which ways do you feel that Linkin Park and their music have influenced the way you make music now with LIMBS?
Austin: Linkin Park has been a huge influence to me as a musician; not only vocally, looking up to Chester and seeing and hearing what could be possible when learning about my own voice and how to use it, but also writing songs with structure and learning to create memorable choruses and hooks without giving up creativity and individuality. They are a prime example of what “thinking outside the box” can do for an artist.
They seamlessly blended so many genres together in a new way that hasn’t really been done before and they will always be a constant source of inspiration for me. And now I’m gonna go cruise around the neighborhood, windows down and blare the whole record at FULL VOLUME!
You can check out LIMBS’ Only The Lonely Know here: https://unfd.lnk.to/OTLK
