If you’re reading this (because you clicked through), you probably know that The Dillinger Escape Plan are one of the most respected metal/rock bands of their generation.

They’ve grown from their roots as a DIY hardcore band playing basement shows in New Jersey to touring with bands like System of a Down, AFI and Coheed and Cambria and collaborating with artists like Mike Patton (Faith No More) and Brent Hinds (Mastodon), all without making a single creative compromise.

I always hold DEP up as the example of what every band should go for: they’ll never be the biggest band in the world, but they’ll have an incredibly loyal fanbase who will follow them as long as they want to keep playing music. It’s a path that every artist wishes they could follow, but few are able to actually achieve, and I am really proud to have shared some of the same stinky basements with them along the way!

Ben and I chatted about what enables Dillinger to take so many creative chances without losing their fans, why the things an artist DOESN’T do matter the most, and some of the things that Ben would have done differently in hindsight.

For a deeper look at how they work in the studio check out Ben & Steve Evetts’ CreativeLive class

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