Of Mice & Men Talk Moving on Without Austin Carlile, New Song ‘Unbreakable’ + More
One of the more interesting stories of 2017 has been the evolution of Of Mice & Men. For years, Austin Carlile fronted the band and was the group's most recognizable face, but as many know, the singer's health issues brought about by Marfan Syndrome necessitated his exit from the group. A few months after the announcement, Of Mice & Men returned with the new song "Unbreakable" with co-vocalist Aaron Pauley moving over to front the band. Loudwire Nights host Toni Gonzalez had a chance to speak with Pauley and drummer Tino Arteaga at Rock on the Range about the change and also discussed the recent single "Unbreakable."
Pauley joined the Of Mice & Men lineup a few years back now, giving the band more options vocally, so there was consideration of keeping a dual vocal approach, but it was one the band ultimately decided against. "A few names came up, but when we kind of started jamming again, we all started talking about it and I think we came to the same conclusion that it just wouldn't feel right," states Pauley. "In the familial sense, it felt more right to kind of keep it the unit and not try to replace him and try to recreate something that frankly, you can't replace Austin Carlile as a frontman. Why would we try?"
Arteaga adds, "The four of us really wanted to make a statement and have us be stepping up and continue to be the unit that we have been." The drummer reveals that they have kept in touch with Carlile and offer an update on the singer in the video above. While there were a few nervous moments returning to the stage at Las Rageous earlier this spring, the guys says that after the show they knew that had made the right call.
And speaking of making a statement, the band did so with their new single "Unbreakable." Pauley calls the song a reaffirmation for the band and goes more in depth about the meaning of the track, and whether the song will lead to a new album. Watch more of Aaron and Tino's chat with Toni Gonzalez about the band's evolution in the player above.
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