Linkin Park vocalist Emily Armstrong has opened up about the self-doubt she experienced before joining the band, admitting she questioned whether she was capable of stepping into a role forever associated with the late Chester Bennington.
Armstrong, best known previously as the frontwoman of Dead Sara, joined Linkin Park in 2024. Taking on vocal duties for a band with such an established legacy came with significant pressure, particularly given the emotional connection fans have with Bennington and his performances.
Those initial anxieties are explored in the band’s new live film and documentary, ‘UNSHATTER’. In a recent interview with People, Armstrong reflected on the doubts she faced while preparing to perform some of Linkin Park’s most recognizable songs.
“You see it in the documentary where I’m just like, ‘Am I even cut out for this?’ You’re trying to give yourself every reason to just be like, ‘You’re not good. Everybody knows these songs.’”
Rather than attempting to imitate Bennington, Armstrong eventually settled on an approach that allowed her to honor the original performances while bringing her own identity to the music.
For Armstrong, the goal became capturing the emotional impact of the songs rather than trying to replicate the singer she succeeded.
“That’s the only thing that I could think of. Don’t try to be like anybody. You’re not a replacement. Nobody could ever, ever replace Chester.”
She continued by explaining that she focused on delivering the songs in a way that would resonate with listeners, including longtime fans who have a deep personal connection to Bennington’s voice and the band’s music.
“The only thing that I could possibly try with the old songs is just to have the same emotional impact as much as I possibly can with the songs, because that’s what you’re ultimately going to want at this point.”
Armstrong added that she approached the challenge from the perspective of a Linkin Park fan, considering what she herself would want to feel when hearing the band perform its older material.
“That’s what I would want as a listener, as a Linkin Park fan. I would want that emotional feeling. And I was like, ‘Okay. I think I could do that.’”
Her comments offer insight into the mindset behind her transition into Linkin Park, emphasizing that her intention was never to replace Bennington, but to connect with the music and its audience in her own way.
Read Armstrong’s full interview with People here.
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