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One of the hottest debates within the modern rock and metal scene(s) is whether it\u2019s okay for bands to use backing tracks<\/a> throughout live shows. In a new interview with American Musical Supply<\/a>, Shinedown<\/a> guitarist Zach Myers<\/a> defended bands using backing tracks during concerts, citing a specific legendary rock act as proof of why it\u2019s acceptable.<\/p>\n Speaking to AMS\u2019 Ryan Dacey at this year\u2019s Welcome to Rockville<\/a> festival, Myers discussed a host of topics, including his signature PRS guitar, how Shinedown come up with setlists and being a dad.<\/p>\n Early into their conversation, Myers talked about Shinedown ditching click tracks before mentioning: \u201cThere\u2019s some songs, obviously, we still do \u2018cause we run string tracks and things like that.\u201d<\/p>\n Dacey responded: \u201cWell, you have to. I mean, if you\u2019re going to recreate something that essentially was perfect<\/em> in the studio, you wanna bring it there and you wanna represent it as a good representation of it without it being note for note the same exact thing.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAbsolutely!\u201d Myers replied, adding:<\/p>\n I think there\u2019s a big misconception about, like \u2013 I see all these bands that like \u2013 it\u2019s become this cool trend to brag about not using tracks. [Myers looks into the camera] Like, shut up, dude! Who cares? Queen did it, so shut up. If Queen did it, shut up. Don\u2019t say anything else, and if you wanna do it, that\u2019s great. But, like, people wanna hear the symphony on \u201cSecond Chance<\/a>,\u201d and I don\u2019t feel like bringing up \u2013<\/p>\n Now, if you\u2019re running vocals and you\u2019re running guitars and you\u2019re not playing things, I\u2019m not for that. That\u2019s \u2013 yeah. I think people think that when you run tracks, that\u2019s what you\u2019re doing. I\u2019m like,\u00a0\u201cDude, there\u2019s not, like, . . . a guitar track out there. There\u2019s not a bass track. Everything you\u2019re hearing is coming from us unless you hear a cello or a violin.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n You can see Myers\u2019 entire interview with AMS \u2013 which was uploaded to American Musical Supply\u2019s YouTube channel on June 20 \u2013 below.<\/p>\n Also, let us know if you agree with Myers, disagree with him entirely or land somewhere in the middle!<\/p>\n Zach Myers Discusses Backing Tracks + More With American Musical Supply<\/strong><\/p>\n READ MORE: 6 Big Things That Happened at Welcome to Rockville 2025<\/a><\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n Myers previously gave his opinion on bands using backing tracks in a 2024 appearance on The Jeremy White Show<\/em><\/a>. He explained [as transcribed by Blabbermouth<\/a>]:<\/p>\n We’ve never been this band that uses . . . I think because we talk about tracks, people think that we are this band that uses all these tracks and that’s not true.<\/p>\n Here’s the thing: all these people who bitch about it, and even [SiriusXM\u00a0radio personality]\u00a0Eddie Trunk<\/a>\u00a0[who has been vocal about his dismay for the use of backing tracks during live shows], I agree with certain things they said. If there’s a guitar solo going on and the guy’s not soloing, dude, that’s bullshit. I agree with that. If there’s somebody pretending to play the piano, I agree with that. If there’s a guy up there just [pretends to be singing without making a sound<\/em>] and he’s not singing, I agree with that. We just use it to fill in . . . We don’t wanna hire another bandmember or two more bandmembers. I don’t wanna play a xylophone in the two seconds that I’m not playing guitar. I don’t wanna be holding the keyboard and hold the guitar at the same time. I can \u2014 I do it on\u00a0\u201cState Of My Head<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Later, he continued [via Blabbermouth]:<\/p>\n I think that there’s ways to do it that are great that you don’t want to bring three other people on stage with you and mess up the dynamic of what your band is. And so I definitely think there’s a way to do that. I don’t get mad at these old \u201cget off my lawn\u201d dudes who are, like, \u201cOh, well, I don’t think it’s that way.\u201d The funny thing about\u00a0Trunk, to me, is two of his favorite bands are\u00a0Def Leppard<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Kiss<\/a>, and I’m, like, \u201cYou don’t say shit about them doing it, man.\u201d Dude,\u00a0Def Leppard\u00a0invented<\/em>\u00a0tracks. Them and\u00a0Queen. I can’t think of two other bands who did it first.<\/p>\n Here’s the thing, again: if you’re paying money to go see a show and it’s all on track \u2014 dude, I’m with you, man. That’s bullshit. Go see a play. But here’s the thing, and I would invite\u00a0Eddie Trunk\u00a0to do this: come to our show, grab a set of in-ears, put ’em in and we’ll mute the tracks that are rolling and you won’t be able to tell a\u00a0fucking<\/em>\u00a0difference. I agree that if bands can go on stage and not do it without it, that’s a problem. I can’t tell you the amount of shows that our tracks have gone down and no one knows.\u00a0We<\/em>\u00a0know, but no one knows. We’ve finished so many shows where the system shut down. \u201cAll right, we’ll just finish the show.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Earlier this year, Shinedown released two singles (\u201cDance, Kid, Dance<\/a>\u201d and \u201cThree Six Five<\/a>\u201d) from their upcoming follow-up to 2022\u2019s Planet Zero<\/a><\/em>, and they also launched their 2025 tour in epic fashion<\/a> back in April.<\/p>\n Plus, Shinedown made our list of 6 Big Things That Happened at Welcome to Rockville 2025<\/a> by\u00a0bringing out guitarist Rickey Medlocke and singer Johnny Van Zant<\/a>\u00a0for their\u00a0famous cover of Lynyrd Skynyrd<\/a>‘s “Simple Man.” Medlocke kicked off the song and Van Zant performed lead vocals prior to Shinedown joining in.<\/p>\n As already mentioned, people both inside and outside of the industry have long been discussing the pros and cons of bands relying on backing tracks<\/a>. In fact, there\u2019ve been dozens of rock and metal artists who\u2019ve shared their thoughts on the matter<\/a>.<\/p>\n For instance, Sebastian Bach<\/a> told Ultimate Classic Rock<\/a> in 2021: \u201cThere’s gonna be a time when those tape bands are gonna have to do it for real, and people are gonna go, ‘This is a fucking joke.’ And I just know that real musicians hit your heart way more hard than guys miming to a tape.\u201d<\/p>\n In contrast, Motley Crue<\/a> bassist Nikki Sixx<\/a> said in a 2019 tweet<\/a>: \u201cWe\u2019ve used technology since 87.Been using sequencers, sub tones,\u00a0 background vox tracks plus background singers and us. Stuff we can\u2019t tour with like cello parts in ballads etc. Same as NIN and everybody else.We love it and don\u2019t hide it. It\u2019s a great tool to fill out the sound.\u201d<\/p>\n There\u2019ve also been numerous bands who\u2019ve admitted to using backing tracks<\/a>, such as Shinedown, Falling in Reverse<\/a>, W.A.S.P.<\/a> and Fozzy<\/a>. Yet, in 2023, Mudvayne<\/a> frontman Chad Gray<\/a> bluntly called the use of backing tracks an \u201cepidemic\u201d within the industry<\/a> before detailing how the group manages to retain their studio quality on stage without<\/em> needing the controversial technological tactic.<\/p>\n \u201cWe brought in a utility player \u2014 literally \u2014 somebody just to help us. But he’s really singing, he’s really playing guitar,\u201d Gray said of friend and guitar tech Marcus Rafferty<\/a>. \u201cOur music is fucking honest and our music has to be played that way. And I don’t give a shit if anybody says any negative shit about us having Marcus. That was our answer to trying to be like other bands that just aren’t doing it anymore.”<\/p>\n Tens of thousands of rock and metal songs have been released in the 21st century. Here are the 25 best ones of these last 25 years!<\/p>\n Entries written by Rabab Al-Sharif (RA) Chad Childers (CC), Joe DiVita (JD) and Lauryn Schaffner (LS).<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Gallery Credit: Loudwire Staff<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nWhat Myers Said<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Myers’ Previous Thoughts on Backing Tracks<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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What Else is New With Shinedown?<\/h3>\n
More About the Backing Tracks Debate<\/h3>\n
The 25 Best Rock Songs of the Last 25 Years (2000-2024)<\/h2>\n