Audacy Check-In

Fresh off the release of “Who Will You Follow,” Evanescence have revealed plans for their upcoming album, 'Sanctuary,' due out June 5. Amy Lee joined Abe Kanan for an Audacy Check In to talk touring, the inspiration for the album, and what it means to balance motherhood and music. .The album has been a work in progress for "3 years solid," with Amy sharing that the new song, "Who Will You Follow," was the second-to-last track written for the project. “I felt very fueled, by the state of the world creatively,” she says of the song and album. “I feel like I have a ton to get off my chest. This music is a sanctuary for me.". ."I've been kind of underground for the beginning of this year. I just sort of had to disappear and finish all the lyrics, which seemed more important than ever, and finally pulled my head up and we just finished the album.”. .Lee views the music, and the new album 'Sanctuary,' as a personal haven and a space for self-expression without censorship. She also notes that she is now less "precious and insecure" about collaboration than earlier in her career, working with 3 producers on the new project. “It's just like, here it is,” says Amy. “I'm not afraid of rejection. I want to open my heart to hear what somebody else has to say.”. .“I feel like, when we were making our first music, when we were making our first album, I was just shy. It was hard to share with anybody and also, you know, really trying to prove myself in those first couple of albums, especially like as a writer. Everybody knows I'm a singer, but like let me do my s*** all myself, a lot of the time, when it just doesn't have to be that way.” . .“Music is from the universe, like all these things that we share, this is spiritual, this is deeper than one person's journey, but at the same time it's all very, very specifically personal to me in my life.”. .For more from Amy Lee of Evanescence, check out the full conversation above.

Evanescence have offered up the first official sample of their upcoming album, 'Sanctuary,' and Amy Lee stopped by our Los Angeles studios to unpack their latest effort during an Audacy Check In with Kevin Ryder. Set to arrive on June 5, 'Sanctuary' finds the band in a “huge creative burst,” thanks in part to collaboration with producers Nick Raskulinecz, Zakk Cervini, and Jordan Fish. “We've worked with some incredible people this time around, Three producers actually,” Amy explains. “So as a team, being in there with them and creating these songs, and we just had a huge creative burst. It has been, just a, I don't know, like a new energy. It's hard to really explain, but it feels really special.” It starts now with the new single, “Who Will You Follow,” which Amy reveals is about breaking through the lies to what’s real. “I feel like we're just inundated with so much information now, with people that have a stake in what we believe,” Lee says. “It feels like truth is for sale. So this for me is about breaking through that into the real world and, the album, you know, it's called ‘Sanctuary,’ it's like that. It's a sanctuary, not an escape from this chaotic, surreal, violent time, but escape from the lies, saying that we're not living in that crazy time.” “It is a sanctuary of truth and community,” she adds. “Moving from the song to album, I just feel like this music is a sanctuary for me. It has been. It is every time, you know, last time we made an album, it was the pandemic hitting all around us at the same time and kind of wondering what's next and how do we go on tour and will things ever be normal again. I think when we're in these big, in my life, powerful and painful and difficult moments, and also in the outside world going through these wild moments where we feel like we don't have control and things are slipping through our fingers, the music is a place for me to be able to say anything. No censorship, no holding back. Nobody's telling me I can't, anything. It's our world, and it just feels so beautiful also to give somebody else something that gives them joy.” For much more from Amy Lee of Evanescence, check out the full conversation above.

Just days after the release of their triumphant return to music, 'ARIRANG,' the members of BTS gathered inside the Rockstar Suite at Hard Rock Hotel New York to talk with Bru about the emotions surrounding their return, the lessons they learned while they were away, the making of their chart-topping album, and so much more. Starting with the lead single, “SWIM,” BTS unpacked their now-number one album, 'ARIRANG,' saying that the track is one they connected with the most when recording in the states. “This was the track we connected with the most,” shares Jimin, “which is why we chose it as our lead single. “What personally resonated with me was the idea that BTS is a team with room for continuous growth, one that keeps moving forward toward better music That message really stuck with me and felt just right for the lead single.” “We felt like we have to come back with a big project,” RM reveals, when asked why the group went all out with a full album for their return. “With fresh new songs.” Even when away from the spotlight, BTS would connect in the group chat about what the next chapter might look like, sending each other links of inspiration and ideas, according to V. The result is an album packed with collaboration and purpose, with each member quick to shout out a different track that they were most proud of. There were a lot of emotions for both fans and the members of BTS during their time away, but the overwhelming lead of it all was imagining how it would feel to reunite with each other. “I think the first emotion or the first thought that came to mind was just curiosity about what it would be like when we get back together, and what kind of music would we do as a group?” shares j-hope. “So we just wanted to get back together as soon as possible and just get on to it.” There were also moments of missing out along the way, wondering what would be if they were together. “So I was the first one who got discharged from the group,” says Jin. “I went to the Paris Olympics for the torch relay. That's when Jimin's album was released when he was in the military, and I felt like it would've been really nice if Jimin got out to enjoy this and celebrate this together.” It’s a rarity that a group the magnitude of BTS gets to experiment with solo projects as much as the members have, each bringing something new to the mix when it was time to come back. “I felt a lot of that while working on this album,” Jung Kook says. “Like j-hope mentioned earlier, that was why I have been looking forward to working together again as a group, because we couldn't be there to witness each other growing through all those experiences and time. So I was very much looking forward to this song session and then this project.” “We just want to have a good time with the ARMY and the people that love us and listen to us,” RM reveals about the group’s legacy, something he says they have collectively discussed quite a bit. “We just want to claim ourselves again, we started rooted in Korea, and now we're here.We're in New York, we're in Europe, we're everywhere, but still, we just wanna make it clear, we all born in Korea, started everything in Korea. We just wanted our new album and our sound from now on could be universal and eternal like the Korean traditional song.” The group also took time to talk about what’s left on their bucket list, their Netflix special, and the role that fashion plays in the group. “Honestly, back when we first debuted, I don't think I had much room to think about things like matching the outfits to the music,” smiles j-hope. “But now it just goes shoulder to shoulder. Fashion inspires our music and I definitely think that fashion is a way to express our music in a better way.” For much more from BTS, check out the full conversation above.

As Young The Giant prepares to reveal their sixth studio album, 'Victory Garden,' the band stopped by the Hard Rock Hotel New York to talk about their evolution over the past 15 years, and the lens from which they created their latest project. “There's always more that we want to say,” admits Sameer Gadhia, “and we don't feel anywhere close to having said all of it. So I think there's this inevitability of an inspiration for a record and music.” “When creating this particular record, we're really yearning to kind of come together and get back to our roots as like brothers,” adds Eric Cannata, “and kind of build community within each other, and check in with all of us where we're at, and I think our yearning to kind of be together in a room writing, recording everything, sort of echoes, at least from what you know we discussed with our family and friends and communities, what a lot of people are feeling right now is, the desire to get back to our humanity.” “Being together and viewing the world through the eyes of our children, of all of these guys have young children, and so with that the idea of viewing the world through the lens of a child, it comes like the idea of being present with one another and having empathy for one another so we're really trying to channel that and going forward into our new writing, future writing, I think it's almost become a little bit of like what Young the Giant at its core is about, is viewing the world through the eyes of a of a child.” “It's difficult what's going on right now in the world and I think that if we can bring that sense of humanity that we were searching for within each other that we're still searching for with each other, that hopefully people can feel at home at our shows.” For much more from Young The Giant, check out the full conversation above. 'Victory Garden' is out everywhere on May 1.

The Pussycat Dolls are back, bringing their unshakable hits to a new generation and starting a new chapter with a massive tour and the new single, “Club Song.” The trio recently joined Mike Adam inside the Hard Rock Hotel New York for an Audacy Check In, talking about the differences between now and their 2005 success, and so much more. When asked if there are any new fears or concerns about hitting the road today compared to 20 years ago, Nicole Scherzinger was quick to joke, “when you say fear I think of my knees, my neck, my lower back." “I am just so excited to get back out there and the excitement is overrunning everything at the minute,” adds Kimberly Wyatt. “But the fear comes in place of just trying to get the balance right, trying to keep the mindfulness strong, trying to make sure I'm there for the kids, and they know that that mommy's still in their lives and taking them with me as much as possible, just getting that balance.” “I think enjoying it a bit more,” Ashley Roberts chimes in. “20 years ago, you know, everything was happening so fast and our schedule was nuts and it will be so nice this time around to share the stage with these gorgeous, fabulous women and then also just soak up every moment, be present, and enjoy it a bit more.” These fierce women might need “reminding a little bit” when it comes to the lyrics, but they noted that TikTok and the younger generation have kept PCD current. “The great thing about TikTok and this younger generation is they're still recreating fun things to our songs, but sometimes things will come up and I'm like, ‘wait, was that us? Did we say that? What was it?’” laughs Ashley. “I feel like I need reminding a little bit.” So much has changed across the musical landscape in the past two decades, but also in the way the members of The Pussycat Dolls approach their mental health. “There's so much more awareness and I felt so I was a little lost soul back then,” admits Kimberly. “Looking for the dream and doing anything and sacrificing to just make that dream come true. But man, when your dreams come true and you realize there's a lot of inner work that still needs to be done, that is an endeavor worth taking.” “I think we've all been on such a journey to finally arrive here, and what makes this so special is to have those experiences, be women, know our value, own our power and be able to show up. It's like, I know these girls, but we're showing up with so much work that has been done, and that is a much different showing up.” To hear much more from The Pussycat Dolls about their return and the new track, “Club Song,” listen to the full interview above.

There’s music videos and then there is The Pretty Reckless’ visuals for “When I Wake Up.” The group revealed the clip earlier this month, feature a POV romp through sex, drugs, cigarettes, more sex, drinking, photo booths, more cigarettes, and even more sex. Even in 2026, it left us saying, “is this allowed?” The Pretty Reckless singer Taylor Momsen recently joined us for an Audacy Check In to talk about the video, and the band’s upcoming album, 'Dear God,' set to arrive everywhere on June 26. “I think my first thought when we put it out was, really all I thought for the first day was, ‘at what point is this going to get taken down?’” Momsen tells Abe Kanan. “It was an undertaking on my part. We shot for two days, I'm directing it with Chris Acosta. I filmed most of it, like physically. It's the visual representation of, to me, what ‘When I Wake Up’ is about.” “It's like the song. It's a lot of fun to watch, but it takes a dark turn. It's what ‘When I Wake Up’ is saying. We all know the story, you know, we've all heard it before. Some of us have lived it. I'm one of those people. It's where you live a life of excess and debauchery and chasing things outside of yourself to escape your demons and whatever's tormenting you, and that only goes one way at the end of the day, that only goes down. So that's what the song is, and that's what I really wanted the video to feel like, to really take you on that journey with me of something that I lived and survived.” The song is set to be a part of 'Dear God,' due out everywhere on June 26. “It's very exciting to have new music out. It's even more exciting to have a release date for the full album. It's even more exciting to know there's a headline tour on the way because it cannot wait to be headlining again. It's been amazing. I feel like we're in a really good place and everything that's about to come is just incredibly exciting.” To hear for the full conversation with Taylor Momsen, check out the Audacy Check In above.

Shinedown is "everyone's band," as they say, and boy are we all busy this year. The multi-genre, chart-topping, non-stop group is set to release their eighth studio album on May 29, titled, 'EI8HT,' and embark on their 'Dance, Kid, Dance Act II Tour' as well. Brent Smith recently joined Abe Kanan for an Audacy Check In to talk about the making of their latest project, and share tour plans for this year and beyond. "I'm excited for everybody to hear the entire record," shares Smith. "One of the things about this album that is different than the last two is that this isn't a conceptual piece, so it's more of a traditional record where all of these songs belong on the same body of work, but every song is its own story." "It is considered an album, but it's essentially a double record," Brent adds. "This album took about a year and a half years to make. When I'm looking at like when we started it and how we were putting everything together, and obviously last year, releasing 4 singles, then doing the 'Dance Kid Dance Tour,' that's now parlaying into this year with Act 2. That was all by design, but the thing about the record is that there's not one ounce of filler on this particular project. Not that we ever look at making a record and we put filler on the other albums in our catalog, but you can hear it in the way that we've structured this and that it is very much an emotional ride." To hear more about the band's setlist plans for their upcoming tour, and the possibility of a "Deep Dive" tour where the band digs into their b-sides, listen to the full conversation with Brent Smith of Shinedown above.

Death Cab for Cutie have emerged from their anniversary celebration of 'Plans' with new music. The group has announced their 11th studio album, 'I Built You A Tower,' out everywhere on June 5, and shared the first sample with the song, "Riptides." Ben Gibbard and Nick Harmer from the group recently stopped by our KROQ studios in Los Angeles to talk with Megan Holiday about the new project, reconnecting to their earlier work, and how personal grief management helped inform the album. While on tour to celebrate the milestone for 'Plans,' and coming off anniversaries for the album 'Transatlanticism' and The Postal Service's 'Give Up,' singer Ben Gibbard was also going through a divorce, having to put the emotions surrounding his relationship aside to perform in arenas across the country. "It was a really difficult period in my life, but I was also tasked with going on stage in arenas and translating these records, performing these records for people," Ben admits. "I had to compartmentalize everything I was going through personally in order to perform every night, which is something that people have to do in their daily lives. We all have to do that in order to do our jobs. If we're gonna do our jobs well, we have to leave certain stuff at the door and come in and try to execute our jobs," he adds. "So, In the process of doing that, I found myself really meditating on this idea of compartmentalization, emotional compartmentalization, and how oftentimes, we have to compartmentalize grief or pain in our lives so that we can just either get through the day or get through a task we have to do." "So, I kind of stumbled into this metaphor or this idea of like building a tower and placing in your kind of emotional landscape and placing trauma or pain or suffering into it, so that you're aware that it's there. You can see the edifice in the distance, but it's also the details of it, the actual way it looks, the way it actually feels is somewhat compartmentalized in that edifice," reveals Gibbard. "There are inevitably times where those traumas, those pains, those experiences, they escape the kind of the thing you've enclosed them in at often very inopportune times and times you're not expecting, and that can be you're driving down a street where you know you had this experience with somebody that you once cared about and just comes flooding back, you know, we've all had these experiences in our lives. So to me the central idea of the record and the central theme of the record is that compartmentalization of grief and how sometimes it breaks out of the compartments that we try to hold it in." That thread extends through Death Cab's lead single, "Riptides," as the band explores what it's like to experience your own personal story alongside a more global trauma with everyone else. "I think at its core of the song is about how when we're going through something personally, oftentimes, certainly in the modern world, there are things going on on the global scale or the national scale that are incredibly traumatic for a lot of people and affect people very deeply," explains Ben. "Certainly the last couple of years, you know, there's been innumerable tragedies and atrocities around the world. And you know when someone is going through their own, trying to manage their own life after dealing with something painful or a trauma or something like that, oftentimes we find ourselves saying things like, 'well, I really can't complain,' you know, we were saying this during the pandemic too. 'Well, I really can't complain, I mean, I have a roof in my head,' but it's like, yeah, that's true, but also you're going through something incredibly difficult, and it's OK for you to focus on that, you don't need to qualify that there are other people suffering even because we all know that." "It's an even more debilitating effect on you emotionally because you feel what you feel, but also you feel the sufferin ...

Sienna Spiro is quickly reaching new heights, almost weekly, thanks to a staggering voice and her emotionally shattering pen. The young songwriter has captured the attention of everyone who has heard the 20-year-old British artist, forcing her to quickly get over what she calls "terrible stage fright," en route to a sold out tour. The "Die On This Hill" singer recently joined us in Chicago, and talked with Audacy and B96's Karla about tapping into heartbreak and her journey to this new level of success during an Audacy Check In. "I feel like everything is happening quick, that it's like hard to be present and enjoy it, but I'm so happy to be here and just, yeah, love everything," shares Spiro. It was only last year that Sienna started properly playing shows, and now she has a sold out run in cities across North America. "I was a terrible performer, I was so shy, I would like sit there and like cover my face," she reveals. "I had terrible stage fright, but I think it's like, you know, you just keep doing it and I, I love it, even though I was so scared, I love doing it, and you just keep doing it and you learn how to trust yourself a little bit more and, I guess get used to it, but you know, I still get really nervous before shows." Spiro has quickly made a mark thanks to raw and vulnerable songwriting, and shares that although the pain sounds romantic in nature, it's so much more. "Even though a lot of my songs sound like they're love songs and like romantic songs, I think the biggest heartbreaks I've had are friendships," Sienna admits. "You can experience heartbreak from family or friends or work or situations, or of course romantic love, but I think I'm just a very passionate person and I care a lot, and when I'm invested in something I'm really there and I'm just in it." "I think that's why it causes me a lot of, I guess I get quite sad, you know, I lay it all out for people," she adds. "That's just the kind of person I am, and I think that that obviously means I get let down a lot. I just give a lot, if I love someone or if I'm there for someone, I'm there, and I'm just all in it, so I just have found myself getting let down a lot in my life because of how much I pour into it." These days though Spiro finds herself "in a really great place," finding inspiration and really just finding ways to figure it out. "There's a lot going on in life," she tells Karla. "I'm 20, I'm learning how to be a human, and I think, you know what's really funny is like, sometimes I'll do these things and people will be like, 'oh, what advice would you give to this person,' and I'm like, 'I'm figuring it out myself.'" For more from Sienna Spiro, check out the full Audacy Check In above.

Still riding high from the release of their sixth studio album, 'Everest,' Halestorm once again has a booked and busy year in front of them, sharing their latest single, "Like A Woman Can," playing festivals around the world, and still having the best time doing it all. "We try to have as good of a time as we can as often as we can, because we get to play rock and roll that we love, so we haven't worked in like 20-some years," smiles Joe Hottinger. "I highly recommend joining a band. It's the best time you'll ever have." "It is the coolest thing ever," adds Lzzy Hale. "And, you know, you appreciate things as you go along too, because when we first started touring it was like, first it was like a conversion van, and then it was a two RVs that we were touring with and trying to keep up with the buses and whoever we were touring with." "If we've learned anything it's not where you are, it's who you're with," says Joe. "You can be at an Applebee's on the side of the road in Nebraska and have one of the best nights ever, you know, it's a good time." "I forget when this was, but there was at one point in time where we had to figure out how to make it across the highway to get to a Cracker Barrel because that was literally the only thing around on a day off, and we finally made it there," laughs Lzzy. "It was like a triumph, and then we just stayed at the Cracker Barrel, like playing checkers." Also on the road, the Halestorm crew likes to crash karaoke spots and surprise the locals. "It's always surprising because we'll be, like I said, in the middle of nowhere and one of our favorite things to do on days off with us, and there's some of our crew that really gets into it as well, is go to karaoke bars. I'm always surprised that like there's a handful of people that are maybe, they don't notice at first and then like as the night goes on like, 'wait, are you?' you know." Lzzy is sure to always play to crowd with karaoke selections, the true mark of a pro. " I try to play to the audience, if we're in kind of a mellower, more kind of country bar, I'll do some Bonnie Raitt to start out, and then I'll kick it up with some Pat Benatar and maybe some AC/DC after that. You gotta ease them into it." Sometimes Halestorm even get requests to play their own songs, like the latest, "Like A Woman Can," which Lzzy says is structured just like the love of a woman. "It embodies that, the feeling that you get from being loved by a woman and, there's nothing like that." To hear more about the deep cuts of Halestorm, working with Bad Company, and more on the album 'Everest,' check out the full conversation above.

The Hilary Duff renaissance has arrived, as the singer has shared her new album, 'luck... or something,' plans for 'the lucky me tour' around the world, and a stop at Audacy's 'Leading Ladies' on March 10 to celebrate Women's History Month. The "Roommates" artist recently connected with Bru to talk about her return to the stage, the women she looks up to, and her impact over the years during an Audacy Check In. "I think there's definitely times that I feel like I'm tapping into, you know, this old version of me that's very lived in," Duff reveals about her feelings being back on stage, balancing her new life with the person so many fell in love with the first time around. "I feel more me and comfortable and confident than I ever have, so if old parts of me start to filter in there, I think I embrace it and I feel good with it now, and I don't really shy away." "It's an honor, honestly, to be able to cross generations is like a really powerful thing," Hilary adds. "I know how much family means to me, and, to think that people can bring their kids and they can bop along and be having a good time, but this is really for the parents and the people that have grown up with me that are now having families of their own or living in their adult life, like, we've made it here, and I want to meet people on that level for sure. But, you know, my friends' kids know all the words to my songs. Hopefully they don't know what it's all about, but I think it's fun to see it be multi-generational. It means a whole lot to me." Hilary Duff will take the stage at Hard Rock Hotel New York on March 10 for our annual 'Leading Ladies' event, celebrating women with a special conversation and performance. When asked about the women that helped "mold" who Hilary is today, she was quick to shout out those in the mix with motherhood and truly testing the limits of a "work-life balance." "I think that my answer when I was younger probably would have been a lot different, but now I'm so inspired by my friends, who are in the thick of motherhood and figuring out the work-life balance and trying to do it all," she shares. "I think it's honestly the women that I'm surrounded by inspire me the most right now because we're in the thick of it, man. I feel like we're in the trenches and we're all learning from each other and we all lean on each other when we need to, and I think those are the ones that I take notes from constantly." Some of those themes of balance and relationships are woven through the fabric of 'luck... or something,' with Hilary tackling heavy subjects with Pop perfection throughout. "There's a lot of anxiety through the record. I think themes of being fearful of being in a long-term relationship and wondering if you're gonna feel that excitement of like firsts ever again," says Duff. "A lot of family stuff, abandonment issues, you know, grappling with like, the old you versus the you where you're at now and wondering if that person still exists in you and how to find her." "There's a lot of heavy themes on the record, but it's all disguised in like a glittery going out outfit," she smiles. "I feel like that speaks to a big part of my personality where I'm like, 'there's a lot going on over here, but we're having a good time.'" For more on the making of 'luck... or something' with her husband, her lasting legacy of authenticity, and more, check out the full interview above.

In the world of Black Label Society, Zakk Wylde is working "smarter, not harder," as the band is ready to release their new album, 'Engines of Demolition,' on March 27. During an Audacy Check In with Abe Kanan, the always hilarious Wylde joked about the new project, saying, "It's really no big deal. People are like, 'well, Zakk, what makes it so special compared to all the other records?' I go, 'well, first off, of all the Black Label albums, this is the new one.' Second off, they're like, 'well, the songs all sound the same.' I go, 'I know, because that's all we do is just put different song titles and lyrics to these things and just put them out there.' I mean, you gotta think smarter, not harder." In all seriousness though, what little there is with Wylde, there is a song on the upcoming album called, "Ozzy Song," that looks back on his friendship playing with Ozzy Osbourne, and the feelings surrounding his funeral. "It's about the greatest that ever was and the greatest that it'll ever be," shares Zakk. Thinking the two would record again and play together again after the success of Back To The Beginning, Wylde was ready for what's next with Ozzy. Sadly though, he never got the chance. "After we went over there and laid him to rest, you know, being a pallbearer and our oldest son, who's Ozzy's godson, we were pallbearers carrying Oz to his final resting place. After that, when we got home, we did finish up the Pantera celebration run. I got home, sat in the library, looked at one of his books, and I just wrote the lyrics. I put the music on and I said it." "I just wrote the lyrics right there for Ozzy, and my wife just kept referring to it as 'Ozzy's Song.' They put on 'Ozzy Song' when we were in the truck listening to it when we'd be going somewhere. So, I just said, 'I'm just gonna name it 'Ozzy Song,' cause that's what it is.' If somebody asked me, 'Zakk, did you write that song for Ozzy?' It's like, 'yeah,' so I'll just call it 'Ozzy Song.' So there you go." To hear more about celebrating Ozzy Osbourne, his time touring in Pantera, and the new album, 'Engines of Demolition,' check out the full Audacy Check In above.

A "real and raw" new album from Bebe Rexha is incoming, but the first sample has already arrived. Last week the GRAMMY-nominated singer blast back into our world with the pulsating and vulnerable new, "I Like You Better Than Me," and now she's ready to talk about what's next. Inside the Rockstar Suite at the Hard Rock Hotel New York, Rexha lets us inside the making of her album, 'Dirty Blonde,' out everywhere on June 12, telling Mike Adam how her latest chapter came together. Rexha took some risks on her fourth full length project, featuring "a little bit of the old Bebe, new Bebe," blending Country, Pop, Dance, and live guitars into something uniquely her. “That's been really fun to me, kind of genre bending a little bit," she shares. Feeling the full range of everything, Bebe explains, "like crying in the bedroom to crying on the dance floor... there's some songs like that, and then there's some songs that are like, 'I'm the s***.'" "When I started the project, I started it being more of a dance album and then I kind of hit a wall because I was like, 'I don't know if I could do 13 songs.' I have so much I want to say," she shares. "I feel like I'm just like dying to get this part of me out that feels like it's hidden by a wall, and then we were able to write songs like 'I Like You Better Than Me,' or 'Time,' which is really meaningful to me, or 'The Way I Want You,' that talk about so many different things that are really vulnerable for me." "Whether it's unrequited love or my insecurities or feeling like I wasted the best years of my life in the wrong relationships, so many different topics that speak to me, but then there's also the songs that are towards the end, I think that's when I was starting to feel myself because I had kind of work through all of that." For more on the making of 'Dirty Blonde,' navigating mental health, songwriting, and more, check out the full Audacy Check In above.

It's time to get in the ring once again with Slash of Guns N' Roses, as the band preps for another World Tour, this time with new music, and hopes for a full project in the studio. The guitar god recently joined Abe Kanan for an Audacy Check In, where he talked about the upcoming trek, and the possibility of a new Guns N' Roses album coming together. Late last year, Guns N' Roses debuted a pair of new songs, "Nothin'" and "Atlas," right on the heels of sharing the itinerary for a World Tour. Now armed with their first new tracks since 2023, this March the band is back on the road as fans anxiously await to hears what's next. "We've already written a ton of s***, so we just have to get together and actually get into the process of going through all the material and figuring out what the songs are gonna be and recording them and all that kind of s***," shares Slash on the prospect of a new album. "That's something that's pending, is probably going to happen sooner than later, because we've gotten all this other stuff out and we've been touring for pretty much the better part of the decade." "We've been wanting to do this. It's just a matter of buckling down," he adds. "Anyway, but it's coming." Unbelievably the reunited Guns N' Roses have almost been back together as long as they were together for their first record-breaking run. "I can't believe it's been 10 years since that April Fool's gig that we did at the Troubadour. It's unbelievable to me. It went by so quick." "I really joined up with Guns in 1985 and I left in 1996, so it's one year short of as long as I've ever been in the band." What was going to be a few warm-up shows and then a set at Coachella, has turned into another decade of Rock for GN'R, still as ferocious as always with marathon sets lasting long into the night. "The way that we do it is we have just a lot of material, so we put together a set list of all the possible songs that we want to do, and then we have another setlist of songs that we'd like to do that's called the 'alternative set,' and we mix pulling from both." "We end up playing for 3+ hours just because we are enjoying playing all this material. It's not designed, we didn't set out to go, 'OK, we're going to do 3, 3.5 hour sets.' They just sort of evolved that way, and it's been happening even in the nineties, we used to do that. But it's where we feel comfortable, we want to play this, we want to play this, and we want to play that, and we just keep doing that until all of a sudden it's like, 'OK, we should do 'Paradise City' now and get the f*** out of here." Don't miss our full Audacy Check In with Slash from Guns N' Roses above.

Madison Beer fed fans earlier this month, finally unwrapping her latest album, 'locket,' and sharing dates for a world tour. Now the "bittersweet" singer joins us again for an Audacy Check In to talk about the full project now that it's out in the world, and her excitement for a booked and busy 2026. "Definitely like a sigh of relief," Beer tells Bru of her emotions now that 'locket' is out in the world. "I feel proud of it. I feel pumped that people could listen to it and I'm not just listening to it in my car alone now." "I think with this album, especially, I learned so much about myself," Madison reveals. "My writing process, my producing process, how to navigate writing about a relationship while it was still happening, then when it ended, the moments and the ebbs and flows of all the feelings that came and went with it." Being in the moment instead of looking back on it was a new perspective for Beer on 'locket,' and one that led to bold new choices and a rollercoaster of emotions. "I think that I love this album so much because you can't really replicate the emotions that you're feeling in that exact situation," she shares. "For example, there's a song called 'you're still everything' on the album that has this really heavy auto-tune, which was only because we used really heavy auto tune when we were making the demo because I was having a really hard time and felt like I couldn't really sing. So I was like, 'just throw auto-tune on it.' And then we got super attached to the way the auto-tune had sounded and kind of fell in love with this like, sad robot singing the song." "I think those things can't be replicated, and I think they happen really organically because of what's going on in your current life, or in your current frame of mind, and that's something that I think when you listen to this album, I hope people can feel and hear that these things are very real and when they were recorded was when they were happening." "I think a lot of the music that I'd written before that was specifically heartbreak stuff, was after things had been said and done, whereas this was really, everything you hear was an emotional rollercoaster, and moments in time that were very real and active. I think that was a new experience for me but it was very healing and therapeutic in the process." Don't miss our full Audacy Check In with Madison Beer above.

Now that Harry Styles owns 2026, it seems only right that we check in with the GRAMMY-winning artist to talk about his upcoming album, 'Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally,' his massive worldwide residency, and his new song, "Aperture." During a conversation with Bru, Styles shares that his 4th solo studio album arrives after some time away out of the spotlight, and some time in the crowd that has helped inform the sound of what's next. "The last couple of years, after finishing the tour and everything, I just kind of decided to take a couple of years away to kind of spend a bit more time swimming in different corners of my life that I hadn't necessarily paid that much attention to," Harry reveals. "The start of last year I kind of just decided I was gonna say yes to everything. I think I'd got really used to saying no to a lot of things just from being on the road, and missing certain things that maybe my friends were doing or something, and I kind of just wanted to take the year to just kind of go with it and be open to traveling a bit more and taking people up on invites and just experiencing things that otherwise I think I'd started kind of shutting myself off from a bit." "The last two years for me has been a lot about getting on the other side of the audience experience," Styles shares. "I think I've spent a lot of time being the one on stage, and I spent a lot of time the last couple of years going to shows, having my own music experiences of being a true audience member, and reminding myself how special that is and how amazing that feeling is to be in a room with people you know, and people you don't know, and dancing and singing and having this kind of common thing together." "When I'm on stage I wanna feel like I'm in the crowd and that was the reason why I think the album ended up sounding how it sounds. The intention was, 'how do I make it like it's made from within the crowd and not I'm up here delivering songs to you and you're receiving them?' It's like we're all here for the same thing, you know?" That story starts with "Aperture," which Harry explains was the last song recorded for the album, but encapsulates where he's at right now. "I think it came at a time when we were feeling at our freest," he says. "It felt kind of really obvious to me that it should be first on the album, so it was kind of like, 'oh this this is exactly how I've kind of always wanted to open an album,' with this this kind of song." "It's been a really important song to me. I think [it] represents the last couple of years of my life, the idea that you can really choose how much you let into your life, and if you're gonna be more closed off, then you're gonna close off to certain things but also you're gonna close off a lot of the positive things that can come. So I think kind of deciding at a time when I was trying to be more open in my life, I think this song wrapped that up pretty neatly for me." To here about Styles upcoming 'Together, Together' tour, and more about the album, 'Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally,' check out the full interview above.

As Five Finger Death Punch prepares to celebrate their 20th anniversary with new music and an extensive tour, guitarist Zoltan Bathory joins us once again for an Audacy Check In to share all the details. Earlier this week in announcing their 2026-2027 World Tour, the band also shared that they are helping support the U.S. Olympic Team with a portion of ticket proceeds, and that they are hard at work on their 10th studio album. "We have about 25-ish songs that [are] eventually gonna get chopped down to the ones that are gonna make it, but that's where we are," Zoltan says of the band's upcoming album. "Maybe 2, 3 of them have vocals on it already to some degree, so, you know, we're working on it." "We're going to the proper studio, probably sometime in February." After discussing the complexities of touring with a major Rock band like Five Finger Death Punch, Bathory admitted that he'd still never trade it because of the power of a Rock show. "There's something about a Rock show, you know, a real Rock show, a Metal show, there's nothing like it, it's a different vibe." "It's never gonna go away," he adds. "This is something that you can't, you know, AI can't fake it, you can't download it, the experience of being there, it's unrepeatable in any other way." "That's always been a goal, build more and more because you wanna create an experience, you wanna create an environment that's sort of immersive, because when you are at the show, it's like you're going to a theme park, you don't want to think of anything else, right? This is your moment where you can have this tribal experience and the noise of life goes away." For more on the 20th anniversary of the band and their upcoming tour, don't miss our full Audacy Check In with Zoltan Bathory of Five Finger Death Punch above.

To celebrate the release of their latest single, "Searchlight," Shinedown joins us for a special Audacy LIVE, as the band talks with Rob + Holly about the making of the track, and performs the song exclusively inside our Audacy Sound Space. "The song just kind of came to us. It didn't take long to write, and when it came to, it just lent itself to that kind of thing," shares Zach Myers. "We're never like, 'this is the only chart we haven't been on. Let's go to this chart,' because then the next one we'd have to make like an R&B record. We've been on 5 so far." "That's one thing I respect so much about the Country world is, a good song is a good song is a good song, and that's all we care about. Whatever the song lends itself to is what we want it to be, we're never gonna try to force something." "The whole reason that we've been able to be able to be authentic and honest is because radio has allowed us to do that, our fan base has allowed us to do that." reveals Brent Smith. "You have to have something to say, and for 'Searchlight,' when we were in there, the initial first run of the song, it was a different song, and then I sat with it for a few days, went back into the studio with everybody, and said, 'let me re-sing this.'" "I just heard it differently than what had been presented in the demo," adds Brent. "And, you know, me and Zach were born and raised in Tennessee. He's 901, I'm 865, so Memphis and Knoxville. We were raised on Country music. We were raised on a lot of different music, but for the song, I just went in and said, 'let me do this and just hear me out.'" "We added a banjo because it asked for a banjo. We added a steel guitar and a slide because it asked for that, and it had more of an endearing quality because I sang it with a bit more of a draw. We have some people that listen to it that are in Country music that are like, 'this is very Country,' and then we have some people who are like, 'I don't know if it's Country,' and that's fine because at the end of the day we had to be honest with the song. We're a vessel for these songs. We have to be very open and allow the universe to talk to us." For more from Shinedown on their relationships with Carrie Underwood and Jelly Roll, and stories behind other hits like "Second Chance," don't miss the band's full conversation with Rob + Holly and a special performance of "Searchlight" above.

As big as 2025 was for YUNGBLUD, he's somehow already looking at a larger 2026. Fresh off the release of a collaboration EP with Rock icons Aerosmith, the "Zombie" singer has 3 GRAMMY nominations and a massive 2026 tour to look forward to as the calendar turns, but first, he joins us at the Hard Rock Hotel New York to talk about it all during an Audacy Check In. "I'm really lucky to kind of have a couple of weeks to like try and comprehend it all," he shares with Brad Steiner on his massive year. "I think the biggest thing I'm feeling is gratitude. I think I'm really trying to make sure that I like feel everything because, I think if you don't stop and think about what goes on and you don't process it, you just end up becoming a dick." "This year has just been so insane, so I think the biggest feeling I'm feeling is is utter gratitude and I really feel lucky, you know what I mean?" YUNGBLUD admits he took some risks on his latest album, 'Idols,' and his authenticity paid off. "I think my 3rd album came out and I was listening to too many people. I think when you listen to too many people, you kind of create a character or you play a caricature of yourself," YUNGBLUD reveals. "I think with this album I really went home to the north of England and was like, 'I wanna make something that is completely limitless in terms of its imagination,' and leans on the side of like Rock opera, double album." Praising previous albums for inspiration like The Smashing Pumpkins' 'Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness' or Guns N' Roses' 'Use Your Illusion,' YUNGBLUD wanted an album "that would kind of take you on an adventure, and in 2025 everyone thought I was a bit f***ing mad." "I always wanna do it when it's truthful, if it's not truthful it's just soul destroying man, you know what I mean? I think that's what's been so beautiful about me and my community, we've always had, whether it be like starting a festival or gigs or how YUNGBLUD got built in the first place, it was always through an element of truth and always through an element of like, honest communication and when it wasn't becoming honest I was like, 'this is not what I did this for.'" Now a more pure version of himself, YUNGBLUD looks ahead to 2026 for sold out shows and finishing the project that brought him here. "I really wanna release the second part of 'Idols,'" he shares and reveals it's been ready to go "forever." "I really wanna finish the world, it's such a world that that if I don't put that out next, even though as an artist I'm writing a new album and I've almost like departed that in my soul because I wrote it, printed it to wax, and put it out - I've got to finish 'Idols 2,' and put that to the world because the world needs to feel that environment fully fleshed out." To hear more from YUNGBLUD on working with Aerosmith and his plans for 2026, check out the full interview above.

Before the band Daughtry wraps a busy 2025, lead singer Chris Daughtry joins us for an Audacy Check In to talk about the latest project, 'SHOCK TO THE SYSTEM (PART TWO),' the standout song, "ANTIDOTE," and much more. From inside the Hard Rock Hotel New York, Daughtry linked up with Abe Kanan and revealed his approach to releasing music as EPs this year, giving fans more time to absorb each song. "We have fully experienced that, and to the point where we've noticed far more engagement to all the newer stuff that we're playing, because they got it in small doses," shares Daughtry. "They were able to absorb it and digest it before the tour as opposed to a full album's worth of stuff all at once, and they only latch on to like, you know, one or two songs." Speaking of tours, Chris has recently wrapped dates with Disturbed, and the band will be a part of the inaugural, 'Unwrapped: An Acoustic Holiday,' on Friday, December 12, in Everett, WA at Angel Of The Winds Arena. Daughtry will join Brent Smith and Zach Myers of Shinedown, The Pretty Reckless, Hollywood Undead, Mammoth, Sleep Theory, Des Rocs, and Return to Dust for this very special event. When thinking of tours he'd still like to be a part of, Shinedown is high on this list, as are some other Rock stalwarts. "I think Shinedown would be a fun tour, even Avenge Sevenfold is, as weird as that may sound to some people, I think that would be a really awesome tour." "We were able to go out with Disturbed, which I think, 5 years ago would have probably been laughable to a lot of their fans," admits Daughtry. "We went out on stage and it was like the place lit up and we're like, 'oh, this is working.'" With the constant touring and years of success, Daughtry has carved quite a lane for himself in the world of music, so much so that many forget his name is Chris and he's just known singularly as Daughtry, like Slash or Madonna. "They've been thinking that for years," he laughs. "I think the weirdest thing is when fans have come up to me and either named their cat Daughtry or their kid." "This is true. There is a girl out there in the universe that her first name is Daughtry. I don't know the last name, so that would really be interesting to know how those two ring together, but, yeah. I never thought of it as any other name than a surname, but, here we are" For more from Daughtry, check out the full conversation above.