P.O.D. Singer Sonny Sandoval Talks New Album, Shallow Rock Stars + More

P.O.D singer Sonny Sandoval caught up with Loudwire at Rock on the Range 2012 in Columbus, Ohio, earlier today (May 19). The frontman dished on P.O.D’s new album ‘Murdered Love,’ which is due July 10 via the band’s new label Razor & Tie Records.

Sandoval also talked about some of his musical “homies” who appear on the record, as well as the false personae of some of today’s rock bands. After their appearance on ROTR, P.O.D. have a few shows on the horizon with RED, Love and Death (Brian ‘Head’ Welch’s new band) and more. For a full list of dates, go here.

P.O.D. have been around for the better part of two decades already. What kind of advice would you give young bands who are just up and coming?

With rock ’n’ roll and touring comes a lot of good and bad decisions. These guys who are 21, they’re out there and they’re not indestructible. The history of rock ’n’ roll tells us and so a lot of these guys are on this road to destruction. Being in this game for 20 years, I’ve seen a lot of it and it rips my heart apart because there’s so much more to life than just “Look at me, I’m in a rock band, I like chicks, I like gettin’ high and wasted.” That only lasts a season bro.

That all seems to be getting kind of playing out again. I know it got like that in the ’80s before grunge, and now it’s back to those same themes again.

It’s like it’s always full circle. Somebody thinks, “Hey, if I act like Jim Morrison and I look like the Doors and sound like the Doors and even fake that I’m on ‘shrooms right now, I might get a interview” and it’s happening. It’s fake. These guys are walking around with the same bottle of Jack they haven’t even sipped on just because they think it looks cool. It’s like gimme a break. I’m so over it, dude.

You got some guest appearances on the new album. Tell us about some of the people on there.

My boy Jamey Jasta from Hatebreed is on a real heavy track called ‘Eyes.’ My homie Sen Dog from Cypress Hill jumped on a real hip-hop, funky track and then my boy Sick Jack. He’s from an underground L.A. hip-hop group called Psycho Realm and he’s on there. Then I actually talked to Chino [Moreno] from Deftones and he was gonna jump on a track, but he got married. They’re doing their new record.

He’s been busy. He’s got Crosses going on and he’s doing stuff with Deftones.

He’s so busy, but he’s like “Homie, I’m gonna do it, I’m gonna do it.” [Laughs]

I heard he’s got another project going too…

That guy’s a madman. He’s got all kinds of stuff. He promised to get on a track, so we’re gonna hold him to it. Who knows, if this record takes off, maybe we’ll just come have him sing the hook off of one of the songs and put it out there for fun.

Interview by Tree Riddle