Mastodon’s Bill Kelliher talks Turnstile influence on new music

ABC Audio

As Mastodon begins to work on new music again, guitarist Bill Kelliher has turned to Turnstile for inspiration.

Speaking with Guitar.com, Kelliher shares how the “Holiday” outfit reflects the kind of “rapid-fire” songs that he’s been working on to follow 2021’s Hushed and Grim.

“I want to write music that’s really f***ing heavy and to the point,” Kelliher says. “I want it to sound like Mastodon but steer away from the long, drawn-out songs. I feel like we’ve been on that kind of kick for a while, and I want to move on to something a little more tangible.”

“I’ve been listening to a lot of Turnstile, and their last record, Glow On, to me, is f***ing great,” he continues. “I just love their guitars, and their production of it sounds great. Their songwriting is really good. It reminds me of Bad Brains, but if they were more modern, with some Jane’s Addiction mixed in.”

In addition to experimenting with new tunes, Kelliher and Mastodon are gearing up to hit the road on a co-headlining tour with Gojira, kicking off in April.