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January 27, 2025

Reactivated SNOT Is Working On New Music

In a new interview with “The Garza Podcast”, hosted by SUICIDE SILENCE guitarist Chris Garza, SNOT guitarist Mikey Doling and bassist John “Tumor” Fahnestock confirmed that there are plans to write new music for the reactivated Santa Barbara-based metal/punk rock hybrid. Mikey said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “Oh, I got riffs, man.” Tumor added: “We tracked stuff six, seven years ago, Mikey and I, that sounds jaw-dropping like SNOT, ’cause that’s just how we work together.” Mikey continued: “There are no vocals on it yet, but we’re writing.” Tumor said: “But the music, you’ll be like, ‘Holy shit. That’s like SNOT.’ It’s just what we do. It’s not a struggle. We just write that way. And when we pair it together. And it was kind of like an East Coast-meets-West Coast thing back then, and it still jells; it still works.”Elaborating on the SNOT songwriting process, Mikey said: “Whenever John and I get in a room together, it’s pretty fucking rad, like when we start writing, ’cause we start developing and talking and all of a sudden we’re talking the same language and all of a sudden we’re, like, ‘Whoa.’ It’s easy.”Tumor explained: “Like, he’ll need a little puzzle. And usually Mikey’s got the main idea, everything. And I’m this guy, I’ve always been known to write the bridges for the songs. And I’m, like, ‘I’ve got this riff that’ll fit right in there, like a puzzle.’ And then we’re, like, ‘Holy shit.'”SNOT’s first concert with new singer Andy Knapp took place on January 17 at the Parish room at the House Of Blues in Anaheim, California. The performance was also livestreamed via the band’s Instagram.SNOT played a second show with Knapp, who also sings for fellow Southern California band STRONGER THAN MACHINES, on January 18 at Brick By Brick in San Diego, California.SNOT’s current lineup also includes guitarist Sonny Mayo and drummer Jamie Miller.SNOT is scheduled to play three more club concerts in February and April 2025, leading up to the band’s appearance at the Welcome To Rockville festival in May 2025 in Daytona Beach, Florida. SNOT will also play at select European festivals, as well as at the Inkcarceration Music & Tattoo Festival in Mansfield, Ohio, this summer.Upcoming SNOT shows:Feb. 08 – Santa Barbara, CA – SOhO (with SEVEN HOURS AFTER VIOLET, PETMEDZ)April 25 – Denver, CO – HQApril 26 – Colorado Springs, CO – The Black SheepMay 18 – Daytona Beach, FL – Welcome To RockvilleJuly 18 – Flint, MI – The Machine Shop (with THE UNION UNDERGROUND)July 19-20 – Mansfield, OH – Inkcarceration Music & Tattoo FestivalAug 8-10 – Kortrijk, Belgium – AlcatrazAug. 14-17 – Carhaix, France – MotocultorSNOT disbanded in 1998 following original singer Lynn Strait’s death, putting an end to a career that generated considerable promise but only one studio album, “Get Some”. The band had been writing material for its sophomore CD and had completed 10 songs at the time of Strait’s tragic passing. As a memorial to Strait, SNOT eventually decided to release those tracks, with lyrics and guest vocals provided by a host of stars from the alt-metal community. The resulting album, “Strait Up”, was a fitting tribute from Strait’s peers and friends, featuring members of LIMP BIZKIT, KORN, SLIPKNOT, SEVENDUST, (HED) P.E., COAL CHAMBER, SUGAR RAY, SYSTEM OF A DOWN, SOULFLY, and more.SNOT in 2014 recruited Carl Bensley (VITIATE, CONSUME THE FIRE) to sing for the band following the departure of Tommy “Vext” Cummings (ex-DIVINE HERESY, BAD WOLVES).Reflecting on SNOT’s original split and 2014 comeback, Doling told The Kevin Powell Podcast: “Un-fucking-fortunately, our singer Lynn Strait, the great, mighty Lynn Strait, who I miss and love so much, he passed away in a car accident and it put a halt to SNOT. We just couldn’t go on without him at that point. And so we stopped for many years. And then we kind of got back together with some friends, and it wasn’t real serious — [we] just [played] some shows. I don’t really wanna say their names right now, but they’re cool people and they helped us out.”As for how SNOT’s latest reunion is different from the band’s 2014 comeback, Doling said: “This one, it’s serious. We’re back-back. We got the booking agency. We got high-level shows and festivals. This is the real deal for us. We’re back right now. And, yeah, that’s where we are right now. And we’re hungry to do it again. I’m very excited about it.”Doling previously discussed SNOT’s reunion during an appearance on an episode of the “Talk Toomey” podcast. Regarding how the band’s comeback happened, Mikey said: “Well, let’s see. About a year ago, I was seeing the festivals that were coming in 2024, and I was noticing there were so many bands out there from our genre. You have the COAL CHAMBERs, the MUDVAYNEs and just so many bands out there killing it. And I’m sitting there thinking, ‘Man, SNOT, it’s time that we get on board with this.’ So I talked to the dudes. We didn’t even have a singer at that point. So anyway, so I reached out to the band and said, ‘Hey, man, I think we should find a singer and play some festivals and have some fun.’ And they were, like, ‘Yeah, well, we’re in if you can find us the right singer.’ So, I looked around for a while. I had no luck. But I kept looking. And then I reached out to Alex Gilbert over at TKO — it’s our booking agency — and I asked him, I said, ‘Hey, man, I’m currently looking for a vocalist. And if I put all this work into putting SNOT back together, would you be interested in booking some shows and festivals for us?’ And he said, ‘I’ll put the feelers out there and let’s see how it goes.’ So, a year went by. I didn’t hear anything back. I kind of thought, ‘All right. No interest.’ So about three months ago, Alex called me. So I’m looking at my phone, like, ‘Whoa, it’s Alex from TKO.’ I answered and I asked him how he’s doing. And he said, ‘Hey, man, I’m getting a lot of interest for SNOT. It’s a lot. Everybody I talk to wants the band.’ So I told him, ‘Look, man, we’re into it.’ I didn’t even let him know we didn’t have a singer yet at that point. And I said, ‘Let me get back to you. I’ll talk to the guys.’ So I instantly jumped on social media for a little something about looking for a vocalist for SNOT. And I got a lot of response. I got, like, eight videos and audio of dudes who just didn’t fit. What they did is they would sing with the album, ‘Get Some’, and it just didn’t fit. So I almost kind of gave up. And so right there at the end, before I threw the towel in on the whole thing, a friend of mine from Santa Barbara hit me up, texted me and said, ‘Hey, I found the guy for SNOT.’ And, I was, like, ‘Yeah, sure,’ in my mind thinking, ‘Yeah, yeah. Right. Right.’ So I jumped on the phone with him — let’s say it’s a girl, with her — and she said, ‘I saw a guy. He has a band. And he reminded me of Lynn. It was goosebumps,’ she said. And I said, ‘Cool.’ And Lynn is one of his favorite all-time singers. So, she put me in contact with him. And, again, I asked him, I said, ‘Look, we’re looking for a singer. Do me a favor. Set up a camera, microphone and sing along to ‘Get Some’, our album. And so about three or four days go by and then I get some videos on my phone. So I’m watching the video, and immediately it just punched me in the face how good it was. I was, like, ‘Wow, this is the guy.’ What he did is he set up in front of his — he has a little rehearsal spot, drums and amps, and he put ‘Get Some’ through his P.A. system and he wrapped the cable from the microphone around his arm and laid into it as if he was doing a show. He did, like, five songs and he was absolutely incredible, nailing it. He looks right. He’s got the whole punk vibe that we’re looking for. And he just nailed it, man.”Singing like Lynn Strait is not easy, man. And he absolutely fucking rocked it, to the point where I had to sit down; I was so blown away. And so I immediately contacted Tumor, John Fahnestock, bass player for SNOT. And Tumor, [he is the] best guy in the world, but [he] hates everything. I sent it to him, and he called me right away. He was, like, ‘Dude, holy shit. You found our guy.’ That was the first thing he said. ‘Who is it? Is this real?’ I was, like, ‘It’s real.’ So then I sent it out to the rest of the guys, Jamie and Sonny, and, and yeah, boom, it’s there.”According to the Los Angeles Times, Lynn died in died in a car accident in December 1998 as he attempted to drive across Highway 101 in Mussel Shoals, California. The 30-year-old singer died instantly after his 1992 Ford Tempo was broadsided by a southbound full-size pickup truck about noon. Also killed was Strait’s small bulldog, SNOT’s mascot Dobbs, who adorned the cover of the band’s debut album, the 1997 Geffen Records release “Get Some”. Strait, a Santa Barbara resident, was crossing the highway after visiting his girlfriend in the community. Lynn apparently pulled into the path of the truck, which was going about 65 mph. The impact sent Strait’s car spinning into the center divider where it stopped, a California Highway Patrol officer told the Los Angeles Times at the time.SNOT’s most recent U.S. tour, during which the band performed “Get Some” in its entirety, kicked off in late November 2014 in Palm Desert, California and wrapped in late December 2014 in Pomona, California.Cummings fronted SNOT in 2008-2009 before he and Mayo exited the group amid “strained relationships.”[embedded content]