In a new interview with Tabatha Velasquez Grammer of Tulsa, Oklahoma’s 106.9 K-HITS, SHINEDOWN singer Brent Smith was asked how he and his bandmates manage to navigate putting the finishing touches on a new studio album while simultaneously preparing to embark on a massive U.S. tour. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “I’ll be honest with you, I’m ready for it. I don’t really have an ‘off’ switch in a lot of ways. I have to remind myself that it is a band, and I mean that wholeheartedly. There’s a lot of moving parts to this machine that we call SHINEDOWN.”We started last year thinking about what does the next three years look like, the next five years look like. One of the goals is that we had a bit of an issue kind of locking in international touring over the last few years and we have a lot of fans that have been waiting on us from that aspect. So, next year our goal is to play all seven continents in 2026. Obviously, these first run of shows that we’re doing in North America are a big deal for us.”Referencing the fact that SHINEDOWN recently released two new singles, “Three Six Five” and “Dance, Kid, Dance”, which offer a glimpse into the band’s forthcoming eighth studio LP, Brent said: “The album should be coming out roughly late July, early August. But we wanted to get these two songs out because that’s kind of the launch pad, in a way, to what we’re getting ready to do next, but you just kind of juggle it.”One of the things is that in SHINEDOWN, we’re very lucky that one of our brothers and our bandmembers is a gentleman by the name of Eric Bass…. But Eric, for people that may not know this about him, who’s the bass player in the band, he’s way more than a bass player. The last two records and this record that we’re working on right now, he’s been the sole engineer, mixer and producer of those records. So having a bandmember that is really a savant in a lot of ways, we’re very lucky in that way. So we can kind of articulate and carve out the schedule the way we need it to be done. But we’re able to do a lot of things in-house. And we have to kind of circle the dates, and you’ve got deadlines when you’ve gotta meet things and all that, but we just navigate it to the best of our ability.”Earlier this week, “Dance, Kid, Dance” reached the No. 1 slot at Active Rock radio. The song, which was released only a month ago on January 24, is SHINEDOWN’s 20th No. 1 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart and their 22nd song to reach No. 1 on Mediabase’s Active Rock chart. When the song entered the Top 5 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart, SHINEDOWN tied with the FOO FIGHTERS for the artist with the most top ten songs in the chart’s history at 32 total songs.Globally the song also continues to pick up steam as it was the No. 1 most played track this week across both Planet Rock and Kerrang! Radio in the U.K. The radio trajectory of the song and “Three Six Five” is nothing but meteoric. “Three Six Five” has already risen to the Top 20 (No. 17) at Alternative & Hot AC (No. 16) radio, Top 40 at Active Rock (No. 36) and continues to climb.SHINEDOWN will team up with SiriusXM Octane and Meyer Shank Racing (MSR) on Sunday, March 2 at The Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, Florida. The collaboration will sponsor No. 60 SiriusXM Honda driven by Felix Rozenqvist. The band’s Zach Myers and Barry Kerch will be at the track on race day, immersing themselves in the INDYCAR action and supporting MSR from the pit lane.Recently, SHINEDOWN announced it has added the historic Kia Forum in Los Angeles to the band’s already massive headline tour. The “Dance, Kid, Dance” tour kicks off on April 25, and the 36-date run is one of the largest run of shows (and venues) the band has ever put on. It will be the first time the band has ever headlined some of the country’s most legendary venues, including Madison Square Garden (July 20),Bridgestone Arena (May 10),Boston’s TD Garden (July 19) and more. Joining them on the tour are BEARTOOTH and BUSH (on select dates) and Morgan Wade for all shows.Adding to the celebrations, SHINEDOWN was recently nominated for numerous iHeartRadio Music Awards, including “Rock Song Of The Year” for “A Symptom of Being Human”, “Rock Artist Of The Year” and Sanjay Parikh was nominated for “Favorite Tour Photographer” for SHINEDOWN. The new nods bring the band to a total of 13 iHeartRadio Music Awards since the band’s inception.The two new singles embody the many multifaceted talents of the SHINEDOWN: one part rock ‘n’ roll dynamism and one part incredible songwriting and passion. “Dance, Kid, Dance” hits hard right out of the gate with incredibly heavy guitars and a tempo that just doesn’t quit. It’s part social commentary and part “don’t overthink it, let’s just rock out and LET’S DANCE!” The song pushes boundaries and is a reminder of why SHINEDOWN holds the record for the most No. 1 songs at Active Rock radio of all time with “Dance, Kid, Dance”.”Three Six Five” is an example of the band’s ability to tackle tough subjects through impeccable songwriting. Anyone who has ever experienced loss knows that every day we draw breath is an opportunity to live out loud — to live for those we have lost. At its core “Three Six Five” is a reminder to stop wasting time, focus on the moments we have right now, and treasure time with the ones you love the most. The song honors the people in our lives who aren’t with us anymore. It reminds us to stop taking time for granted because it’s not promised. Take chances, be bold, and don’t sweat the small stuff, because as the song says: a lot can happen in a year.Smith and SHINEDOWN bassist/producer Eric Bass co-wrote “Three Six Five”, and “Dance, Kid, Dance” was co-written by Smith, Bass and Dave Bassett. The songs were produced by Bass at his own Big Animal Studio in Charleston, South Carolina.SHINEDOWN continues to demonstrate that they are one of the most forward-thinking powerhouses in music, forever pushing the boundaries of what it means to be a modern-day rock band. The tour and new music not only kick off a new era for SHINEDOWN but continue to celebrate the momentous acclaim the band received from their juggernaut song “A Symptom Of Being Human” off their seventh studio album “Planet Zero” (Atlantic Records). The song, which has reached over 100 million streams and counting, crossed over not only to Alternative but Top 40 radio and resonated with fans across the globe for the unifying message of its lyrics: that it is our human connections that matter the most.Photo credit: Ebru Yildiz[embedded content][embedded content][embedded content]