Brent Smith of Shinedown Just Wants Honesty, Debuts New Single “Planet Zero”

For Brent Smith, frontman of the acclaimed Jacksonville, Florida-based rock group Shinedown, honesty is always the best policy. That idea may seem obvious on the face of it. But it can also seem that the more one looks around, the more dishonesty or diversion seems to proliferate the ether. Smith knows this, too. What he also knows is how tricky it can seem to be honest, both with oneself and with others. Honesty is not about consistency or regularity. Sometimes to know the truth about something requires one to be uncomfortable. Smith is aware of this, as well.

These philosophies and vantage points show up in Shinedown’s songs. Their tracks are complex and diverse. The music grabs and shakes as much as it provokes the brain. And this has perhaps never been more evident than on the band’s latest single, “Planet Zero,” which is out today (Jan. 26) and portends a new album of the same name, slated for April 22.