PCM was able to catch up with Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park! Mike filled us in on the details behind the song "New Divide" which is featured in the film Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen and when we should be expecting some new Linkin Park music in the future!

Q: With your song "What I've Done" featured in the first Transformers film, how happy were you, to be able to contribute "New Divide" to the sequel Terminator 2: Revenge of the Fallen?

Mike Shinoda: We're happy with how the song turned out, and being a part of the scoring process was a great new experience. It's great to have a new song out that we can play at our shows in Europe and Asia this summer

Q: Are you a big fan of the Transformers franchise? Which Transformer is your favorite?

M.S: My favorite Transformer was either Starscream, the jet, or Soundwave, the one that turned into a cassette player. Ironic, I guess, since I spend so much flying to shows and playing music.

Q: What was the process like for penning "New Divide"? I read that you were able to see some advance footage of the film….how was that helpful to the songwriting process?

M.S: We don't usually write a song to fit with a story like this. Michael Bay showed us some of the movie, and we tried to write something that worked with the themes and feel of the movie. The toughest part for us was getting the right melody and sounds. We just tried to make it true to the spirit of the film, while staying true to the spirit of the band.

Q: . What are some fun stories from the music video shoot for "New Divide"? When will we be seeing the finished video?

M.S: The finished video just came out! It's here! -- our DJ Joe Hahn was in the director's seat once again, and came with something that I think feels like cutting-edge, digital psychadelia.

Q: What was it like working with Hans Zimmer on the score for the film? Will we hear your music throughout the whole film?

M.S: : It was a pleasure working with his team on the score. It was really different for us; I don't have a lot of experience writing music to a visual story. The themes, both created by us and created by Hans Zimmer's team based on our music, play throughout the movie.

Q: How are things coming along for the next Linkin Park album? What should fans be expecting?

M.S: Before that, Chester's solo project, called Dead By Sunrise, is coming out in September...then the new LP album will come out next year. As for that, I guess they should expect a new sound, but different from all the other albums. One characteristic of "Hybrid Theory" and "Meteora" was their distinctive sound. It was a function of the writing, the gear we used, the way we recorded, the studio, the engineer and producer combination, and many other subtle choices along the way. "Minutes To Midnight" was an effort to break out of that "sound" and make an album full of new sounds. I think the new album will be a return to the idea of making "a sound," but it will be a sound unlike any of the other albums. And right now, more than ever, we're just trying to make music with real substance and meaning.

Q: Are there any other upcoming projects on the table for you that you are able to speak about? I know you designed some shoes for DC and are working on some art pieces, how is that going for you?

M.S: I always have art going on, whenever I'm not working with the band. I've been asked to do a painting for Ron English and Michael Lau's "Godfather"-themed art show. It's in L.A. on July 19th at De La Barracuda Gallery, and in New York on September 18th. Mark Dean Veca and Travis Louie are in the show as well. In August, I have a solo art show called "Glorious Excess Dies" in L.A. at the Japanese American National Museum. It's going to be my biggest art show to date. I think there will be 17 pieces, plus a short film. We always stay really busy; the best way to keep all the releases and info straight is to keep an eye on mikeshinoda.com and linkinpark.com.

Purchase "New Divide" on iTunes now!

New Divide video:

Linkin Park's "New Divide"