Who are the members of Dead Sara? All about Linkin Park's new co-vocalist Emily Armstrong's previous band

Linkin Park has chosen Emily Armstrong, lead singer of the Los Angeles-based rock band Dead Sara, as their new co-vocalist. The band is set to return to music for the first time since the death of their lead singer, Chester Bennington, in 2017.

Emily Armstrong has been the lead vocalist and founding member of Dead Sara since its inception in the early 2000s. The members of the band include Armstrong, lead guitarist Siouxsie Medley, and drummer Sean Friday. Former bassist Chris Null was also part of the group. Dead Sara is best known for their single Weatherman from their eponymous debut album. Their latest album, Ain't It Tragic, was released in 2021.

During a live performance on Thursday (September 5), Linkin Park introduced their new members and revealed details about their upcoming album and tour dates. Apart from Armstrong, songwriter and producer Colin Brittain from G Flip, Illenium, and One OK Rock will also be joining the band.

The announcement came alongside Linkin Park releasing a new single, The Emptiness Machine, marking their first music release after seven years. The song will be the lead single for their upcoming new album, From Zero, set to release on November 15.

As per the band's official press release, the Linkin Park members, aka Shinoda, Delson, Farrell, and Hahn, "quietly began meeting up again" and met up with many musicians at their studio. They chose Emily Armstrong and Colin Brittain as they "found a special kinship" with them.

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Everything to know about Emily Armstrong and her former band Dead Sara

Las Vegas SEMA Fest (Image via Getty)

Dead Sara is a Los Angeles-based alternative rock band founded by Emily Armstrong and Siouxsie Medley in the early 2000s. The two women met as high school friends and began writing songs together around 2003. In 2005, they performed together for the first time as a band at a nightclub in Los Angeles.

Initially named Epiphany, the duo changed the band's name to Dead Sara in mid-2005, a reference to Fleetwood Mac's song, Sara. In 2007, the band embarked on their first tour opening act with Endless Hallway. Two years later, Armstrong and Medley brought in Sean Friday as their drummer and Chris Null as their bassist.

Dead Sara's eponymous debut album was released in 2012 via their own label, Pocket Kid Records. Their first studio album ranked number 16 in Billboard's Heatseekers Albums List. The lead single from Dead Sara (2012), Weatherman, made it to the Top 40 Billboard Rock Songs list.

In March 2015, they released their much-awaited second studio album, Pleasure To Meet You, which peaked at number 2 on the Billboard Heatseekers Albums chart. Singles such as Monalisa and Something Good became popular among listeners. Following their second release, bassist Chris Null left the band. Their third studio album, Ain't It Tragic, came in September 2021.

Apart from their albums, the rock band has worked on multiple singles and extended plays. Their 2018 EP, Temporary Things Taking Up Space, marked their first collaboration with Atlantic Records. In an interview with The Masquerade at the time of the EP's release, Armstrong said:

"You listen to some songs and think, ‘Oh my God, I want to hear that again. After ten years of doing everything on our own, we’ve learned so much. However, we were stuck in our ways- the way we’d always done things. Why should anything be off limits?"

She added:

"I realized we’d been too afraid, and I was hiding in my own world. I’m ready to open that world up. When we started scaring ourselves, it was the best thing possible. For the first time, I was exposing myself lyrically in a way that I’d never done before. We got more vulnerable overall. Then again, isn’t that what songwriting is all about?"

Three years after the release of Dead Sara's last album, Emily Armstrong is set to start a new chapter in her life as the co-vocalist of Linkin Park. The singer will feature in the band's upcoming album alongside returning members Mike Shinoda, Brad Delson, Phoenix, and Joe Hahn.

Speaking about Emily Armstrong, Mike Shinoda explained his decision to bring the Dead Sara lead singer on board and said in his press release:

"The more we worked with Emily and Colin, the more we enjoyed their world-class talents, their company, and the things we created. We feel really empowered with this new line-up and the vibrant and energized new music we’ve made together. We’re weaving together the sonic touchpoints we’ve been known for and still exploring new ones."

Linkin Park is also set to go on a six-date From Zero album tour, performing in Los Angeles, London, Seoul, New York, Hamburg, and Bogota.