August Burns Red frontman Jake Luhrs has his sights set on a rather unexpected musical partner for a future project. During a recent appearance on Full Metal Jackie’s weekend radio show, the vocalist revealed that his dream metalcore collaboration is none other than Post Malone. While the genre-bending superstar is known for his massive pop and hip-hop hits, Luhrs remains a fan of his musical roots.
“Post Malone used to be a big metal guy and there is a photograph of him, I think, playing guitar in his local metal band that maybe he had started with an August Burns Red shirt on,” Luhrs shared. “Obviously, he has taken his art form and his craft and gone in a different direction, which I think is great and I’m a fan of that. But I think it would be a pretty wild collaboration to have Post Malone on a metalcore song of ours. But that’s wishful thinking, but a cool, cool dream nonetheless.”
Digging Deeper Into ‘Season of Surrender’
The conversation also touched upon the band’s 11th studio album, Season of Surrender. Luhrs explained that the record represents a conscious effort to look inward rather than chasing external trends. “We wanted to just kind of look inward and dig deeper into ABR. Like, what is August Burns Red? And let’s dig a little deeper and see what we can find,” he noted.
The album features guest appearances from notable figures like Mike Hranica of The Devil Wears Prada, Jamie Hails of Polaris, and the band Make Them Suffer. Luhrs emphasized that the record is deeply personal, particularly tracks like “The Nameless” and “Behemoth,” which deal with themes of identity, trauma, and breaking free from past mindsets.
The Therapeutic Power of Music
Reflecting on the track “Sonic Salvation,” Luhrs described music as a vital therapeutic tool. “Music is therapeutic for me. It’s definitely something that I listen to throughout the day, very dependent on what I’m doing,” he said. “I think we see that it has a lot of power to unite people.”
Beyond the creative process, Luhrs maintains a rigorous physical routine to handle the demands of touring. He emphasized the importance of cardio and healthy eating, noting that he treats his role as an entertainer with the same discipline as an athlete. As August Burns Red continues their 20-plus-year journey, Luhrs remains focused on the present, noting that the band is currently in one of their most enjoyable and cohesive eras to date.
