Bring Me The Horizon’s Oliver Sykes and Mat Nicholls are in the trenches. No, really. After promising a sprawling, multi-part Post Human series during the pandemic, they’re now facing the cold reality of touring, life, and time just slipping away. “We’re not as far on as we’d like to be,” Oli admits with a half-smile. “We thought we’d be stuck in lockdown for five years, so four records seemed reasonable. Then the world opened up, and now we’re just drowning in life again.”
Turns out, writing an epic, genre-hopping rock saga isn’t as easy when you’re constantly on the road. But they’re doing their best to adapt, even turning their tour bus into a makeshift studio. “We got this bus just to knuckle down and write,” says Mat. “It’s actually nice—playing shows at night, then diving back into the studio on wheels. It’s almost like the live energy feeds into the songs.”
For a band that thrives on reinvention, embracing chaos seems to be part of the process. With the Post Human project, they’re aiming to capture the immediacy of releasing singles while still crafting something cohesive. “Music’s changed,” Oli shrugs. “It’s not about albums the way it used to be. Songs are events now. There’s no difference between a single and an album anymore, so we just embraced that. Whatever happens, happens.”
They’re not just experimenting with formats, either. Sound-wise, the new material pulls from all corners of the musical map—emo, post-hardcore, pop, and metalcore all crash together in a beautifully aggressive mess. “We’re trying to keep the extremities of both pop and heavy,” says Oli. “We don’t want one to dilute the other. If it’s melodic, it’s got to be undeniably catchy. If it’s heavy, it’s got to rip your face off.”
The latest single, “Strangers,” walks that tightrope with a brutally honest take on mental health and recovery. “The first record was all anger and fear,” says Oli. “This one’s about figuring out how to move forward—how to evolve as people and as a planet. We’re not evolving the way we used to. We’re not fighting to survive. Now we’re fighting to feel good about ourselves and be kind to others. If we don’t start there, nothing else is going to get better.”
Even with all the chaos and soul-searching, Bring Me The Horizon is still keen on making bold statements, whether it’s through collaborations (like Amy Lee or Yungblud) or by bending genres to their will. They know they’re balancing on a razor’s edge between authenticity and pandering, but for them, it’s all about pushing boundaries while staying true to what they love.
And just when you think they’ve found their footing, they throw a curveball like recording in a moving bus. “It’s just music, man,” Oli laughs. “We’re making it up as we go along, and we’re okay with that. As long as it’s raw and honest, we’re good.”
Bring Me The Horizon might still be in the trenches, but they’re not about to wave the white flag.
Watch the interview above and then check out the videos below.
