Imagine Dragons

With a chart-topping latest album and burgeoning fan following globally, there’s no stopping this genre-defying American band

- Nirmika Singh

It doesn’t seem likely “Natural” is going to be off the Billboard ‘Hot Rock Songs’ charts anytime soon. For a band that still shies from calling itself a rock band, the Imagine Dragons have been serving as the genre’s flagbearers for a while now. And even though rock purists might scoff at the Las Vegas band’s pop and electronica leanings, there’s no act today that has been able to put rock on the mainstream map the way the Dragons have. Ahead of the release of their latest album Origins at a special concert hosted by Corning Gorilla Glass in their hometown, the band—Dan Reynolds (lead singer), Daniel Platzman (drums), Wayne Sermon (lead guitar), Ben McKee (bass)—sat down for an exclusive chat with Rolling Stone India.

Congratulations on Origins! How does it feel to have a new album within a year of releasing your last one?

Dan Reynolds: It’s always exciting when you have a new record coming out. You’re always a little bit nervous about how fans are going to react. Also it’s like your baby that you held on to for a really long time, so you don’t have great perspective on it. But above all, we’re very excited. We’re very confident about we’re at sonically in our career right now that’s why we put out another record so soon. We just felt ready to do it. So, I don’t know, it’s exciting, nerve-wracking.

Because people are fickle listeners these days, is there ever any fear of losing fans… that they won’t listen to a full album. And is that also the reason for releasing new music more frequently?

Wayne Sermon: We’d probably be lying if we said we never had any fear.