Mastodon’s Bill Kelliher: “I’m not sure what our future is with Ben Eller”

During a recent interview with Guitar World, Mastodon guitarist Bill Kelliher laid out the band's criteria for a potential replacement for ex-guitarist/vocalist Brent Hinds. He also confirmed that current fill-in Ben Eller's role is not permanent at the moment.

Kelliher said the following:

Someone who is easy to get along with, and who really has a desire to play — and can play well. Obviously, you gotta be somebody who we all get along with and can stand the true test of time. Like, living together in a little tour bus on the road for fucking days and months at a time, it's got to be someone who can do all that. And that's another variable. Like, 'Oh, this person is a great guitar player. Why don't you hire them?' It's like, 'Well, they gotta stand the test of time.' We've got to be able to sit down and have a beer with them, go out to dinner with them, you know, feel them out, and make sure they're Mastodon material. Like, can they hang, for sure, but it's got to be someone who has a unique style, and is very serious about it.

He continued:

I'm as serious as a heart attack with Mastodon. It's my life. It's all I really know. I've got all my eggs in this basket – and I'm not ready to give it up yet. So, we're going to keep looking, and who knows? We'll find the right person when the time is right and ready.

He also added:

We do have some more shows coming up. We have a tour with Coheed and Cambria coming up in May, which, you know, we're still going to fulfil that. We're going to finish up our new record; I'm not sure what our future is with Ben or if we'll try a couple of other people out. Not really sure yet; it's too early to say.