Clown on current Slipknot era: This is the most fun I’ve ever had

Slipknot (Image credit: Alexandria Crahan-Conway)

Shawn ‘Clown’ Crahan says that since Slipknot released We Are Not Your Kind, he’s having the most fun he’s ever had in the band.

The follow-up to 2014’s .5: The Gray Chapter has made a huge impact since it launched last month, hitting the no.1 spot in the UK and in the US – and Crahan reports that everything is clicking in the group at the moment – and he’s loving it.

He tells Kerrang: “This is the greatest time of Slipknot. We worked so hard for so long and it was really hard to stop and enjoy the success and enjoy what was happening around us.

“You get those sorts of traits when you’re older, and we’re older now – we’re 20 years in. And all the hard work, and all the blood, and losing people… it all makes you stronger.

“I refuse not to understand what’s happening around me. It’s just a wonderful time to be in Slipknot, to be around Slipknot, and it’s a wonderful time to watch and experience Slipknot.”

He adds: “I feel like everything we are is working at its full potential. Our management, booking agent, lawyers, label, our fans, ourselves – I feel like all of us are just working to the best benefit of Slipknot to get the vision out. 

“That’s really what it is. It’s the most fun I’ve ever had, and I’d be bullshitting you, but I don’t feel like we’ve grown up, but I just feel like we’ve found a way to understand what we don’t want to deal with, and it’s effortless for everyone.”

Slipknot are currently on tour on their Knotfest Roadshow across North America, and earlier this week, they revealed the bills for their Knotfest appearances in Mexico and Colombia.

Slipknot will return to the UK and Europe early next year.

Slipknot: We Are Not Your Kind

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Slipknot's new album We Are Not Your Kind was released through Roadrunner Records last month. The follow-up to .5: The Gray Chapter features the lead single Unsainted.

Scott Munro
Louder e-commerce editor

Scott has spent more than 30 years in newspapers, magazines and online as an editor, production editor, sub-editor, designer, writer and reviewer. Scott joined our news desk in the summer of 2014 before moving to the e-commerce team in 2020. Scott maintains Louder’s buyer’s guides, scouts out the best deals for music fans and reviews headphones, speakers, books and more. He's written more than 11,000 articles across Louder, Classic Rock, Metal Hammer and Prog and has previous written for publications including IGN, the Sunday Mirror, Daily Record and The Herald, covering everything from daily news and weekly features, to video games, travel and whisky. Scott's favourite bands are Fields Of The Nephilim, The Cure, New Model Army, All About Eve, The Mission, Cocteau Twins, Drab Majesty, Marillion and Rush.