Killswitch Engage’s Adam Dutkiewicz On New Music, Touring With Clutch & More

Formed in 1999 out of western Massachusetts, Killswitch Engage is often credited as one of the most influential metal acts in the last 20 years. Twice Grammy-nominated, the band has sold over three million records worldwide, with The End Of Heartache and As Daylight Dies both U.S. gold-certified.

Further on the commercial end, the band has enjoyed multiple Top 10-charting albums, with 2016’s Incarnate landing at #6 on the Billboard Top 200, #1 on the Current Rock Albums chart, and debuting at #1 overall in Canada, #5 in Australia, and #10 in both the U.K. and Germany.

As co-founders of Killswitch Engage, guitarist/backing vocalist Adam Dutkiewicz, guitarist Joel Stroetzel, bassist Mike D’Antonio and lead vocalist Jesse Leach — who returned to the band four years ago after a decade-long absence — together with long-time drummer Justin Foley continue to make trend-resistant, timeless heavy music. Beyond having songs featured on Guitar Hero III, Rock Band, John Madden and the Resident Evil III video game soundtracks, Killswitch Engage was also notably the performing artist of entrance music by former WWE wrestling champion CM Punk.

Killswitch Engage recently announced its signing to Metal Blade Records with a new album planned for Fall 2019. In advance of that, KSE — in support of its Beyond The Flames: Home Video Vol. II video release — is hitting the road for a co-headlining tour with Clutch, which kicks off on July 8th in Quebec.

While on-site at Columbus, Ohio’s Sonic Temple Art & Music Festival, I had the pleasure of interviewing guitarist/vocalist Adam Dutkiewicz of Killswitch Engage. Highlights from our Q&A are posted below; additional sports-related highlights can be read over at Sportskeeda

Tour dates and other KSE information can be found online at www.killswitchengage.com.

Rumor has there is a new album coming out fall 2019. Is it mastered yet?

Adam Dutkiewicz: Everything’s all good to go, man. We’re just at the point now where we have to wait for vinyl, because everybody wants vinyl now… It is the craze again.

And you had to do separate final mastering for vinyl?

Adam Dutkiewicz: Yeah, you never want to hit it too hard… You want dynamics. I think the needle cuts too deep…

Moving along to the upcoming tour with Clutch, you guys are definitely peers, you’re definitely friends. But to make that kind of tour happen, did somebody reach out to somebody? Or a booking agent to talk to somebody?

Adam Dutkiewicz: It was a suggestion from our booking agent. Musically it’s not really a perfect fit, but I think that’s kind of a cool thing where such different bands… You know what I mean? So it could be end up being a really cool show, man.

So at this is a point in your career, 20 years in, where you’ve sold tons of records, you are headlining or co-headlining huge tours, and it doesn’t matter if you have a hit or not. So in a way you’re kind of a cottage industry. I’m wondering when you realized, “We don’t need a hit to be successful.”

Adam Dutkiewicz: We would like a hit. (laughs) It would help. It’s nice when people can pay attention to you. But it’s pretty weird we’ve been able to exist as long as we have. It’s nuts. 20 years into this, we’ve always been just that DIY metal band that just kind of does what… We write music and then we play it for people, and then somehow we still have a career. I don’t know.

Well in your case you’ve also been diversified outside of the band in producing other people’s records. Did you want to be a producer before you’ve made it as a professional musician?

Adam Dutkiewicz: Honestly I just wanted to make music. I think there’s there’s something so rewarding about seeing a song grow up and mature and then suddenly you go from a demo to a finished product and actually it’s cool. It’s a good feeling, you know?

So long-term, do you see yourself being co-writer of writing for other artists?

Adam Dutkiewicz: It’s not out of the question, no. I’ve been slowing down with everything lately because I’m feeling very old and I like spending time at home, you know? Never say never.

When you’re not on tour, because you’re on-tour a lot of the time and you’re also in the studio a lot of the time. What does Adam like to do it for fun?

Adam Dutkiewicz: I love to be outside. Anything outside. Have a couple beers, go hiking or to the beach, go camping, all that stuff.

Boston is one of those cities where all these bands came from and that people don’t realize that Aerosmith, The Cars, etc. are from there. Who is the first band from the area that made you realize that you could make it?

Adam Dutkiewicz: Oh jeez, I don’t know. I grew up in with more of a punk rock mentality, so I was never really even thinking about making it. I had a day job for a long time. I didn’t want to commit to being in Killswitch. The fact that I’m still doing it is like a miracle to me, to be honest.

Speaking of punk rock, did you ever play at [Boston venue] The Rat?

Adam Dutkiewicz: Never played The Rat. It was slightly before my time and shut down before Killswitch was really starting to play.

So finally, any last words for the kids?

Adam Dutkiewicz: Well I obviously I have to thank all of our fans, because like I said, 20 years and that’s the only reason we’re still able to do it. People supporting us and believing in us and liking our music and going to our shows, so thank you to the fans.

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Tags: Adam Dutkiewicz, Clutch, Columbus, Killswitch Engage, Metal Blade Records, Ohio, Sonic Temple

About the Author

Darren Paltrowitz Darren Paltrowitz is a New York resident with over 20 years of entertainment industry experience. He began working around the music business as a teenager, interning for the manager of his then-favorite band Superdrag. Since then, he has worked with a wide array of artists including OK Go, They Might Be Giants, Mike Viola, Tracy Bonham, Loudness, Rachael Yamagata, and Amanda Palmer. Darren's writing has appeared in dozens of outlets including the New York Daily News, Inquisitr, The Daily Meal, The Hype Magazine, All Music Guide, Guitar World, TheStreet.com, Businessweek, Chicago Tribune, L.A. Times, and the Jewish Journal. Beyond being "Editor At Large" for The Hype Magazine, Darren is also the host of weekly "Paltrocast With Darren Paltrowitz" series, which airs on dozens on television and digital networks. He has also co-authored 2 published books, 2018's "Pocket Change: Your Happy Money" (Book Web Publishing) and 2019's "Good Advice From Professional Wrestling" (6623 Press), and co-hosts the world's only known podcast about David Lee Roth, "The DLR Cast."