It is admittedly hard to categorize the sound of Austin, Texas-based duo Missio. However, musical diversity has proven to be their secret weapon in creating compelling and progressive art. With songs spanning genres ranging from pop, EDM, and hip-hop — to hard-rock and defiant punk sensibilities, Missio has treated their art as an open canvas that can change on a dime while remaining entirely cohesive. Formed in 2014 by Matthew Brue (vocalist, songwriter, producer) and David Butler (songwriter, producer), Missio has released five full-length albums that have told a sonic story of constant musical evolution, spawning not only two gold-certified singles with the tracks "Everybody Gets High" and "Twisted," but has also scored them a diehard fan base known as the "Missio Mafia" who support the duo in whatever creative pursuits they choose to follow.
In May of 2024, Missio unveiled their most ambitious creative project to date with the release of their fifth studio album, I Am Cinco, which is composed of 5 sonically distinct EPs that span 26 tracks of Missio's pure, unfiltered musical freedom and deeply profound lyricism that juxtaposes seriousness with playfulness seamlessly. Unsurprisingly, I am Cinco has already been resonating strongly with new and old fans alike, and the album's lead single, "Good Vibrations," has become a staple in the band's discography and benchmark for their career as they venture into more lyrically positive territory.
Now, with the success of "Good Vibrations," Missio has just released a new remix/reimagining of the track, which features the legendary Limp Bizkit guitarist Wes Borland to elevate the song to even greater heights with his inimitable style and instantly memorable guitar riffs. "Good Vibrations" is also a fitting title considering the duo is riding an incredible high as 2024 has been their biggest touring year to date, playing electrifying shows everywhere from China to Poland, and are now set to embark on their longest US tour in nearly five years with hard rock mainstays Badflower and Slothrust this September. Needless to say, Missio is living the dream and reveling in the power of music and human connection.
We sat down with Missio's Matthew Brue and David Butler to discuss their latest album, I Am Cinco, collaborating with Limp Bizkit's Wes Borland on "Good Vibrations," traveling the world, tattoo culture, fashion, and much more.
We're chatting Today regarding the exciting new remix/reimagining you just dropped for your track "Good Vibrations," which features legendary Limp Bizkit guitarist Wes Borland. How did this collaboration come together, and what did Wes bring to the table?
Matthew Brue: Honestly, we were on the phone with our management talking through ideas since we had already released "Good Vibrations" last year, and it was doing really well, so we wanted to find a way to spice it up a little. We wondered if we should get a pop artist to feature on it vocally or try to do something out of the box. You don't typically hear of people allowing features with more instrumentalists, but as soon as Wes Borland's name came up, we were all like, "Oh shit, Wes Borland is awesome!" Thankfully, our management happened to have a relationship with him and within two days of them reaching out to him, he already had his version back to us. He loved it, which was awesome because you never know what to expect in these kinds of situations. Wes took the track a little bit darker and did his thing which I really appreciate and it just speaks throughout the song. As Limp Bizkit fans from back in the day, it's so fucking cool to be able to say Wes Borland is on a Missio track!
David Butler: Wes, specifically, is what drew me to Limp Bizkit in the first place. I grew up as a guitar player and always valued creativity and people doing weird stuff with the guitar. Wes' guitar riffs, whether clean or distorted, always sounded like they were from outer space, and he had such a huge influence on me growing up. We almost brought up Wes' name jokingly at first and were like, "We're not going to do an instrumentalist feature unless it's someone legendary like Wes Borland." [Laughs.]
Brue: It's such an honor, too, because I can only imagine how many times Wes gets hit up by artists to feature and do some cool shit on their music. Clearly, he liked the music enough to put his name on it, and frankly, I'm still over here pinching myself a little bit.
For new listeners who may discover Missio and "Good Vibrations" from this collaboration with Wes Borland, what were you trying to convey with the lyrics and overall message for this track?
Brue: We wrote "Good Vibrations" a while back, and it was one of the first steps into the water, so to speak, of us trying to write something lyrically that's a little more positive. In previous albums, we've always leaned darker and tapped into addiction, depression, and anxiety. Still, this song was a step toward seeing how that could turn out. As Missio, we still add our dark elements to it, but it's a good reminder for me personally that even if you are struggling, you can still have good vibes. We have lines in the fourth verse that talk about listening to my beats, but really, it's like going to the park, smoking a cigarette, or skating, and just these ways to uplift your spirits when you're struggling. People seem to really resonate with it.
This past May, you released your ambitious 26-track album, I Am Cinco, which is composed of 5 separate EPs. You mention that the idea for I Am Cinco was spawned from a creative trip to Mexico City and sessions in various countries. What was the recording process like for this album, and how important is it to travel to new places and let these locations inspire your art?
Brue: What was really cool for me personally about this project was that previously, we would go into a studio and start a lot of the tracks together. This time around, David and I were working on demos separately during our time off. We met up one day and decided to show each other what we were working on, and we had fifteen different demos each, which was way more songs than we expected. So, that was kind of our starting point. David wrote a lot more on this album than he typically did in the past, which was amazing because he brought some really cool ideas to the table with things different than I would typically do, which plays into the album's sound.
As far as traveling and experiencing different places, I think it's super important because I remember multiple times walking around Mexico City and being able to pull different lyrics out of the experience because I'm seeing new things, hearing different styles of music, tasting new food and getting inspired in all of these other ways. Even in the studio, we played with instruments we typically don't have access to, such as Mexican-influenced stuff. I'm a huge proponent of getting outside of the spaces you typically work in and are comfortable with and allowing your mind to be opened a little more to different cultures, experiences, and tastes because it will enable us, as artists, to tap into something [new].
Your new music on I Am Cinco has also started incorporating a heavier, hard rock sound while retaining your earlier material's electronic, hip-hop, and pop sensibilities. What prompted this new sonic evolution?
Butler: I point to a couple of things: With our live show early on and on our second album, we subtly introduced the bass guitar on tracks like "I See You," which became a mainstay in our set. We both have a history and grew up really appreciating rock music, so it started with little transitional elements in our live sets, adding heavy half-time breakdowns because we love metal. Really, though, it's about whatever we think is the most fun. Fast forward, we've introduced more instruments on each album, including electric guitar, which Matt has begun playing live. All of that started in small chunks, and now, on this fifth album, this is where we threw all of the rules away. We really value the songwriting aspect of things and using different genres to express that. I think I Am Cinco is the full [embodiment] of this [idea], where each EP almost has a different genre.
Musical diversity seems to be at the forefront of your band's mission. Does it feel liberating to know that you have the freedom and track record to experiment with so many different sounds? Is there another sonic frontier you haven't touched on yet that entices you?
Butler: I'm manifesting this right here but I think scoring a film is in our future. One of the first things Matthew and I vibed on in the beginning was cinematic music. I think he is super gifted at that as a piano player and arranger. As Missio and with both of us being producers, it would be a great thing to score a movie.
Brue: I always tell people that I think artists and musicians should approach their work like a painter. When you sit down at a canvas, you have an array of different colors to use. You can work with chalk or pencil, but different things will always come out based on your perspective, experience, and what you're going through. Musically speaking, when we sit down to write songs, we never go into it saying Today we need to write a rock or hip-hop song. Instead, it's more about how we're feeling and what kind of vibe we want. I think taking the pressure off of trying to continually create this cohesive group of songs and just allowing yourself to speak is why you get these emotions through listening to Missio. We are very free flow, and there are no rules, and we're never trying to confine ourselves. As long as we're on that journey, there's no fucking telling what we will come up with next, and I think it's so cool how much freedom we have.
2024 has been your biggest touring year since 2020, with you traveling to many new countries, including China and Poland. How has it felt to be able to play your music across the globe, and what are some of your personal highlights?
Butler: I felt such an overwhelming sense of pride, humbleness, responsibility, and privilege to go to China, see the country with my eyes, and be a representative there. It was beautiful, and we had an incredible time. Whatever we were expecting was way different than we thought it would be. It was powerful on a human level, and for Matthew and me, it was really affirming to be reminded of the power of music. I mean, people who could barely speak English were still having these incredible, profound moments with songs like "I See You" and "Sing To Me," and I'm still wrapping my brain around that. We also played what was our best show to date in the Czech Republic at the Rock for People festival where we headlined and played to thousands of people. This is what you dream of when you're writing a song and imagining the ideal festival moment, and we actually got to have that.
Brue: What stands out to me the most is not the music, actually. You experience these countries and these cultures that frankly don't have a lot of money. There's a lot of poverty — yet you talk to these people, and they have so much joy. When you come back to America with this perspective, everybody seems so miserable, yet there is so much wealth here. You would assume having money would make you happy, but that's not the case at all. You realize that even in these people's poverty, they still pursue a passion in whatever they are doing or spend more time with their families. If these people who have so fewer things than I have can still find joy, then so can I. That's why I encourage people to travel so much: You should get outside of your comfort zone and mentality — or get outside of your religious or political beliefs, hear another perspective, and see how other people exist in the world. This allows you to change and take shape into who you are as a person.
Butler: The reason why we do music is to open people's minds and re-address the way that you think. When you travel, and you get to be exposed face-to-face with something very different from you but still feel the love and energy, I believe that it puts you in a state that allows you to accept, grow, and not be stuck in whatever mind frame that you may have grown up in.
Beyond music, you have a very strong aesthetic and vibe that pulls from your own personal interests, whether that be fashion, tattoo culture, cannabis, or even skateboarding. What aspects of that do you want to convey to any potential new fans you've been gaining over the last year?
Brue: That's a great question. Regarding fashion and the way we look, it's our job as artists to be on the frontlines of expressing ourselves even though it's sometimes difficult for people to feel comfortable doing so. When it comes to body art or the way that you dress: Don't give a fuck. If you want to look a certain way, do that. I grew up in a really religious home. All I wanted to do in middle school was wear a studded belt and my favorite band tees. However, my parents would never let me do that because it would require me to shop at Hot Topic, which they considered the devil. [Laughs.] It pissed me off so much because I feel like I could have had such a different understanding of the world and a more comfortable existence growing up if I was able to just express myself.
Butler: I used to shit on fashion and superficial things, but for me, whether it's tattoos or even smoking, what it all boils down to is your self-image, and I believe now that fashion is a way of art. I don't braid my hair every day, but when I'm on the road, I braid it every day, and it's honestly part of me being present and saying alright, We're going to war. Tattooing is also very personal to me, and for a long while, I would get a tattoo after every tour. I think tattoos ultimately are about accepting yourself and the process of creating uniqueness.
Your fall tour with Badflower is just about to kick off. What are you looking forward to the most about these shows, and what do you hope to offer fans this time around?
Brue: We haven't toured in the States in a very long time. We did a handful of shows a couple of years ago, but it has been a while since we went on a run this long. Outside of the shows themselves, one of my favorite things about touring is the community of people we call the "Missio Mafia." We have been able to meet them in every city and get to know them over the last eight years. We've met their families and watched them get married and have kids, so reuniting with them is going to be so special. They are really beautiful human beings who have kind souls, and a lot of them are either in recovery or struggling with certain things, but we always get to have this spiritual connection.
Watch the video for Missio's "Good Vibrations" (Feat. Wes Borland of Limp Bizkit) below
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