If you’re a Flyleaf fan, you might still be reeling from the news that the band’s lead singer, Lacey Sturm, is leaving. If you still need some reassurance, ShockYa might be able to help. We recently had the chance to talk to Flyleaf’s bassist Kirkpatrick Seals about the band’s new direction, fan reaction, and more. “New Horizons,” the band’s newest album, will be available tomorrow. You can read ShockYa’s review of it by clicking here.

I’ve read that Lacey is leaving the band and I’ve looked online and saw tons of fan reaction ranging from sad to overwrought anxiety about what’s going to happen to the band–

Seals: (laughs)

–so do you think that the album is a culmination of sorts, since you’re going into a new chapter?

Seals: Very much so. When we made New Horizons, we thought it defined this period of time, so it definitely is a culmination of our careers and this weird moment when our band is changing. We’ve all felt that same anxiety too–it’s definitely not the easiest process, but we’re excited about the future, with Kristen May as our new frontperson. I’m very hopeful to see what you guys think of it.

A lot has happened to the band recently, including the tragic accident of your sound engineer [Rick Caldwell]. How much of that emotion came out in this album?

Seals: The album was recorded before we lost Rich, but…it was a big mark on us right now. We lost our family member. In a weird way, it made us focus and, you know, appreciate the life we have…It’s not the easiest thing to put into words…

Do you have a favorite song on the album?

Seals: My favorite song on New Horizons is probably “Fire Fire,” I think. It’s the first track on there. Sameer’s lyrics are really good. It’s a fun song to play.

I guess not counting how fans are reacting to the change in frontpeople, but how has fan reaction been overall? I’ve read how a lot of fans say how certain songs have helped them through tough periods. How have the fans treated y’all overall?

Seals: The way the fans have treated us through this process is kind of to be expected. A lot of people were gracious when they heard the news about Lacey. We had a lot of people on Twitter saying “We support you guys” and “We’re sad but we’re looking forward to the future,” things like that. That’s been a comfort, to hear that a lot of people still want to hear Flyleaf….There are definitely some people who are like, “I’m done,” they don’t want to hear it, but…I think we’ll get new fans through this process and see how it turns out.

What would you say to some of those fans who are saying, “What’s going to happen next?” How would you ease their minds, so to speak?

Seals: (laughs) I would say check out the record, fall in love with it like we have–this is my favorite record–and just come see us and if you don’t like it, you don’t like it. But if you do, that’s awesome…Let us know what you think. It’s definitely going to be different, but that’s life.