Papa Roach’s Jacoby Shaddix on Playing Live, Loving Facebook [Interview]

2011-09-30

Story by Anne Erickson

Papa Roach Frontman says next album is ‘a big part of the career of Papa Roach’

The guys of Papa Roach are fighters. Formed in 1993 in Vacaville, Calif., frontman Jacoby Shaddix and his hard rock crew have labored for every blasted hit, from 2000’s “Last Resort” to 2011’s “Burn,” and because of that dedication, they’ve scored legions of fans. They’ve also reinvented themselves instead of merely sticking to one generation of sound.

Charged with a new label in toe (Eleven Seven Music), Papa Roach just wrapped up the Rock Allegiance Tour with Buckcherry and a cast of players, including P.O.D., Puddle of Mudd, RED, Crossfade and Drive A. Now they plan to take a few months off, and then re-enter the studio and put together a Papa Roach album that’s their strongest yet. “We’re going to take our time recording the next record, because I think this next album is a big part of the career of Papa Roach, so we have to make the right album,” Shaddix said.

Shaddix went on to discuss Papa Roach’s killer live show, digging Facebook and why Papa Roach are simply good people.

What’s the core of a Papa Roach live show?

We’re no frills. We’re one of those rock bands that’s just rip-and-roar, in-your-face rock ‘n’ roll. You can have all the explosions in the world, but if you have kicking rock songs and you know how to command an audience, that’s all you need. Those are two things that we have up our sleeves. I’m not trying to be cocky; I’m just saying we pride ourselves on our live rock ‘n’ roll show. That’s something that we’ve worked really hard over the years to develop.

We’ve got a rep in the business as one of those bands that rips it, and we’ve got to uphold that. Staking our claim to rock ‘n’ roll and making a tour that makes people want to come back and see us again and again. We do not want to let the fans down at all. And we will not.

How are fans reacting to new Papa Roach tunes on the road?

This last year, we’ve been out on the road and playing the brand new songs in the set, and the fans go off. They snap audiences off like no other, so we’re really stoked about the direction and sound of the band, as well.

Papa Roach seem to love Facebook, based on your daily posts.

Yeah, and we’re really seeing the effects of it. Like, today my brother and I were doing some online content, and we were like, “Let’s shoot our own gorilla version of [MTV’s] ‘Cribs.’ Let’s call it, ‘My Castle.’” We have a deeper connection through the Internet. It sounds like an oxymoron to me, but it is deeper. We live in a day in age where people want to point and click and get sucked up into somebody’s world.

I’ve interviewed bands, such as Skillet, who say you guys are the nicest tour mates imaginable. Do you think Papa Roach are simply nice guys?

When you break it down to the core of who we are as people, yeah, I think we’ve good people. That’s another element of why we’re maintaining this relevance in the business. The drummer from Faith No More told me in 2001 on my birthday, “This is your birthday present: The people you meet on your way to the top are the same people you meet on your way to the bottom.” That stuck with me. It really just made me think. These people like promoters, fans, people in the industry, journalists– we’re all part of this puzzle that makes rock ‘n’ roll happen. So, act reportedly. When your time has come, are they going to kick you on your way out? I don’t need that. I don’t want that. Because I’ve seen that happen to other people in the business.

 

Watch Papa Roach’s Video for ‘Burn’:




Anne Erickson
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Posted by Anne Erickson | Features, Interviews, Music, Rock

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