INTERVIEW - Papa Roach by Dannii Martin

Check out a review of Papa Roach live at the Academy 2!

Before their recent Academy 2 date, Dannii Martin met up with Papa Roach lead singer Jacoby Shaddix to discuss how life is treating Nu-Metal's great survivors after the release of their recent album The Paramour Sessions...

Q - Where does the name Papa Roach come from?

A - Oh, we’re gonna take it back like that? My step-dad’s father, my grandfather, his last name was Roatch, and for some odd reason, we called him ‘Papa Roatch’, and for some reason we wanted to name our band after him. We came up in the era of funky band names, we looked up to the Red Hot Chili Peppers, so ya know, for us that was our funky band name. In retrospect, man, we thought about changing it, and sometimes we’d go “man, it’s not really a great band name.” But it stuck ya know, it’s just been with us forever. It’s kind of taken on its own meaning now. Our last record is actually dedicated to the memory of him, because he passed away recently. Rest in peace Papa Roatch.

Q - How did the band get together?

A - Yeah, in 1993, me, Tobin and Dave all went to high school together. So we just started jamming and then Jerry joined the group shortly after that and we did that shit Green Day style. We played shitty nasty little punk-rock clubs, fucking played parties, keggers, played at frat parties, college parties and shit. Started getting into the club scene, played clubs and built it up. We had a strong fan base and put out independent records. We put out two cassettes, two EP’s and one full length album before we had got signed. So we have a history to what we have done before we were noticed with “Infest”. So we are doing it for the right reasons. We are doing it because we love music, and we are still doing it for those reasons. What we got into the band to do, was to have fun and rock out, but we never expected it to take us round the world in front of thousands and thousands of people, have so many shows and so many crazy experiences. This life is far beyond my expectations.

Q - You have definitely paid your dues then?

A - Oh fuck dude, if someone tried to tell me I haven’t paid my dues, they’re gonna get fucking knuckle fucked in their head. [Laughs] We have paid our fucking dues. We did it the right way in my opinion. Every band has their own path. There are bands that get signed without even playing a show, and then they come out and sell millions of records. So everyone has their own path.

Q - So, does the band all have a good relationship together?

A - Most definitely. Granted there are nights I want to stab other members of my band in the fucking neck. [Laughs] But like, we’re brothers. There is a brotherhood out here. We have been doing this for a really long time, and we know when to give each other space, and we know when to get into each others business and we look out for each other. We really care for each other.

Q - You are over here touring and promoting the new album. How is the tour going so far?

A - It’s going great; we started in Dublin, Ireland, as far as a proper tour of Europe and England. But the first show, ya know, is always a little bit rusty, because we are trying to work out all the kinks and stuff, but I talked to a lot of the kids after the gig and they were really stoked about it. Last night we played in Glasgow, and it was just a fucking amazing show. So I’m just really excited about taking this mother fucker across to Europe, and just doing it.

Q - When was the last time you were in Europe?

A - We were here; fuck (turns to another guy who had just entered the room) “When was the last time we were in Europe?” (The guy replies “Last August”) Yeah, last August; we were doing a festival run.

Q - Do you prefer playing festivals?

A - I like it both ya know, I mean, festivals are a chance to get in front of thousands and thousands and thousands of people that might not normally come and see your band, or people that might not have seen us in a long time, but we get in front of those people and rock their asses. We did Download festival and that was, for us, just amazing. But also we get into these club gigs….It’s just fun, more intimate. It’s all about Papa Roach here tonight. It’s two different vibes, we know how to handle both of them, and we have good times at both.

Q - What would you say is the best thing about touring?

A - Just a new city everyday. Waking up somewhere new, just everyday is a new experience. You never know what it’s gonna hold.

Q - Is there one place you have really liked? As a city? Or the particular gig?

A - What city? What city do I really fucking like? Hmmm…I really like New York City. There is something about that city that I just really connect with. New York and Tokyo is a really interesting place. It is totally alien to what I am used to. The Japanese fans are very intense. It’s a trip. Also, Mexico City is another amazing place. Everywhere I go I have a fucking good time now. That’s the kind of person I am. In any situation I will find out how to have fun. I love touring, it’s in my blood.

Q - Has the new album been received well?

A - Oh yeah, like, the last two nights have just been great. We have been playing eight new songs off the new album, up against a lot of the old hits and stuff like that, and playing fan favourites from our first record, and ya know, it’s a good balance of material I think, from all four records. It shows the growth of our band, but it all seems like when we put it in context together, it all works. It all rocks!

Q - The new album is quite far removed from “Infest”. Have your influences changed a lot since then?

A - Yeah, I mean, over the last like three records, it has really been a growing period for our band, I mean, we have been a band since 1993, it’s always about evolution ya know, previous to “Infest”, we were a bit different to that also. It’s always about pushing things forward, creatively and artistically. “LoveHateTragedy” was like the album we were trying to break away from just being considered the Nu-Metal band, and “Getting Away With Murder” was like, okay, we wanna prove ourselves as a valid Rock n’ Roll band, and there are some songs that really hit on that. I think with “The Paramour Sessions”, we really hit it on the mark. I think we are proving ourselves as a valid Rock n’ Roll band, that’s not just here for the minute and gonna be gone. We know we are not the next big thing, but we have outlasted a trend, which not a lot of bands do. So, we feel we are in a pretty good position to still be out here, and still be making an impact with our music.

Q - You have been grouped in the genre of Nu-Metal, with the likes of Linkin Park and Limp Bizkit, who don’t seem to be touring or recording anymore. What do you think makes Papa Roach still carry on going, when others aren’t?

A - I mean, as far as Linkin Park, those are my boys man, they are some good friends of mine, they actually are, they are doing a new record right now. But Limp Bizkit…..Yeah that band are over. I am not really sad to see them go. For us, we are kind of a band that is loyal to no-one in a weird way. I think that has kind of been an unwritten law in our band, to always keep things fresh and exciting, and that shows itself through the evolution of our music.

Q - Are there any specific tracks you like performing off the new album?

A - Oh fuck, yeah, “Crash” is really fun; “To Be Loved” is really fun. Like all of them, pretty much all of them. It’s just like, the past records, there is a sense of nervousness before an album comes out, like, oh fuck, how’s it gonna do? How’s it gonna be accepted? And like, this album, I wasn’t nervous. I was more like, anxious. I wanted people to hear this record. I couldn’t wait for people to hear this album. So it’s the same thing. I couldn’t wait to get out and play these songs live, because some of the music is really challenging for us and I think that keeps it fun for us, keeps us on our toes, keeps us trying to become better musicians, better performers. I think with this record, we definitely pushed ourselves as far as we can go.

Q - You recorded the new album in the Paramour Mansion, which has a rich history. Was it good working there? A good experience?

A - Oh, it was great. I wouldn’t trade my experience there for any amount of money in the world. It was just like, living in a house, an old 1920’s Spanish mansion. Everything in the place was antique. Every piece of art and stuff has a history to it. [At this point Jacoby say’s he has some pictures of the mansion and gets out his digital camera. The pictures are of a courtyard with a swimming pool, where they sat and wrote songs, the view from the mansion that looked over L.A., Buddha statues, artwork and some rooms of the mansion. I can’t wait to go back there; I want to write another record there. There is something about that house; I just feel part of it.

Q - It was haunted wasn’t it?

A - Most definitely, that place has got some spirits in it. The guy who used to own it, his wife is buried on the property. I actually wrote a couple of songs at here grave side, “Forever” and “My Heart Is A Fist”. That was the thing about this place, it was just like, there was inspiration everywhere you looked, and everywhere you went on this property, you would just find inspiration. When I went to her grave side to write those two songs, it just flowed out of me. I was having writers block for like two days, trying to write and my brain was tweaked, so I just went down there and meditated, and put my pen to paper and just went off and wrote some killer lyrics that I am really proud of. But yeah definitely, there is a power greater than ourselves at that house, and it was cool to be part of it, cool to tap into that energy.

Q - The songs you write are about quite difficult subjects. Is it a group effort in writing the songs? And where do the lyrics come from?

A - This album and “Infest” have been the most collaboratively written as a band, because we were just in a room, writing these songs together. Where as “Getting Away With Murder” and “LoveHateTragedy”, we wrote demos on pro-tools and switched those back and forth to each other. We found the best way to write records is to get in a room together and rock the fuck out. This album is an amalgamation of all our lives. There are songs about me in there, about Tobin in there; there are songs about Dave and Jerry in there, so it makes it very personal to the band this album. We are all just really proud of what we have achieved on this record. Ultimately, this album exceeded all our expectations of what we wanted to achieve. To step away and listen to the record, it was like…I’m beyond proud. I’m amazed.

Q - What bands/artists do you all listen to? Any current favourites?

A - Oh man, Lamb Of God, really diggin’ that band. Head Automatica, really like that band. Classics you know, listen to the Guns n’ Roses and the Motley Crew on the tour bus. Led Zeppelin. Then, what other current artists am I really diggin’ on? Rise Against, I really like that band. We are actually on the same record label as them guys. I really dig that band. Shit, any guilty pleasure that I like right now? The Commodores! We take it back to the 70’s.

Q - Are all your musical influences different within the band?

A - We all pretty much consider ourselves music whores. If you look through our iPods, we have everything from country, for instance, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Hank Williams, to shit like, fucking, Fugazi, Social Distortion, Helmet, Deftones, and then bands like Head Automatica and stuff like Louis Armstrong. Contemporary Jazz. For us, we listen to everything. I mean, we just enjoy music. For us it is just an escape.

Q - Do you think that the fact that you all have such and eclectic taste in music is the reason why each album has been so different?

A - Most definitely, for us there is a sense of freedom in music. For me, that is what I am searching for – is some freedom for my soul and my spirit, and I find that in music. So, for me to just limit myself to just one sound, I just can’t do that. It’s just not where my head is, where my soul is at. I got to do what is right in my heart and soul. That’s where I am right now, and why we come out with the records that we come out with.

Q - I hear you are playing with Guns n’ Roses...

A - [Shouts excitedly] YEAH! We are going out on tour with Guns. That’s gonna be fucking sick. It’s a little bitter-sweet ya know, because I would really love to see the original line up. But the players he has out there, Robin Fink, Brain, Dizzy Reed, who has been with Guns for a long, long time. It’s gonna be exciting. Playing in front of like 15,000 – 20,000 people every night, and just ripping up the fucking show. We are gonna do our best to steal the show. [Laughs] Ya know, we know it’s not gonna happen. But it’s like….We better get out there and mother fuckin’ try. We are always up for a challenge. Guns is one of the bands that really changed it for me in music, so to go share the stage with them is going to be fucking cool. I am really excited. They actually asked us a couple of times to go out on tour but we were always like, “We are already out on tour”, they came to us too late. This time, it was a last minute thing. We were supposed to go out with HIM and Lost Prophets, but HIM cancelled the tour for some reason, so we were like “Fuck It. Lets go out with Guns!” They were totally into it.

Q - It has to be quite an honour for Guns n’ Roses to ask you on tour with them?

A - Fuck yeah! For us it was cool. Apparently Axl digs our band. He asked for us, so, that’s pretty killer. It’s going to be a great couple of weeks for us. It will be cool to share the stage with a lot of legends out there. It’s just in America. It’s a two week tour. Then after that we jump out on a tour with….Fuck, I don’t even know who. It’s a head lining tour so all the really matters is that we are on it. [Laughs]

Q - How long is this tour lasting for?

A - This tour is like two more weeks, then we go to US for two weeks with Guns, then we have a three week head lining tour throughout the United States. Then we are coming back in February to do another tour throughout the UK and Europe.

Q - Do you get much time off?

A - No. We will go back for Christmas and New Years Eve and then we will start touring again.

Q - Is that the bad thing about touring then?

A - Well, you know, yeah, sometimes I miss my family. But this is one of my greatest passions in life, is playing music. So I balance it.

Q - Finally, What’s next for Papa Roach?

A - Oh shit. That’s hard to even look that far forward. I think we are gonna go into the studio a few times while we are out here on the road and record some acoustic versions of some songs, and put out an acoustic record on iTunes or something like that. We are not exactly sure if we are gonna release it as an album on the shelves or if it’s just gonna be an exclusive to iTunes. But we went and recorded a couple and they just came out really cool. I am just really proud of the way they sound. So I was like let’s go back and dig through some of the old material and see what we can give a new life to, with an acoustic performance, and show a different side to who we are as musicians.