BRENT SMITH: SHINEDOWN 'Isn't A Hobby; This Is My Life'

In a new interview with Darren Paltrowitz, host of the "Paltrocast With Darren Paltrowitz", SHINEDOWN frontman Brent Smith was asked if it's "by design" that not many fans know a lot about his personal life away from his touring and recording activities with the band. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I don't know if it's by design; it's just who I am. I often will tell people that will say to me, 'Do you know you're a rock star?' And I go… I don't necessarily know how to answer that question, because if I am a rock star, or what I would consider a performer, I am for my set time. So the other 20 hours out of the day, what you see right now is exactly who I am. And I spend a lot of time right now, as much as I can, with my son, who just turned 15 in December of last year. And a lot of things are going on in his life right now, and I need to be there with him. But he also understands that I have to be gone also. That's why I'm very thankful that we have technology like FaceTime. 'Cause he's Generation Z, and they don't wanna text and they don't wanna talk on the phone; they wanna FaceTime, which I absolutely love. They like to look at each other. But I appreciate that.

"For me, I look at the 'rock star' element as the set time for when I'm performing," Brent explained. "As soon as I walk on stage, there is a switch that goes off, because I'm there to perform. And then I walk off the stage, I come back to reality. I think that that's one of the reasons why mentally I've been able to do this at the level that I'm doing it at. Not to mention the people around me — I always express this to people: you have to surround yourself with the hardest… the people in your life with the hardest workers in the room. And you need to lead from the front. And that's what I just try to do.

"I'm so immersed in my family, which really and truly is my son. But my livelihood is this band, and it has been from day one. This isn't a hobby. This is my life. And I'm also responsible for a lot of other people's lives. That's something that I make very, very poignant to everybody. Your crew, if you're a live musician, they are your anchor. They are what keeps you grounded and allows you to be able to do what it is you do. I can't stress the fact that… We are in a place now in our career as a band where we have a staff of about 80 people on the road. And we're responsible not only for them… And there's a lot of lifers with us too — people that have been there for over 10 years plus. And we're responsible for their families as well, and their livelihood. So it's a big responsibility."

Earlier this week, SHINEDOWN released the music video for its new Hot AC single "A Symptom Of Being Human", a standout track from its critically acclaimed album "Planet Zero".

SHINEDOWN's 24-date "The Revolutions Live" U.S. tour will kick off April 3 with support from fellow chart-toppers THREE DAYS GRACE and FROM ASHES TO NEW. SHINEDOWN will also play the Blue Ridge Rock Festival at the Virginia International Raceway in Alton, Virginia this September.

The "Planet Zero" album also features pop-rock anthem and No. 1 rock hit "Daylight", which People called one of "the most powerful of pop-rock songs created to remind us that we are truly all in this together." The band's video for "Daylight", set to the Amazon Original version of the song, is a love letter to their fans and shows the impact that the song's message — that you are never alone — had during SHINEDOWN's sold-out "Planet Zero" world tour.

SHINEDOWN also recently released a music video for current fast-rising rock single "Dead Don't Die", a rousing declaration of survival and an anthem about the resilience of the human spirit after trying times.

"Planet Zero" boldly confronts the societal forces that perpetuate divisiveness while offering a restorative path forward through empathy and open conversation - ultimately serving as a reminder that it is our human connections that matter the most. The album debuted in the Top 5 on the Billboard 200 chart and the official U.K. albums chart, and at No. 1 on six other Billboard charts, including Top Album Sales, Rock, Hard Rock, and Alternative Albums. SHINEDOWN is nominated for two iHeartRadio Music Awards for "Rock Artist Of The Year" and "Rock Song Of The Year" for "Planet Zero".