DISTURBED's DAVID DRAIMAN Hopes To Be Able To Keep Performing For Many Years To Come: 'I Still Love Doing It'

In a new interview with The Jerusalem Post, DISTURBED frontman David Draiman expressed his hope that he and his bandmates can continue performing for a number of years to come, especially when he looks at the continued dominance of METALLICA in their 60s and Bruce Springsteen touring at 73.

"Physically, I'm okay," he said. "I've lost 20 pounds since January and I've been doing vocal training. It's the mental aspect I have to try and get past. But I know the most amazing way to transcend every single issue to feel that energy onstage," he said.

"May we all be able to thrive in the way that the aforementioned musicians thrive that late in the game," he continued. "I hope we can because I still love doing it. What we do can be considerably more physically challenging, but it's my own fault and the nature of the music that we write and perform. We're a product of what we create and I wouldn't have it any other way. That's the only way it can be truly satisfying for me."

Back in 2016, Draiman told Edmonton, Alberta, Canada's 100.3 FM The Bear radio station that DISTURBED will end "when we're no longer physically able to do this anymore, or when the desire for us peters out, and I hope that neither one ever happens. This is an addiction in the purest form possible, and once you've tasted what it's like to play live to an audience that truly loves you and that gets empowerment and release and strength from what you do, it's impossible to turn away — at least for me," he explained. "And I know that I speak for the rest of my brothers in the band when it comes to that as well. We have a symbiotic relationship that makes all of us stronger — the fans and band. And you can't walk away from the most addictive sensation in existence; it's nearly impossible. And my family will have to forgive me for my one final vice that exists in my life."

In 2018, when Draiman was 45 years old, he told Mixdown magazine that he felt he had "a good 10 to 15 years left in me, at the very least. The one thing you've got to be careful of, particularly in hard rock and metal, is the challenge of performing," he explained. "You don't want it to ever get to the point of not doing your songs justice. You gotta figure out when is the right time to say when."

Last month, David confirmed that he recently finalized his divorce from his wife of 11 years, Lena Draiman. The now-50-year-old singer opened up about his split in an interview with Kyle Meredith. Speaking about why DISTURBED continues to make music and stay creative after being together for nearly 30 years, David said: "Therapy. [Laughs] It's as pure and simple as that. Right now for me it's the most effective form of therapy.

"I'm very much looking forward to the performance end of things, which is coming up shortly, but the creative end is the perfect way to come to terms with your demons, and I'm definitely stocked up," he explained. "I need this, and I need the music — creating it, performing it, living it — right now more than I ever have.

"I just recently finalized my divorce. I just recently said goodbye to my Akita [dog], my best friend of 14 years. There's gonna be plenty of inspiration for the next body of work. Battling depression, battling all the demons that normally come along with it. And I know that music — our music, other music like it and different types of music in general — is just the perfect means of therapy for so many other people. And it really is my saving grace. I don't know what I would do without it."

Draiman touched upon his divorce again later in the interview when the conversation turned to the DISTURBED song "Don't Tell Me", which appears on the band's latest album "Divisive". A duet with HEART's Ann Wilson, the track was inspired by DISTURBED guitarist Dan Donegan's own recent divorce. "Mine hadn't been finalized yet [when the song was written]," David revealed. "And to be honest, when I wrote the song, I didn't realize how prophetic it was going to be. I kind of hate that shit. [Laughs] It ended up becoming not just about Dan's divorce, unfortunately. It wasn't exactly the same situation, but I definitely have added reverence for the song, and it has added meaning and power to me, especially now."

When David first announced his divorce on his Facebook page in February, he described himself as "heartbroken" and "very lost" and revealed that there was "no infidelity" involved in the split. He went on to say that there was "no bad blood" between him and his now-ex-wife and added that they would "continue to be the best parents" we can be to their son Samuel, who was born in September 2013. "Lena is still the best mother I could ever hope for, so we've got that going for us," he wrote at the time. He added: "I will continue to try to be the best father, and frontman that I can be, and I hope that Sam can forgive me one day for my part in this failure."

Last November, Donegan told the Z93 radio station that DISTURBED drummer Mike Wengren also "went through a divorce early on in the pandemic."

A little over a year ago, Draiman and his then-wife and son moved to Miami, Florida after living in Honolulu, Hawaii for a few years.

Draiman first announced his family's decision to relocate to Miami in February 2022, explaining on his Facebook page that he and his then-wife "gave it our best shot, but between the extraordinarily long travel times for business, island fever, and a bunch of other factors, we've decided to move on." He also shared a link to a video tour of his then-Honolulu home which had just been listed.

"Divisive" came out last November. The LP was recorded earlier last year with producer Drew Fulk (MOTIONLESS IN WHITE, LIL PEEP, HIGHLY SUSPECT) in Nashville, Tennessee.

According to Billboard, "Divisive" sold 26,000 equivalent album units in its first week of release, with 22,000 units via album sales.

On the all-format Billboard 200 chart, "Divisive" debuted at No. 13.

DISTURBED has had five No. 1s on the all-genre chart, beginning with "Believe" in 2002.