PAPA ROACH Frontman Says Being On Tour Can Lead To Feelings Of Loneliness And Depression

PAPA ROACH frontman Jacoby Shaddixspoke toWDR's "Rockpalast" at last month's Summer Breeze festival in Germany about how being on the road for long periods of time can exacerbate mental health struggles. "I struggled with substance-abuse issues [and] alcoholism," he said. "I'm almost seven years sober, off drinking alcohol and doing drugs, and it was a great change for me, 'cause I think if I continued with that lifestyle, I just don't know where we'd be — I don't even know if I'd still be making music; it was tearing me apart.

"We definitely have our struggles out here on the road, but then there's also so many great things," he continued. "So it's just perception and being able to know when to go on tour and know when to go, 'All right, it's time… We need to just be home for a while.' This last year, we've really spent a lot of time home — we've been with our families quite a bit over the last year and a half.

"I would say that it gets lonely out here, and sometimes depressing at moments, but the stage is definitely the bright spot of your day," he added. "And when it comes to the point where getting on stage is no longer fun, then that's when you need to go home and take a break. And so we do that."

Jacoby also talked about his passions away from being a professional musician. "Really, my kids are my passion, man — that's really what my life centers around when I go home," he said. "I've got a great relationship with my boys. I'm very fortunate for that, 'cause I know that when I was a teenager, I was, like, 'Mom and dad…' We still have our moments where [my kids] are, like, 'Dad, really?' I'm, like, 'Yeah, really. Your friends think I'm dope. They want photos of me, son. They like our bands. The kids want our autographs. Ha, ha! The joke's on you, kid!' Nah… But [I'm] just passionate about being a father. I love that — going and supporting my kids' sports and stuff like that. I've coached them in sports in my past, which I had a great time doing. And I think that that's really just my main focus when I go home — spending time with my family, other than doing this rock and roll thing. 'Cause rock and roll is eight months, 10 months out of the year, so when we're out there supporting a record, we're going, going, going, so when we come home, we just like to do what the family wants to do."

PAPA ROACH guitarist Jerry Horton recently revealed that the band is almost done with the follow up to last year's "Crooked Teeth" album, with plans to release the new disc "either at the end of this year or the beginning of next year."

"Crooked Teeth" was released in May 2017 via Eleven Seven Music. The disc was written and recorded in a cramped North Hollywood studio with producers Nicholas "RAS" Furlong and Colin Brittain, with the exception of the song "Born For Greatness", which saw the band collaborate with writer/producer Jason Evigan (Jason Derulo, Demi Lovato, Zedd, MAROON 5).