SHINEDOWN's BRENT SMITH: Our Audiences Will Always 'Get Absolutely Our One Hundred Percent And Beyond'

In a new interview with iHeartRadio's Shannon Burns, SHINEDOWN lead singer Brent Smith and guitarist Zach Myers spoke about the importance of authenticity when it comes to the band's live performances.

"I think that our goal in an arena or an amphitheater or wherever we're playing every night is to make eye contact with every single person in that crowd — at least once," Zach said. "And also making the back row feel like the front row. I think that people can feel kind of jaded when they're in the back. We want people to walk out of that room, or wherever we are, thinking that they can take over the world, and that that falls on Brent a lot of the times, because he's the frontman and he kind of gives the speeches and the motivational speeches every night on stage. But also when we all go up there, we're a unit and people can tell that we're together. I think if we didn't get along as well as we did — I don't know, maybe it's just in my head — people would be able to notice it. And I think that they see us on stage as four guys having the best time ever in front of them, and I think that connects fully with people."

Smith also elaborated on his longtime belief that he and his bandmates only have one boss: the people. He said: "I think it keeps the four of us extremely humble towards each other to understand — again, like you said, we do look at them as the boss. We've often said SHINEDOWN has one boss; it just happens to be everybody in the room and in the audience. So I think that they understand — whether they've been there from the beginning or they're just kind of finding out who we are; it's very eight to 80 — anyone from anywhere is welcomed all the time. And that's kind of an attitude that is rock and roll. Rock and roll is a spirit more than anything.

"We try to really look at music and songwriting as — it really is about being real and being authentic," Brent explained. "We talk about a lot of heavy subject matter in our songs. We've been a band for 20 years and we've been talking about mental health for the better part of 20 years. That's being brought out to the forefront more now, which I think is a good thing, for people to be able to talk about their feelings and not keep them inside, 'cause that's gonna allow you to grow as a person. So that connection with the audiences — they know that we are not going to walk out there and phone anything in. They're gonna get absolutely our one hundred percent and beyond."

SHINEDOWN's single "A Symptom Of Being Human" recently landed at No. 1 at Active Rock. This marked SHINEDOWN's record-breaking 21st No. 1 song on the Mediabase Active Rock chart and extended the band's record for the most No. 1s in the history of Billboard's Mainstream Rock Airplay chart with 19 total. The crossover hit is also moving up the Alternative charts and now impacting at Top 40 radio nationwide, all following its Top 15 run at Hot AC in 2023.

SHINEDOWN has always believed that music is universal and doesn't have to be put in a genre box, as evidenced by "A Symptom Of Being Human" resonating with all listeners with its uplifting and important message about how we are all a work in progress. The band's exploration of the resilience of the human spirit, experiences with mental health, and the importance of empathy shine through in the track reminding us that we are more similar than we are different. Collectively, "A Symptom Of Being Human", the fourth No. 1 single from the band's acclaimed seventh studio album "Planet Zero" (Atlantic Records),has amassed over 40 million streams across all versions of the song including a pop remix, acoustic version, and piano version.

The "Planet Zero" album also featured the 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 released a music video for 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.