Jacoby Shaddix + Chris Daughtry Open Up About Mental Health

“I went for awhile where I felt like I was just writing songs. I was just writing — this is what a good song sounds like or this is what a hit sounds like.”

Chris Daughtry recently joined Chuck Armstrong on Loudwire Nights (June 4) to discuss what changed for him to write more transparent and personal songs.

“Even before I lost my daughter and my mom, I just went through this place of feeling like I wasn’t saying anything,” Daughtry admitted.

“I felt like I was going through this imposter syndrome…I felt like I needed to cut myself open and really pour out the things that maybe I was not even aware I was going through underneath.”

On the show, Daughtry was joined by his friend and peer, Papa Roach frontman Jacoby Shaddix. As Daughtry opened up about his own music, Shaddix was clearly in agreement in light of his own journey.

“You just nailed it — that’s my brother shining,” Shaddix said as Daughtry wrapped up his comments. “As I get older, it’s like peeling back the layers of the onion. And the deeper I get, it’s like I’m uncovering this new thing that I didn’t know was there.”

For Shaddix, uncovering new things can go all the way back to his childhood.

“Growing up in a broken home and having that happen, it’s like, I wasn’t responsible for what happened to me, but I’m responsible for how I react to it and how I grow and how I build from that.”

How Chris Daughtry + Jacoby Shaddix Remain Positive

As both Daughtry and Shaddix peel back the layers, they said it’s important for them to remain grateful so they can stay in a positive place, even when writing heavy, sometimes dark songs.

“I have to recalibrate myself every morning because I wake up with fear of impending doom,” Shaddix told the Loudwire Nights audience.

“It’s my kids,” Daughtry added.

“I have this responsibility to be this, you know, presence that’s inspiring, not only in life, but I want to be fun to be around. So I’m constantly telling dad jokes to my kids.”

Shaddix jumped in immediately.

“Oh, we let the deez nuts jokes fly in my house.”

Are Papa Roach Working on New Music?

Beyond diving deep into their own mental health and the emotional weight of their music, Shaddix did reveal that Papa Roach are currently working on the follow-up to their 2022 album, Ego Trip.

As Shaddix said, “We’re working on new music,” Daughtry interrupted him to add, “I can say I’ve heard some of this new music and it is fire.”

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“I’m so excited about getting creative,” Shaddix admitted, “and we’ve been going in like once a month, for a week, and just writing and writing. I think we’ve got like eight songs and some of them are like, you know, pieces and parts, verses and choruses, but they will eventually become…”

As Shaddix thought about what those pieces and parts will become, Daughtry filled in the blank: “Masterpieces.”

What Else Did Jacoby Shaddix + Chris Daughtry Discuss on Loudwire Nights?

• Whether or not they’ll collaborate together in the studio on new music
• How therapy helped Daughtry in his songwriting journey
• What one of Shaddix’s favorite deez nuts jokes is, and how it involves Imagine Dragons

Listen to the Full Interview in the Podcast Player Below

Jacoby Shaddix and Chris Daughtry joined Loudwire Nights on Tuesday, June 4; the show replays online here, and you can tune in live every weeknight at 7PM ET or on the Loudwire app; you can also see if the show is available on your local radio station and listen to interviews on-demand.