Papa Roach aren’t really known for soft songs, but their next album will feature their first-ever acoustic ballad, according to frontman Jacoby Shaddix. He had a video chat about the follow-up to 2019’s Who Do You Trust? with Radio.com.
The Papa Roach singer’s latest update noted that the record is about three-quarters of the way finished. Everyone in their camp was tested for COVID-19, and they rented a house together, where no one left for the entire month that they spent there making the record.
“It was music 24 hours a day for a month. Literally, there was something happening at all hours. And this creative process, we got lost in it,” he added.
“And so this shut-in vibe really… It’s like the farther you dig down creatively and you discover this piece, it’s, like, ‘Let’s go farther down the rabbit hole. Let’s go farther down the rabbit hole,'” Shaddix continued. “And that experience for us really uncovered some rad sounds, some great songs, and just overall a good bonding experience for us.”
As a result of their unique and isolated experience, the vocalist described the upcoming album as a “next era” for the band, and declared that it’s the best songwriting they’ve done.
“It’s mature, but then there’s this reckless idleness to it. It’s just this duality of styles. We have our first acoustic ballad we’ve ever done. And it’s not like a, ‘Oh, honey, sweetie, sweetie, baby’ kind of ballad,” he explained. “It’s a song that just grabs you by the heartstrings and just toys with you. It’s just a super-dynamic rock record that I think is gonna blow people’s minds.”
Earlier this month, bassist Tobin Esperance confirmed that while the album will not be released until next year, they will be dropping new songs from it throughout 2021.