Papa Roach
Papa Roach is an American rock band from Vacaville, California, formed in 1993. The original lineup consisted of lead vocalist Jacoby Shaddix, drummer Dave Buckner, guitarist Jerry Horton, bassist Will James, and trombonist Ben Luther.
After releasing two EPs, James departed and was replaced by Tobin Esperance. The band independently released two additional EPs before signing with DreamWorks Records in 1999, subsequently releasing the triple-platinum Infest in 2000, the gold album Lovehatetragedy in 2002, and the platinum album Getting Away with Murder in 2004. Following the release of The Paramour Sessions in 2006, Buckner left the band in 2007 and was succeeded by Tony Palermo. Papa Roach then released Metamorphosis, Time for Annihilation, The Connection, F.E.A.R., Crooked Teeth, and Who Do You Trust?. The group's eleventh studio album, Ego Trip, was released in 2022.
History
Early years (1993–1995)
Papa Roach's formation began in January 1993 when lead singer Jacoby Shaddix and drummer Dave Buckner met on the Vacaville High School football field. They were later joined by lead guitarist Jerry Horton from nearby Vanden High School, rhythm guitarist Anne Mikolajcik, trombonist Ben Luther, and bassist Will James. They decided to enter the school's talent show, performing a rendition of Jimi Hendrix's song "Fire". Ultimately, they did not win the talent show. In March 1993, Ben Luther left the band, followed by Anne Mikolajcik. During this period, Papa Roach practiced daily and toured extensively, playing every gig they could secure. The band's first tour van was named Moby Dick, which inspired Shaddix to adopt his initial stage name, "Coby Dick." Initially, the band was called "Papa Gato," as suggested by Buckner, but Shaddix changed it to Papa Roach, combining the nickname of his maternal grandfather, Herbert Fischer "Papa," with "Roach," derived from his paternal grandfather, John "Grandpa" Roatch. Both grandparents were musicians.In 1994, Papa Roach released its first EP, titled Potatoes for Christmas. Drummer Dave Buckner was temporarily replaced by Ryan Brown while he spent the year in Seattle, studying art. In 1995, the band released a demo at Sound Farm Studios titled Caca Bonita. By this time, Buckner had returned. In 1996, the group replaced original bassist Will James with Tobin Esperance, as James' involvement in a church summer camp limited the band's summer rehearsals and touring.
''Old Friends from Young Years'' and record deal (1996–1999)
On February 4, 1997, the band's debut studio album, titled Old Friends from Young Years, was released. At this time, the group was actively touring, supporting bands such as Incubus, Powerman 5000, Hed PE, Snot, Far, and Static-X.In 1998, Papa Roach released an EP titled 5 Tracks Deep, which sold more than 1,000 copies within its first month of release. In 1999, the band produced another EP, their final independent release, titled Let 'Em Know. Its success attracted the attention of Warner Music Group, which, as part of a development deal, provided a modest amount of funding for the production of a five-track promotional demo CD. The band sought out influential rock producer Jay Baumgardner to produce the record. In an interview with HitQuarters, Baumgardner stated, "At first, I wasn't really convinced it would work out, but then I saw a video of them performing at a club – I saw all these kids going wild, knowing the songs by heart – and that's when I realized that they definitely had potential."
Warner Bros. was unimpressed with the demo and chose not to sign the group. The unreleased disc included the tracks "Infest," "Last Resort," "Broken Home," "Dead Cell," and "She Loves Me Not".
Shortly thereafter, DreamWorks Records offered the band a recording contract.
Mainstream success, ''Infest, Lovehatetragedy'' and ''Getting Away with Murder'' (2000–2005)
After signing with DreamWorks Records in October 1999, Papa Roach promptly entered the studio to record their major-label debut album, titled Infest. The album featured songs from their earlier independent releases, including "Infest," "Last Resort," "Broken Home," and "Dead Cell" from the Warner Bros. demo CD; "Revenge In Japanese" as "Revenge" and "Thrown Away" from their 5 Tracks Deep EP; and "Legacy," "Binge," "Snakes," and a softer version of the originally heavier "Tightrope" from the Let 'Em Know EP. These tracks were re-recorded, along with three additional newly written songs: "Obsession", "Blood Brothers," and "Never Enough." Infest was released on April 25, 2000, and sold 30,001 copies in its first week.With the release of their second album and the recording of the music video for "Last Resort," Papa Roach embarked on the Vans Warped Tour and several other major tours, including the Anger Management Tour alongside Limp Bizkit and rap acts such as Eminem, Xzibit, D12, Ludacris, and X-Ecutioners. In 2000, they launched their headlining "Master Bay" tour, supported by Linkin Park and Hed PE. The band received a nomination for "Best New Artist in a Video" at the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards for "Last Resort."
In late 2000, the band toured the United Kingdom, demonstrating the rapid expansion of their global popularity. On Saint Patrick's Day in 2001, Papa Roach began the "Raid The Nation" tour in the U.S, which included Alien Ant Farm and Orgy as opening acts. During that year, the band also participated in Ozzfest, where they performed on the prestigious main stage during both the United States and United Kingdom tours. The song "Blood Brothers" was also featured in the popular video game Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2.
After touring worldwide, the band returned to the studio to record their third album, initially titled Born to Rock, but later renamed Lovehatetragedy. The album was released in the United States on June 18, 2002. Although it did not outsell Infest, it achieved higher chart positions in both the United States and United Kingdom album charts. The album has sold over 500,000 copies and has been certified gold. The album featured a greater emphasis on singing rather than rapping, while the band retained their nu metal sound. It produced two singles: "She Loves Me Not" and "Time and Time Again", both of which included elements of rapping along with the rap metal sound characteristic of Infest. The music video for "Time and Time Again" was featured in a Pepsi Blue commercial. That same year, the band embarked on a tour to support Lovehatetragedy, which included performances on the second Anger Management Tour. This tour was co-headlined by Eminem and Papa Roach, alongside Ludacris, Xzibit, X-Ecutioners, and Bionic Jive.
file:Buckner behindthesecenes.jpeg|thumb|Drummer Dave Buckner, who was in the band from 1993 to 2007
In late 2003, Papa Roach wrote and recorded their third album, initially titled Dancing In the Ashes, which was released as Getting Away with Murder. The band collaborated with well-known producer Howard Benson. After completing the album, the band filmed a music video for the title track, "Getting Away with Murder", and went on a brief summer club tour to prepare for the subsequent tours. The album marked a departure for the band, as it was their first album not to incorporate the nu metal style of their previous works. Additionally, it was the band's first album that did not feature rapping. Getting Away with Murder outsold Lovehatetragedy, primarily due to the success of the album's second single, "Scars". To date, the album has sold over one million copies and has been certified Platinum. On November 9, 2004, the band released their fifth EP, Rolling Stone Original, an EP that was only available digitally. On November 22, 2005, they released their first live album, Papa Roach: Live & Murderous in Chicago.
In 2005, the band spent a significant amount of time on tour, which included a full United States and European tour alongside bands such as Dead Poetic, Trust Company, Chronic Future, Skindred, 311, and Unwritten Law.
''The Paramour Sessions'' and Buckner's departure (2006–2008)
On September 12, 2006, Papa Roach released their fourth album, The Paramour Sessions. The band named the album after the recording location, the Paramour Mansion. The idea for an album recorded in a mansion emerged while the band was working on Getting Away with Murder. "...To Be Loved" was the first single released from the album and served as the official theme song for WWE Raw from 2006 to 2009. The album debuted at No. 16 on the Billboard 200 chart.The band began touring in support of the album in August 2006, starting with an American tour followed by a European leg. In October 2006, Papa Roach toured with Guns N' Roses during their Chinese Democracy tour. They also served as the special guest band during the Zippo Hot Tour, alongside Hed PE and Stealing December.
On October 10, 2006, a String Quartet tribute album titled Perfect Murder: Strung Out on Papa Roach was released by Vitamin Records.
The band initially planned to release a compilation of acoustic recordings of their songs, including "Forever," "Scars," and "Not Coming Home," which was recorded for KROQ-FM's charity Christmas album, Kevin and Bean's Super Christmas. However, the acoustic compilation was later shelved. In an interview with Billboard, Shaddix expressed his belief that fans were not yet ready for an acoustic direction from the band.
On April 25, 2007, it was announced that drummer Dave Buckner would be sitting out the band's touring schedule due to personal matters, with expectations for him to rejoin the group shortly thereafter. Shaddix later confirmed in an interview with Launch Radio Networks that Dave had entered rehab to "go clean his act up 'cause he was out of his mind." Unwritten Law drummer Tony Palermo filled in on drums.
In the summer of 2007, the band went on the Bad Boys of Rock tour, supporting Hinder. During this tour, frontman Shaddix and Hinder lead singer Austin Winkler developed a strong friendship, leading to the band touring with Hinder on multiple occasions in subsequent years. It was revealed in 2015 that Shaddix and Austin wrote and recorded a song together for part of Winkler's solo project, although both expressed uncertainty about whether the song would ever be released.
In 2008, it was announced that the band would officially part ways with drummer Dave Buckner. It was also revealed that Buckner had sued the band, claiming he wasn't "receiving his fair share of the group's earnings."