PAPA ROACH frontman Jacoby Shaddix says that "putting down the bottle" seven years ago was "a life-saving" and "life-changing moment." In 2012, as the band was working on its "The Connection" album, the singer was hitting rock bottom. He had been battling his addictions for a decade, moving from periods where he cleaned up and went on the wagon, only to relapse back into the same behaviors. After the near-dissolution of his marriage and a battle with suicidal depression, the singer is now clean and sober. Speaking about his decision to finally quit drinking for good, Shaddix told the 103 GBF radio station (hear audio below): "I put down the bottle and haven't looked [back] since. It was damaging my relationships and damaging my health and my sanity and my passion and my drive and my will to even be. And that's not a good place to be… It's a trip, man, 'cause now I look at it and I couldn't imagine what my life would be like if I didn't make that change. I don't think I'd be continuing in music, to be honest. I don't know if I would even be here or doing this. So it was a life-saving, life-changing moment." He continued: "It's a trip, 'cause I've traveled years and years around, playing shows, and I've met countless people that have kind of told me, 'Wow! Your music has really been a source of strength and hope,' or, 'I can identify so deeply to this song or that song, because this was my struggle. And I just feel it's cool to know somebody else is feeling the same way or walking through the same thing.' "Us as humans, we're not designed to be alone, and so sometimes music is that thing that makes us feel part of," he added. "So I'm just grateful to still be doing it and making music that touches people and inspires people." Shaddix's sober anniversary came a month after the release of PAPA ROACH's tenth studio album, "Who Do You Trust?" The 12-song disc is one of the most eclectic of the band's career, ambitiously spanning a wide range of sounds and styles. "Who Do You Trust?" arrived on January 18 via Eleven Seven.
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