Tobin Esperance, the bass player of Papa Roach, chatted about their “Rockzilla” Tour and their new music.
What inspires your music and songwriting?
We really pull from anything. Whatever we’re feeling or Jacoby is experiencing, or dusting off an old idea. Writing for us is inspired in so many ways. For example, ‘No Apologies’ is about Jacoby’s relationship with his father. That track is very personal for him.
Can you tell us about the tour? What can fans expect?
The first leg of Rockzilla was special. We played mostly boutique outdoor venues. The bands on that tour all had a great time playing places that normally get left out of the itinerary. The venues were full by the time Bad Wolves finished and people got great value for money. The Rockzilla 2 Tour is a high energy party.
Fans can expect to get LOUD and just have a super epic night. All the bands are releasing new music that will sound great in indoor arenas. For us, indoors is where we love to play with thousands of smiling faces staring back at you.
How does it feel to be a band in the digital age? (Now with streaming and technology being so prevalent)
It’s definitely a shift from when we started out as kids, but we’ve really embraced it for years. Tik Tok, Instagram, Facebook, FB, YouTube, we really have been going all in moving with our fans online to wherever they migrate. If you have seen us on socials you can see we try not to take ourselves too seriously.
Technology allows us to connect directly with our fans and bring us closer with a new generation of fans in an organic way. We are blessed to be able to have that ability.
We also own our label again, New Noize Records, and we understand now more than ever how important streaming is now and we challenge ourselves to explore unique ways to engage our listeners on the streaming platforms.
What is your personal favorite song in your catalog? (My two favorites are “Scars” and “Last Resort”! They make me feel like I’m in high school all over again)
Glad you like those two. Those songs have really stood the test of time and we love them too. It’s great to see how many people still connect to and love those songs. However, I don’t think we could pick two from our whole catalog.
I think there are close to 300 now. We recently dropped a remix of ‘Cut the Line’ featuring our friend Caleb from Beartooth and it feels right to focus on that track now. We also recorded a remix of Swerve featuring Hollywood Undead, which we perform live on this tour.
Over the last few years, we’ve tried to bring other artists to our music to see where they could take them and we actually were nominated for a Grammy for our efforts last year.
How was “Cut the Line” with Beartooth?
The band has always loved Beartooth and Caleb. He’s such a passionate singer and performer and we were stoked to finally have him hop on a song with us. It’s great to see that people are loving it and feeling the new energy that may top the original. We also have wanted to tour with them for years so hopefully now we can make that happen.
-Which artists would you like to collaborate with as your dream duet choices in music?
We have done a few now. Have you heard any of them? Maria Brink, Skylar Grey, MGK, Danny Worsnop, The Hu — too many to count now but we really have been open to sharing our music with artist’s that we feel can take a song to another level. We are currently working on something with Lzzy Hale who we admire a great deal.
What does the word success mean to Papa Roach?
Having the ability to do what we love, supporting our family and connecting with our fan community and having them evolve and grow with us. We started in 1993 and then released our first single in 2000 and we are still growing as a band. It’s pretty rare and we don’t take it for granted.
What would you like to tell our readers about your tour and your new music?
Get there early. Escape the Fate, Hollywood Undead, Falling in Reverse and Papa Roach will be one of the best concerts you’ll see this year. So many hits in one evening, you’ll be crying.
As for the new music, get warmed up with your playlists beforehand and find a song that moves your body ‘cause you are about to be annihilated. See you there.
“Cut The Line” featuring Beartooth is available on digital service providers by clicking here.
For more information on the rock group Papa Roach and their tour dates, check out their official website.
