Papa Roach
Interviewed by Patrick Haley
Written by Jilian Joseph

Who’s your “Papa”?
Four high school kids from Vacaville, California got together to form this band which consist of vocalists Coby Dick, now 23; guitarist Jerry Horton, 25; bassist Tobin Esperance, 20; and drummer Dave Buckner, 24. The name Papa Roach originated from Dick’s Grandfather who is called “Papa Roatch.” They like to call themselves “P-Roach.”

What got you guys interested in music?
Dave: Lack of anything better to do....
Exactly what genre of music would you consider your band falls into?
Dave: Rock.
Did you guys record any other albums before recording Infest?
Dave: We recorded our first demo in ‘94 and our second in ‘95, we recorded a whole album Old Friends from Young Years which was put out a year later in ‘97 because we had no money to release it and put out two EP’s in ‘99. We sold albums from the trunks of our cars outside shows; Infest would have come out anyway if we didn’t sign to a major label. We’ve been around for seven years.
Where do you want to go with Papa Roach that you haven’t already gone to yet?
Dave: Basically, I think that my goal, and it’s a general consensus, is to take it as far and for as long as we can. Don’t expect the same next time, we hope to grow and change as musicians, but you will still be able to identify us as that band.
Coby: Just like roaches are the king of themselves; they have longevity. When you think there is one, millions creep out.
I know you’re not a political band, but are there any messages in your music about today’s society?
Coby: No politics, a singers life lyrically touches politics but we are not educated on the subject. Painters make something visual; musicians make lyrics from poetry. As a band, what are you doing differently from others?
Dave: Not trying to be like other bands, whatever we’re doing different is paying off.
Who influenced you guys in your earlier years?
Dave: Rockers like Faith No More, Pixies, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Guns & Roses, Mr. Bungle and rappers like the Beastie Boys and Run D.M.C. to name a few. We all listen to different music.
Who are your influences now?
Dave: Snapcase, Drowning Man and Dillinger’s Escape Plan to name a few; I don’t know if it will have an effect on the band. Oh! and Far, Water & Solutions the most underrated album of all time! It sucks that they’re not around anymore, I wish they were still around; we played at their CD release party at The Troubadour in L.A.
Where does your inspiration stem from?
Dave: My four band mates; a lot of music. Seeing the Deftones, a local band from Sacramento, get signed to a major label, really lit a flame to our ass.
Anything else you would like to leave your fans?
Dave: We get tons of e-mails from them, some saying we’re the hottest band out there and they love our music, but there are the ones that tell us how they seriously connect with our lyrics and they describe how they’re from broken homes and they can relate to the track.
Coby: Thanks to every one of you kids who listen to what we have to say and appreciate it.
I was listening to Infest while writing this article and I’ll leave you with this; there are so few people who are passionate about what they do. These guys truly have that passion not just for their music, but music in general and everything that comes with success. With so much wrong with the world today I can understand why they have such a huge following because their lyrics really reach out and grab you. It really hits home with a lot of today’s youth because they can connect with those lyrics. Even as an adult I can seriously make that connection but I guess you’ll have to buy the CD to find out what I mean.