About Papa Roach
Papa Roach is an American rock band from Vacaville, California, formed in 1993. The original lineup consisted of lead vocalist Jacoby Shaddix, guitarist Jerry Horton, drummer Dave Buckner, 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.
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 longtime roadie Tobin Esperance, as James' involvement in a church summer camp limited the band's summer rehearsals and touring.
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."
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