Love them or hate them (and I feel like most of us lean towards the latter), you have to respect Papa Roach’s dedication to suicide prevention. Last year they released their single “Leave a Light On (Talk Away the Dark)” off their 2022 album Ego Trip which is their latest song addressing the issue of suicide and suicidal ideation. Now, they’re releasing a new version of the song with the most unlikely of partnerships.
Yesterday, the band released photos on their Instagram of them in the studio with country pop singer and 2005 American Idol champion Carrie Underwood recording a new version of the song. The caption reads:
We’re continuing the mission to raise awareness for suicide prevention and the @afspnational’s ‘Talk Away The Dark’ campaign, now with the incredible Carrie Underwood by our side.
“Enjoy @paparoach x @carrieunderwood ‘Leave A Light On (Talk Away The Dark),’ out this Friday!”
While it’s not stated outright in the post, it seems to imply that the new single is a benefit for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, a charity that Papa Roach has worked with in the past. Papa Roach recently played for AFSP when they appeared on Family Feud earlier this week playing against Daughtry. Last October, the band donated $150,000 to AFSP and pledged a perpetual royalty from the original version of “Leave a Light On (Talk Away the Dark)” to the organization. Frontman Jacoby Shaddix even recorded a PSA for the organization.
So, while I’m certain there will be a number of people upset that Papa Roach is collaborating with a country pop star (most of whom were never Papa Roach fans in the first place), at least they’re doing it for a good cause.
Carrie Underwood Unites with Papa Roach on New Single to Bring Awareness to Suicide Prevention…
Carrie Underwood unites with Rock icons Papa Roach on a new recording of their multi-format hit single “Leave A Light On (Talk Away The Dark),” out Friday August 2nd. The dynamic duet was recorded in Nashville, Tennessee, and continues the mission of the California band to raise awareness for suicide prevention and mental health awareness, alongside partner organization(s) the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), who will receive royalties generated from both artists from the song, in perpetuity. The release will also raise awareness for the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline in the United States and Canada.
“We were humbled that Carrie was open to our mission, and hearing the power of Carrie’s voice in that recording session we were blown away,” said frontman Jacoby Shaddix. “Not only is her vocal ability unequaled, but the impact of her voice brings a new meaning to our cause and will help people all over the globe. It’s an honor to have a “Rock Star” bring life to this track with us.”
“I’m such a huge fan of Jacoby and Papa Roach and was honored to be invited to record ‘Leave A Light On’ with them,” says Underwood. “It’s a beautiful song and the message behind it and the band’s mission to shine a light on suicide prevention and mental health awareness has never been more important.”
“Leave A Light On,” a band favorite, was first performed live last year with Shinedown and Spiritbox. In each city, including Nashville where Papa Roach fan Carrie Underwood was in attendance, the song was preceded by an emotional video PSA delivered by frontman Jacoby Shaddix, who pledged a donation to the AFSP on behalf of each city’s attendees, culminating in a $155,000 donation at the end of the tour.
The accomplishment motivated the band to commit even further by re-naming the single as “Leave A Light On (Talk Away The Dark),” in conjunction with the AFSP’s “Talk Away The Dark” campaign, and pledged a perpetual royalty from the song’s use, in any manner, to the AFSP, continuing their mission to save lives and bring hope to those affected by suicide. The compelling song has connected with audiences globally and became the band’s 12th #1 and 26th Top-10 hit reaching #1 at Rock and Top-10 at Alternative in the US. The band’s efforts in raising money for the AFSP have not ceased and are now estimated to be over $250,000 – and growing.
“Papa Roach’s ‘Leave a Light On/Talk Away the Dark’ has tapped into a cultural moment in which people are eager and ready for the message the song contains: that we all go through difficult times and that we can all be there for each other. We want to thank Carrie Underwood for joining with Papa Roach to record this new, inspiring duet version, which will reach even more fans and connect them to AFSP’s Talk Away the Dark campaign,” said American Foundation for Suicide Prevention CEO Bob Gebbia. “We are also incredibly grateful to Papa Roach and Carrie Underwood for their commitment to providing those struggling with their mental health information and resources that can help. These amazing artists are educating the public about the importance of taking care of our mental health, and they are generously supporting the AFSP’s mission of saving lives and bringing hope to those affected by suicide.”
Daughtry and Papa Roach to Square Off on Celebrity Family Feud Tonight
Get ready to watch Steve Harvey react with astonishment to the answers that Papa Roach and Daughtry give to inevitably racy and sexualized questions, because it’s time to play the Feud! The two nu-metal bands face off against each other tonight on Celebrity Family Feud, and it promises to be an entertaining watch, at the very least.
The best part of watching Family Feud is watching Steve Harvey react to everything like a 90-year-old church lady who’s positively scandalized by the answers people give to questions like “Name a fruit that best describes your husband’s manhood” as if these types of questions aren’t designed to elicit sexual answers. He’s probably only acting shocked, but it’s still fun to watch, so we’ll see how many times these bands can make his jaw drop.
Apparently the episode was shot back in April, which is when Papa Roach first posted pictures of them on the game show set on Instagram. Papa Roach promised that all proceeds would go to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, but it was unclear if that means that that’s the charity Papa Roach is playing for or if both bands are playing for the same charity. Typically, each team in Celebrity Family Feud picks a different charity.
Papa Roach also posted a promotional video of the two band’s frontmen, Daughtry’s Chris Daughtry and Papa Roach’s Jacoby Shaddix, trying to face off against each other and look tough, but they apparently couldn’t get through a take without laughing. My only fear is that it might turn out that the whole idea of pitting these bands against each other is funnier than the reality.
