FIDLAR frontman Zac Carper says he kicked his drug habit as he didn’t want to die young.
The band release second album Too on September 2 and Carper reports writing and recording the new material helped him work through his issues.
He tells Stereogum: “The way that I look at it is through the whole first FIDLAR album cycle and the tour, I was basically this crazy person on drugs.
“On this new record, I’m just a crazy person. I stopped doing heroin, I stopped doing meth, I stopped smoking crack, so now all I’m left with is just being this crazy person who’s trying to deal with it – and the way that I dealt with it was writing songs.”
He says he’s been clean for a year and adds: “I’m not going to stay fucked up just to fit in or because that’s what people want me to be. I don’t want to die when I’m fucking 28.”
Carper reports that Leave Me Alone from the album is based on his experiences while out on the road.
He adds: “Instead of being hungover or dope sick, I know what I am. If I start drinking again, then a week later I’m going to be slamming dope, so I just cut out drinking, too.
“I loved doing heroin, so if drinking is just the gateway to that, I’ll just fucking stop drinking. That’s what the song is all about.”
FIDLAR play this weekend’s Reading and Leeds festivals and return to the UK and Europe for a run of shows in November.
Too tracklist
01. 40oz On Repeat 02. Punks 03. West Coast 04. Why Generation 05. Sober 06. Leave Me Alone 07. Drone 08. Overdose 09. Hey Johnny 10. Stupid Decisions 11. Bad Medicine 12. Bad Habits