Shinedown’s Brent Smith says they try to focus on their fans 100%.
The singer says making fans their main priority reminds them to stay positive in an uncertain music industry.
When asked if anything still surprises him after more than 20 years as a musician, Smith tells Full Metal Jackie: “I’ve got to be honest with you, there’s not a lot that surprises me anymore. I don’t really take the calls anymore where somebody gets on the phone with me and says, ‘Are you sitting down?’ It’s not necessary for me anymore.
“There’s always twists and turns, and you’ve got to learn how to be as positive as you can be, because the industry can be really, really negative. But I always think about it from the fact of the matter that I’m still the 15-year-old kid in the middle of the audience looking up at the artist that I’m watching, and I’m still just enamoured by that.
“That’s what we really try to do day in and day out – make sure that the audience is 100% taken care of at all times.”
Singer and guitarist Zach Myers also said last month that honesty and writing about personal experiences is the key to Shinedown’s success.
He said: “It’s that raw honesty that connects me to music. So, when we make music, we’re going to write about what we’ve experienced or gone through.
“We’re not going to go, ‘Oh, this is on TV’ – we’ve never been able to write about outside subjects. I think our fans can tell that it keeps us honest to who we are.”
Shinedown are currently touring the US with Halestorm and Black Stone Cherry. They’ll then hit the road with Five Finger Death Punch in October and November.
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Shinedown tour dates 2016
Aug 10: Columbia Merriweather Post Pavilion, MD
Aug 12: Gilford Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion, NH
Aug 13: Uncasville Mohegan Sun Arena, CT
Aug 14: Erie Insurance Arena, PA
Aug 16: Chicago First Merit Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island, IL
Aug 18: Detroit DTE Energy Music Theater, MI
Sep 03: Mt Pleasant Soaring Eagle Casino, MI
Sep 07: Sao Paulo Maximus Festival, Brazil
Sep 10: Buenos AIres Maximus Festival, Argentina
Oct 08: Saitama Shi Loud Park, Japan
Oct 18: Little Rock Verizon Center, AR
Oct 22: Whichta Intrust Bank Arena, KS
Oct 23: Denver Pepsi Center, CO
Oct 25: West Valley City Maverik Center, UT
Oct 27: Phoenix Talking Stick Arena, AZ
Oct 28: Las Vegas T Mobile Arena, NV
Oct 29: Anaheim Honda Center, CA
Oct 31: San Jose SAP Center, CA
Nov 02: Portland Moda Center, OR
Nov 03: Spokane Arena, WA
Nov 05: Tacoma Dome, WA
Nov 07: Boise Taco Bell Arena, ID
Nov 09: Billings Metra Park, MT
Nov 11: Bismarck Civic Center, ND
Nov 17: Cincinnati US Bank Arena, OH
Nov 18: Louisville KFY YUM Center, KY
