It's actually been quite a relief to be able to articulate some of these things and talk to people about the things that I was scared of talking to people about. I was never worried about any sort of stigma or anything with it to be honest with you. And, so, really for me, the only apprehension I've had with it is: What happens if somebody is really reaching out to me, and they really need help? I'm dealing with this just like they are. I'm always scared that I'm not going to have the right answer for them. And they were going to engage me in conversation, asking questions about it. I think more than anything, more than being scared - I knew that, because it was going to come to light, that this is what I go through, and a lot of people go through the same things - that I was going to have to engage people in conversation. I didn't know what I was going to say to other people. They love the fact that we've written something that is so personal, yet they can find a piece of themselves in each one of this songs – especially a song like "Get Up."Įric, were you ever scared to let Brent write this song or to publicly open up through music about your struggles? It's a very vulnerable position to be in.Įric: It is a vulnerable place to be for sure. People love honesty, especially our fans. Let's write the story of what has happened to us over the past few years and make the record out of it." People are going to identify with that. We took the shackles off at that point, and we said, "Let's just write honestly. Here's something that's been really personal for me. My wife, my close family and my bandmates were really the only people who knew anything about my severe depression issues. Let's write about it, but it took a song like "Get Up" to make it OK to do that.
We've fallen apart, we put ourselves back together again. Brent and I had conversations prior to that song about some of the subjects that we had begun to write about – which was substance abuse problems – and some of the things we had been through with each other over the past couple of years, dealing with that and dealing with my depression. It was a very powerful moment.Įric: We feel like "Get Up" just basically unlocked this record. That song was such a sounding board for the rest of the songs that became "Attention Attention." I mean, "Get Up" was a huge pivotal moment for not only us, but just in the making of the album. I was so afraid to cross the line with him, but Eric just removed the line. This was a very personal thing that I just expressed to him.
He's my partner, and he's my bandmate and we create together. And I didn’t want to upset him, because I love him. Let's start talking about "Get Up." Tell me about the single, the song and the message.īrent: It was like lightening hit both of us with inspiration at that time, because I was so afraid of crossing the line with our friendship – because I had never done something this personal before in regard to me and him – that I didn’t want to offend him. On a short break from the band's world tour, Smith and Bass spoke to Salon about "Get Up," mental health, addiction and how showing vulnerability strengthened their relationship with their fans. Yet Bass knew instantly who the song was about once Smith laid down the vocals. Bass created the music for it, and Smith did not share the lyrics or motivation for the song until they recorded it. Remarkably, "Get Up" was not pre-planned. While he may not have endured the same struggles as Bass with depression, pain can - unfortunately - be a universal human experience and that sense of unconditional support and solidarity for his friend is the driving factor behind the song. Smith's lyrics reflect a shared experience. For Shinedown's most recent album, "Attention Attention," the rock band decided to get really personal, and no song was more vulnerable than "Get Up." Front man Brent Smith penned the anthem after watching his friend and bandmate, bassist Eric Bass, struggle with clinical depression.Īt its core, the song deals with empathy.
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