Brent Smith says he once believed substances were necessary for his songwriting, but learning to work sober proved otherwise. In an interview with The Mixtape published September 18, 2026, the Shinedown frontman described how clarity, family and a willingness to feel his experiences have changed his creative process.
Asked how he had developed as a songwriter, Smith explained that he has stopped imposing rules on creativity. More years of living have given him more to write about. He recalled assuming he needed to be under the influence to produce great songs, before discovering “that just wasn’t the case.” Being focused became something he valued, and he said his emotional connection to life has grown stronger.
Smith credited the people around him with helping him reach that point. Reflecting on his past, he said he considers himself fortunate to have survived. He singled out his family and Shinedown bandmates Eric Bass, Barry Kerch and Zach Myers, describing a relationship in which they look after one another.
He had spoken more specifically about that support in a July interview with Classic Rock. Smith recalled Kerch pleading with him to stop harming himself and offering whatever help he needed. He also described becoming a father as a reason to confront his substance use, recognizing that his child needed him alive. Smith emphasized that maintaining sobriety remains a daily responsibility.
In The Mixtape conversation, he described what fatherhood has allowed him to experience since then. His son, 18 at the time of the interview, had spent 10 weeks on tour with him and joined the band onstage to perform a song each night. Smith spoke about watching his son encounter the world and develop into an adult, describing him as his greatest priority.
Those experiences feed the way he writes. Smith said he tries to remain receptive to what happens around him and turns situations he has lived through into songs. When an idea arrives, he records it on his phone immediately rather than leaving it until later.
