GOJIRA's JOSEPH DUPLANTIER Says His Energy Level Has 'Increased By Ten Or A Hundred' After Becoming Vegan

In a recent interview with Finland's Chaoszine, GOJIRA frontman Joseph Duplantier was asked if there are specific foods or drinks that he wouldn't have before a show that he feels affect his vocal cords, and on the opposite side, something that he thinks helps him with singing. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I'm sure I can discover more things about that. But I feel what I need before a show and… For example, before this interview I was just slicing some avocado, 'cause avocado helps. It's healthy fats, and I like to eat a little bit of that or a banana or something that sort of sticks to your pipes. Definitely I'm not eating for three hours before a show."

He continued: "There's a lot to say about food, of course, and it's notorious that dairy is not really good before singing, for example. I don't do dairies for a long time now; I'm a vegan. I remember struggling before being vegan to manage my energy on stage. The energy level was good at first, and then the first time I screamed, I would almost pass out sometimes because I'm still digesting. Because at the beginning of our career, we were opening a lot, so we would eat and then go on stage, for example. This is very dangerous, because your body is trying to process the food, and if you wanna use your entire body to sing, as you should if you're a singer, there's gonna be a lot of things in the way and the body gets confused. And I almost fell passed out on stage multiple times because I was not done digesting.

"Also, I wanna say this on a side note, but since I quit animal products and I eat plant-based [foods] only, my energy increased by ten or a hundred," Joseph added. "I don't know, because how would I know? Every time we finish a show, I'm still full of energy and I keep going. I can keep going and going and going. And back in the day, before I changed my diet, at the end of the show, I was at the end of my life. And I was young; I was 20[-something]… Dude, I should be the opposite, right? But then I changed my diet, and now I can go anytime. Even if I eat in this three-hour window, it's gonna be super light, so it's gonna be acceptable. But if I would eat cheese or meat or heavy things, it's impossible.

"So I think although I don't have the healthiest lifestyle — I drink a few beers after the show; I'm a night owl, so I don't sleep a lot. I try to catch up on sleep in naps. But I do drink a lot of water and try to sleep as much as possible. These are my secrets — that are not secrets; everybody knows it [laughs], even for non-singers. But yeah, the diet change was crucial in my life."

Earlier this year, Joseph spoke to U.K.'s Kerrang! magazine about some of his favorite snacks on tour. He said: "Being vegan on tour used to be difficult, but it's easier these days now that I get to ask for whatever I want. [Laughs] A few years ago, when we were a little less important, I'd always have to make sure that I had olive oil and bread, so that if worst came to worst I could put some olive oil in a bowl with salt and bread. Olive oil is very important to me — I can feel it go into my joints and muscles and bones, which I really need to survive on tour. Aside from that, I eat a lot of quinoa and avocado. Maybe that's the most hipster answer ever, but it is such a healthy fat. The problem is that it doesn't grow where I live. Also, I need my coffee. I'm not a super-healthy eater. I like a lot of junk food. First and foremost, I'm vegan for the animals, but I do notice how much better it makes me feel."

Last October, GOJIRA released a new song titled "Our Time Is Now". The track appears on the soundtrack to EA Sports' long-running NHL video game franchise "NHL 23".

GOJIRA's latest album, "Fortitude", came out in April 2021 via Roadrunner Records. The follow-up to 2016's "Magma" was recorded and produced by Joseph at Silver Cord Studio — GOJIRA's Ridgewood, Queens, headquarters — and mixed by Andy Wallace (NIRVANA, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE).

GOJIRA initially laid the foundation for "Fortitude" in 2020 with the surprise release of the single "Another World".

GOJIRA and MASTODON recently completed the first leg of "The Mega-Monsters Tour", a massive co-headline run across North America in 2023 along with special guests LORNA SHORE on all dates. The trek resumed with a second leg from August 9 through September 2.