SHINEDOWN's BRENT SMITH On Suicide Prevention: 'How You Stop It From Happening Is Not Being Quiet'

In honor of the American Suicide Prevention Foundation's (AFSP) annual walk, set to take place on Saturday, October 21, Mike Jones of the DC101 radio station interviewed Brent Smith of SHINEDOWN about the singer's generous donation to the AFSP and his personal connection to the cause.

Brent said in part (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "The one thing that I would say is that… Well, people need to understand, and I've said this over the years, when it comes to mental health… Suicide is a very difficult subject matter to talk about, but the fact of the matter is that's how you stop it from happening, is you talk about it. How you stop it from happening is not being quiet. If you have a loved one, if you have a friend of yours, and you can tell there's a shift in the way that they are acting, those are warning signs. Especially when they're being quiet. And the worst thing you can do is be quiet. Even if you don't have the fundamental tools, from a psychological standpoint, to talk to them about it, let them know that you care and that you love them. And organizations like the AFSP, there are people that can help them, that they can talk to. They're trained. They've studied it. They do understand how to talk to people. It's a very, very sensitive subject. But the worst thing you can do is be quiet. You've gotta talk about it. I know it can be frightening and you don't wanna offend someone or you don't wanna say the wrong thing, but I'm telling you right now, more so than not, suicide can be prevented just by talking about how you're feeling or getting the person that you're concerned about to talk about how they're feeling so that you can get them help or get them somebody that can be able to get them in a place where they can discuss what's going on and you can potentially save their life."

Last month, SHINEDOWN kicked off the fall leg of "The Revolutions Live" tour with support from PAPA ROACH and SPIRITBOX as they continue to tour behind their hit album "Planet Zero". The 25-date outing, co-produced by Live Nation and FPC Live, spreads across the U.S. before wrapping October 20 in Denver.

The "Planet Zero" album features pop-rock anthem and No. 1 rock hit "Daylight", which People called one of "the most powerful of pop-rock songs created to remind us that we are truly all in this together." The band's video for "Daylight", set to the Amazon Original version of the song, is a love letter to their fans and shows the impact that the song's message — that you are never alone — had during SHINEDOWN's sold-out "Planet Zero" world tour.

SHINEDOWN also released a music video for rock single "Dead Don't Die", a rousing declaration of survival and an anthem about the resilience of the human spirit after trying times.

"Planet Zero" boldly confronts the societal forces that perpetuate divisiveness while offering a restorative path forward through empathy and open conversation — ultimately serving as a reminder that it is our human connections that matter the most. The album debuted in the Top 5 on the Billboard 200 chart and the official U.K. albums chart, and at No. 1 on six other Billboard charts, including Top Album Sales, Rock, Hard Rock, and Alternative Albums.