SHINEDOWN vocalist Brent Smith recently spoke with James Fell of The LA Times about cleaning up and losing 70 pounds, an excerpt from their chat follows:

Tell me about your issues with weight.

"The weight came on about four years ago. I've toured for over 12 years, and for the first two records I was doing tons of shows all the time. And for those two records I was addicted to cocaine, OxyContin and alcohol. The coke and the Oxy kept my weight down, but for the third album I quit the opiates and started to crave sugar. I was still drinking a lot of alcohol and started to pack on the pounds."

You've lost almost 70 pounds and are much fitter. How has it changed your performances?

"One thing is I look completely different on stage now. The stamina I have in my lungs is so much better. Now I don't have to wear a big jacket to cover the fat and get overheated. I'm way more conditioned for the stage and I have a lot more power behind my voice. Things that used to be really hard on stage aren't as difficult now because I'm now in the best shape of my life. It's amazing how much clarity I have and how my body feels so much better. Health is such a big part of who I am now."

To read the interview in its entirety, click here.

Next month Shinedown will be heading out on tour with THREE DAYS GRACE and special guest POD. Confirmed shows, as well as the official event poster, can be found below.

February

1 - Moline, IL - iWireless Center
2 - Madison, WI - Alliant Energy Center
5 - Minneapolis, MN - Target Center
6 - Green Bay, WI - Resch Center
8 - Nashville TN - Bridgestone Arena
9 - Huntington, WV - Big Sandy Superstore Arena
10 - Knoxville, TN - Knoxville Coliseum
12 - Saginaw, MI - DOW Events Center
13 - Battle Creek, MI - Kellogg Arena
15 - Ft. Wayne, IN - Allen County War Memorial
16 - Lexington, KY - Rupp Arena
17 - Reading, PA - Sovereign Center
19 - Baltimore, MD - 1st Mariner Arena
20 - Lowell, MA - Tsongas Arena
22 - Rochester, NY - Blue Cross Arena
23 - Glens Falls, NY - Glens Falls Civic Center

March

9 - Orlando, FL - Amway Center
11 - Estero, FL - Germain Arena
12 - Savannah, GA - Savannah Civic Center
14 - Pensacola, FL - Pensacola Bay Center
15 - Jackson, MS - Mississippi Coliseum
16 - North Little Rock, AR - Verizon Arena
18 - Baton Rouge, LA - River Center
19 - Belton, TX - Bell County Expo
21 - Oklahoma City, OK - Chesapeake Energy Arena
22 - Lubbock, TX - Lonestar Amphitheatre
23 - Wichita, KS - In Trust Bank Arena
25 - Denver, CO - 1st Bank Arena
26 - Lincoln, NE - Pershing Center
28 - Sioux City, IA - Tyson Events Center
29 - La Crosse, WI - Lacrosse Civic Center
30 - Fargo, ND - Fargo Dome