Mixing Papa Roach: Kane Churko’s Production on “Face Everything And Rise”

Let’s talk about that massive, radio-ready rock sound. Papa Roach has been masters of it for decades, and their track “Face Everything And Rise” is a prime example of their power. Produced by the phenomenal Kane Churko, this song is an absolute masterclass in modern rock production. It’s not just about loud guitars and screaming vocals; it’s about a deep, intricate web of layers, arrangement, and smart production choices that make the song hit like a freight train.

We dove into the raw multitracks from the Nail The Mix session with Kane Churko to see what really makes this track tick. The big takeaway? The song’s anthemic power comes from a perfect blend of raw performance, clever layering, and electronic textures.

Building the Foundation: Drums & Bass

You can’t have a huge rock song without a killer low end. In “Face Everything And Rise,” the foundation is built on a combination of classic techniques and modern hybrid approaches.

Hybrid Drums for Modern Impact

At first glance, the acoustic drum setup looks pretty standard: kick in/out, snare top/bottom, tom s, and a thoughtful array of overheads and room mics. There’s a stereo pair of overheads providing the main image and width, but also a mono overhead that seems purpose-built to add a focused, explosive quality to the cymbals.

But here’s the Churko secret sauce: samples. This mix isn’t just the raw acoustic kit. To get that signature hard-hitting sound, Kane and Kevin Churko are known for blending in their own proprietary samples. In the full mix, you’ll find that the organic kit is reinforced with a huge blend of samples, including electronic and hip-hop-style kicks you might not expect. This hybrid approach is what gives the drums that larger-than-life, punchy character that cuts through a dense wall of guitars.

The “Thunder” Bass Philosophy

The bass in this track is a single, flawlessly played DI track. Its role is a perfect lesson in hard rock bass mixing. The goal isn’t for the bass to be a lead instrument, poking out and demanding attention. Instead, its job is to be the thunder. It’s the foundational weight and power that makes everything else feel huge. If you were to mute the bass, the entire track would sound weak and fall apart. Your job as a mixer is to bring that thunder through, ensuring it provides power and low-end glue without becoming the star of the show.

Crafting the Guitar Wall: Tone and Tightness

The guitars on this track are a colossal wall of sound, and it’s achieved through precision playing and smart tonal blending.

Four Tracks of Precision

What might sound like a simple left/right stereo pair of guitars is actually four separate DI performances, quad-tracked with inhuman tightness. This is a testament to the band’s incredible playing ability. Having four distinct performances creates a thickness and width that’s nearly impossible to replicate with just two tracks. DI tracks are provided, giving you the freedom to re-amp and craft your own tones from these stellar performances.

Blending Tones for a Fuller Sound

The magic of the rhythm guitar tone doesn’t come from a single amp sound. Instead, it’s a blend of two different characters:

• Main Guitar 1: Has more mid-range information and perhaps slightly less gain.
• Main Guitar 2: More of a classic scooped metal sound with aggressive highs and lows.

By blending these two different tonal profiles, you get the best of both worlds. The mid-focused tone provides the body and punch, while the scooped tone adds the aggressive attack and modern metal edge. This is a powerful technique for creating a complex, full guitar sound that occupies a wide frequency spectrum. Getting this blend right involves careful EQ strategies to ensure the tones complement, rather than fight, each other.

Adding Character with Melodic Layers

Beyond the rhythm wall, the arrangement is peppered with ear candy. A track labeled “Guitar Ref Bounce” introduces a simple, cool melodic line that follows the main riff, adding a subtle hook. There are also extra guitar layers used specifically for transitions, building tension between a chorus and a verse riff before a massive release. It’s these small, thoughtful arrangement choices that elevate the track from a simple rock song to a polished production.

The Secret Weapon: Programming & Vocal Production

What truly sets Papa Roach and this Kane Churko production apart is the seamless integration of electronic elements and a masterful vocal arrangement.

The Power of Programming

This track is loaded with synths, effects, and programming that give it a unique, creepy, and modern personality. The mixing challenge is to integrate these elements so they add color and vibe without overpowering the core rock instruments. A lot of the song’s character comes from these sounds.

This is most apparent in the pre-chorus. The way the effects and sounds, like a simple clap sample, are automated to build in intensity is masterful. They create an incredible sense of tension that swells perfectly into the explosive, money-maker chorus that Papa Roach and the Churkos are known for.

Masterful Vocal Arrangements

Jacoby Shaddix’s voice is instantly recognizable, but the vocal production here goes much deeper. The session is filled with intricate layers, including whisper tracks that double the main vocal for texture and an army of harmonies.

Interestingly, producer Kane Churko himself laid down a significant number of the background vocals and harmonies. It’s a huge sign of a band that’s comfortable and confident, focused only on making the best song possible by using all the talent in the room. When vocals are this well-arranged, they carry the song. The pre-chorus build-up isn’t just instrumental; it’s a crescendo of vocal layers and effects that all pay off when the main hook hits.

Putting It All Together: The Mix Is In The Balance

The biggest challenge in a session this dense is remembering the end goal. With so many cool layers, ear candy, and effects, it’s easy to get carried away and turn up the wrong things. At its heart, “Face Everything And Rise” is a heavy rock anthem. It needs to remain powerful, driving, and huge from start to finish, a goal that defines the difference between mixing vs. mastering.

This means every element has to have its place. The programming adds character, the vocal harmonies add emotion, and the guitar layers add texture, but they all serve the core of the song. Effective use of an audio compressor can help glue these disparate elements together, controlling dynamics and ensuring the vocals and main riff always remain front and center.

Reading about these techniques is a great start, but to truly understand how to build a mix this massive, you need to see it happen. On Nail The Mix, you can explore hundreds of sessions where world-class producers like Kane Churko build their iconic mixes from the ground up, explaining every plugin, fader move, and decision. If you’re ready to move beyond presets and want to learn the fundamental skills, exploring in-depth production and mixing courses is a total game-changer for your productions. Grab the raw multi-tracks for “Face Everything And Rise” and discover what it takes to mix a modern rock anthem.