Deftones frontman Chino Moreno has opened up about how his three-year journey with sobriety has fundamentally changed his approach to songwriting, particularly on the band’s latest album Private Music.
In a candid interview with Revolver, Moreno revealed that his newfound clarity has become a “game changer” for both his mental health and creative process.
The vocalist explained that the track “My Mind Is a Mountain” originated from an unexpected source – a children’s self-help book he initially hadn’t read. “The book was actually written for kids to teach them about their emotions and how there’s ups and downs, and it’s OK to have emotions — which is something that I’ve been working on as I entered into sobriety a few years ago,” Moreno shared.
This discovery proved remarkably relevant to his own mental health struggles, leading him to explore therapeutic approaches that have reshaped his understanding of emotional regulation. “I started taking these classes and one of the classes was teaching you that it’s the most natural thing to have spikes and emotions in all directions. It’s all about learning how to deal with them and then being empowered by that as opposed to just being a victim of that.”
Moreno’s decision to embrace sobriety stemmed from a moment of clarity three years ago. He recounted a particularly difficult day when he retreated to his garage and opened a beer, only to have his wife question his coping mechanism. “So what am I doing? I’m opening a beer because I can’t handle this. So I was like, ‘Oh, well, that’s pretty telling right there, right?’ So, the very next day, I was like, ‘Alright. I’m going to try to make a change.'”
The impact of this lifestyle change extends beyond personal wellness into his artistic output. When asked about his current mental state, Moreno was definitive: “Most definitely” healthier than before. He emphasised that mental health work is ongoing, noting: “You don’t go to therapy once and they tell you how to not feel a certain way. You’ve still got to work through stuff, but doing it with a clear head definitely is like, whoa, it’s a game changer.”
Private Music, released in August, is Deftones’ tenth studio album and achieved significant commercial success, peaking at No. 5 on the US Billboard 200. This marks the band’s seventh album to crack the top 10.
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