GOJIRA's JOSEPH DUPLANTIER Urges Fans To Go Vegan: 'Join The Revolution'

Fresh off GOJIRA's Grammy Award nomination and jaw-dropping appearance as the first metal band to rock out at an opening ceremony of the Olympics, vocalist Joseph Duplantier goes from performing a French Revolution–era song to leading the vegan revolution in a new PETA campaign. The musician and activist appears to be surrounded by animals on the Brooklyn Bridge in a dramatic image shot at New York's Silver Cord Studio and explains in an accompanying video — set to the group's song “The Trails” — why going vegan is crucial for animals, human health, and the future of the planet.

“I became vegan for the animals. It's about the life of the animals and what they go through. But another benefit of being vegan is for your own health. I have more energy now when I perform since I became vegan,” Duplantier says in the video. “I believe people have a responsibility to challenge the laws and the traditions in society … in order to move gracefully to a future where we can actually be alive. It's not just an ethical question anymore, but it's also a question of survival for our species . You have to go vegan.”

Researchers have determined that current agricultural systems make it impossible to meet climate commitments even if all other sources of fossil fuel emissions were eliminated. Every person who goes vegan lowers their food-related carbon footprint by up to 73%, making it conceivably the biggest way to reduce one's negative impact on the planet. They also spare nearly 200 animals a year miserable lives and a terrifying death and reduce their own risk of cancer, heart disease, strokes, diabetes, and obesity. PETA's free vegan starter kit can help those ready to make the switch.

PETA — whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat” — points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness.

Back in August 2023, Joseph was asked by Finland's Chaoszine if there were specific foods or drinks that he wouldn't have before a show that he felt affected his vocal cords, and on the opposite side, something that he thought helped him with singing. He responded: “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, 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[-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 drink a lot of water and try to sleep as much as possible [laughs]even for non-singers. But yeah, the diet change was crucial in my life.”

Earlier in 2023, Joseph spoke to UK'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.”

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 horse 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”.