When MTV’s Carson Daly mentioned Papa Roach on an episode of “Total Request Live” a few weeks ago, P-Roach frontman Coby Dick didn’t know much about it. But he began feeling its effects when the band’s crowds grew more and more in places they have never performed at before.

“We just see it at the shows, that’s what really matters, we’re not really connected too much with what’s going on with the TV and on the radio because we’re in our bus,” Dick said. “Record sales matter too, you know what I’m saying, but it’s good for us because we’re the ones playing and we love to bang crowds.”

Dick says he has never met Daly, but since they both come from the Bay area, Daly was hooked up with a Papa Roach album through their manager and really dug it.

“Actually Dave [Buckner] our drummer just talked to him the other day, because he had been giving us props and we just wanted to say thanks,” Dick says.

One thing Daly mentioned about Papa Roach was the bands rocking live show, and how they were one of the most real bands he had ever seen.

“Our fans are just as nutty as we are, so it’s totally like feed-off-the crowd kind of energy, get the shit pumpin,’ get it wild style,” Dick says bluntly.

Though Papa Roach has been compared to and played with the likes of Limp Bizkit and Kid Rock, their musical interests and influences span away from those groups. Bands like Faith No More and Deftones are more likely to be found in the CD players of Papa Roach’s members.

“We’re not really into mainstream, we’re not into Kid Rock, we’re not into Limp Bizkit, we don’t listen to that. We take our influences from elsewhere,” Dick said.

Dick, Buckner, guitarist Jerry Horton and bassist Tobin Esperance make up the Vacaville, California-bred foursome, who began playing at a school talent show in 1993.

“We were all friends in high school, we were just bored, nothin’ to do in our town, that’s pretty much why we started a band,” Dick says.

In order for Papa Roach to get any recognition in California they had to begin playing shows in some of the bigger cities, and Sacramento was a city they hit hard, as it was later dubbed the group’s “second home,” Dick said.

“We had to venture out and go make ourselves part of another scene,” Dick explains. “We kind of always played the bastard-cousin role to the scene, but we soon got in tight with all the bands.”

After Papa Roach’s club tour, which brings them through Iowa for the first time this weekend, the group will join such bands as Green Day and the Mighty Mighty Bosstones on the Vans Warped Tour, which Dick is most turned on to due to the variety of music.

“The Warped Tour is gonna be dope,” Dick says excitedly. “It’s gonna be cool because we’re like the only band that plays our style of music that’s on that tour. We’re different from any other band so I think it’s good for us.”

Dick explains that the Warped tour is always looking for a band that is a little more metal-oriented — noting the Deftones appearance a few years ago — and that is why they were picked.

But the day after Papa Roach ends their Warped Tour run, they will embark on a tour with hard-core heavy-weights Korn for 25 dates.

“We’re going to be opening up that tour so we’re planning on stealing some fucking fans, blowing that shit up opening-band style.”

The band’s major-label debut, “Infest,” has songs that deal with a number of issues. From their first single “Last Resort,” which deals with contemplating suicide, to tracks like “Snakes” about back-stabbing friends and “Broken Home” about divorce, Dick’s songwriting is all about getting the band’s message across to their fans.

“P-Roach is all about being yourself, it’s all about taking something negative in your life and turning it into something positive and … getting out there and coming to a show and not being afraid to let go,” Dick says. “We’re all about letting your shit loose. Be a part of Papa Roach.”

As Papa Roach is becoming more involved with the music industry, Dick has definitely formed his opinion on the pop-movement with boy bands and girl singers like Britney Spears; he thinks they’re helping out Papa Roach.

“I like Britney Spears’ bootie,” Dick jokes. “If there wasn’t music that was as shitty as that, people wouldn’t appreciate the doughty of our kind of music.”

Papa Roach will perform this Saturday at Rock Island in Des Moines with opening bands Index Case and Forgotten. Rock Island is located at 101 Fourth St. The all ages show starts at 3 p.m. and tickets are $6 at the door.