Seether

Not many bands can claim to have the same album go Gold twice, before releasing their sophomore album. Seether can do exactly that. With the strength of the single Broken, from the Punisher motion picture soundtrack, the band re-released their disc Disclaimer, naming it Disclaimer II and adding a further 8 tracks not released on the first outing. Then it was back to the road, where the band was given the opportunity to earn new fans, and have a bit more time to write new material for Karma and Effect. The result? An excellent showing in Karma and Effect that erases any doubt in their fans and critics minds, about the sophomore jinx. John Humphrey, the latest addition to Seether, talks about the tour, the band and the newest album. Read on.

Toe: John, how is Toronto treating you guys? Are you enjoying your stay there? John: Absolutely. We have been here for about 2 days, and we are chilling out, relaxing and getting ready for the show. Toe: How is it to be on the road with a great like Audioslave? John: Well the tour started in Bakersville and has been going strong. It is an honor to have a band like Audioslave want us out on tour with them. You have greats like the guys from Rage Against the Machine, and Chris Cornell from Soundgarden. They are heroes to us, and it is very cool and very amazing to be a part of this tour. Toe: Was it tough when Broken climbed the charts so quickly, and you had to abandon the idea of getting back into the studio, and head back to the road to support the amazing success the single brought you? John: Yes and No. The tour single and the tour opened a lot of new doors for us, and a much broader fan base. We were out on tour with Evanescense playing huge venues. We were in pre-production for the new album, but then released Disclaimer II. We were out on the road, on the biggest tour of the year, writing more music as we went. Toe: Were there a lot of surprised fans at the shows, when they came to see the band that delivered Broken, and found a grinding heard rock band? John: Well, there were fans bringing their kids out to the shows, expecting a set list of tunes similar to Broken. I think it may have scared a few of them away, but for the most part, I think we were able to gain more fans than we lost. Toe: Do you have and sad moments or regrets, leaving the Nixon's to become a part of Seether? John: No, not at all. I felt the Nixon's had said everything that they had to say. I chose to leave the band in 2000. I was a part of the band for 10 years. But here I am again. Doing it all over again, building a new part of my career. I never sweat the small stuff anymore. I am achieving the goals that I have for myself and my career. Toe: The writing of Karma and Effect seemed to take a new direction than the previous album. Is this in part by having yourself and Pat in the band now, that are willing to give input on the writing of the music? Did Shaun find some relief in being able to Collaborate more? Finally, did this make Karma and Effect a stronger album? John: Yeas, it is totally a group effort on this album. Myself and Pat have the opportunity to put our stamp on the tunes now. Things were hitting on all cylinders and we were able to work as a very tight unit. The lyrics and vocal melody still belong to Shaun, and he will still lock himself in a room, and work on those things in his own, to get them where he wants them. He appreciates the fact that we can all write together, and in the end, it was a really easy album to make. Toe: Does your live show sound as tight, and close to the sound of the album by design? Is it a direct result of not over producing and multi-tracking in the studio? John: Definitely, The whole album was tracked in about 3 weeks. There was not a lot of over production in the studio. You can hear imperfections like stick clicks etc here and there. A lot of people can get carried away with the ProTools, but that did not happen on this album. Toe: You guys played over 300 shows in 2003, and for the last couple of years it has mainly been in arenas. Do you miss the days that there was more intimacy in the shows, by playing the smaller venues? John: Yeah, I have always loved playing smaller stages. When you are in a bar, right there with the fans 2 feet away. Now, with the bigger venues, we have the opportunity to introduce ourselves to a larger fan base. Toe: Are there any Canadian musicians or bands that you guys are in to? John: Finger 11. We love that band. They are label mates of ours. We did a show awhile back with Nickelback, and met Chad Kroeger and they rock. But again, Finger 11 is a great Canadian band. Toe: Any cool stories from your touring around in Canada? John: Nothing in particular really comes to mind, but last time around (I was not present for it) but the rest of the band had what I will call a night of debauchery in Toronto with Keifer Sutherland. I was not present for it, but there is definitely a story there. A Night with Keifer Sutherland. Toe: John, thanks so much for taking the time out to talk with me. We will have to do this again some time. John: It was a pleasure. Thanks!