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Seether takes a break from its serious image
By John Benson
These days, having fun doing something different is the modus operandi for post-grunge act Seether. For evidence, look no further than its “Toy Story”-meets-“Deadwood”-inspired video for “Country Song,” the lead single from the band’s recently released studio effort “Holding Onto Strings Better Left to Fray.”
“Well, we all dress up like toy cowboys and basically run around having fake gun fights shooting teddy bears and things,” said Seether bassist Dale Stewart, calling from Virginia Beach. “It was just fun to act like a child again and get away with it.”
When it’s pointed out Stewart’s last statement is basically the definition of being a rock star, the conversation turns back to the music video, which early on makes the band look like rockers. That is until they can be seen bouncing around on broom-handle toy horses.
“We’re the kind of band that has always been portrayed pretty seriously, but we all have a pretty good sense of humor,” Stewart said. “If anything, we wanted that to come across in the video and kind of have a laugh at ourselves. We wanted kind of a goofy video for a change.”
Over the past decade, the Shaun Morgan-led band has dominated rock radio with a slew of hit songs (“Broken,” “Remedy,” “The Gift,” “Fake It,” “Rise Above This,” “Breakdown” and more) and gold-selling albums (2002’s “Disclaimer,” 2004’s “Disclaimer II,” 2005’s “Karma & Effect” and 2007’s “Finding Beauty in Negative Spaces”).
Stewart believes Seether’s success, specifically with its studio efforts, can be traced to the fact the band continually evolves. Sure, every group says that, but the bassist clarifies his opinion by suggesting some bands — which he doesn’t name — have based their entire career sounding like their first hit single. That’s not Seether, or so says Stewart who points to “Holding Onto Strings Better Left to Fray” as yet another example of his band’s sonic exploration.
“We’ve always tried to not be afraid to experiment or use something that not necessarily sounds like Seether or our perception of us,” Stewart said. “It keeps it fun for us, and I hope the fans don’t get bored and know exactly what to expect when we’re making a new album. We like to keep them guessing, and I’d say this album is probably our most melodic album. I think there’s a real musical sensibility about it, and it’s a natural progression for the band.”
Going more melodic in the hard rock world isn’t always well-received. Stewart acknowledges this paradox but quickly dismisses it as illogical. He believes the notion that some people equate a heavy album as being more rhythmic and less melodic is just incorrect.
Ultimately, fans will be able to decide for themselves when Seether comes through the region on the Uproar Festival, which plays Friday at First Niagara Pavilion and Wednesday at Blossom Music Center. Also on the bill are Avenged Sevenfold, Three Days Grace, Bullet For My Valentine, Escape The Fate, Sevendust and more.
Considering the lineup is decidedly harder rock and metal, the question remains whether Seether will be up for the challenge.
“When we started out, we were a really like borderline metal band,” Stewart said. “We just have to turn the amps up to 11, make a lot of noise and have fun with it.”