MusicPix

An Interview with Dale and John

Originally from South Africa, Seether’s founding member Shaun Morgan and soon Dale Stewart made up the band. Once signed to Wind-Up Records and after going though a handful of drummers, Seether added permanent members John Humphrey (drums) and Pat Callahan (Guitar) to the roster. Today, the band is just as American as they are South African. Seether, originally called Saron Gas in their native South Africa later changed their name to Seether in 2002 which coincided with the release of their first major label release, and second album, Disclaimer. Disclaimer was released again, but this time with a version of Broken with Amy Lee of Evanescence. Broken crossed over into a more mainstream audience, giving the band worldwide recognition but not for what they truly are- a hard-hitting, talented, rock & roll band. Currently on tour with Audioslave promoting their latest release Karma & Effect, www.musicpix.net had a chance to sit down with Dale Stewart and John Humphrey prior to their show in Indianapolis to talk about their success, life on the road, and Shaun’s secret ‘remedy’ to keep his voice sounding great night after night…

MusicPix: First of all, Congratulations…Karma & Effect has been certified gold, you’re on a highly visible tour with AudioSlave, you’re generating new fans worldwide, and you guys are considered monsters when it coming to touring- 300 shows last year…and you work the press like mad. So? Are you tiered?

Dale: Not really…this tour has been kind of relaxing for us. We only play forty minutes each night, we have catering each night at five…we get to take a shower. We get lots of days off. Normally, we’re on stage between and hour to an hour an a half every night and we don’t get to shower regularly.

MusicPix: So it’s a mini-vacation?

John: Yea, we’re a little spoiled on this one…a big tour, big venues and the amenities that come with it …very cushy. After this tour, we’re going to Europe. We’ll get back to the bus and have of our own crew- all on one bus….sluggin’ it out. That will be in December. We come back and then break for Christmas.

MusicPix: When you have time on the road, you try to catch local acts. Do you have any plans to start your own label to feature some of the talent you’ve come across?

John: We’ve never really talked about a studio per say but with our experience, it’s something that we have some knowledge with to maybe help the next generation. I myself have a guy I work with back home. I’ve done a lot of major label albums, I understand producing and the arranging-choosing songs. It seems kind of interesting… a different aspect and trying to teach other younger guys.

MusicPix: [Dale] I’ve come to really appreciate your sense of humor from reading your interviews and commentary. My guess you’re to go-to guy when the road gets long & winding? Is that true?

Dale: I don’t know…I think everybody has their time. I think I’m kind of the laid back one in the band. I’d say that Pat, our guitar player, is the clown. He goes around in women’s clothing….[laughing]

MusicPix: It only took 3 weeks to get Karma & Effect in the can but you had many of the songs put together before you hit the studio and simply nailed the process. What’s on the horizon for the next album? Do have the same plan to stockpile material and then just bang it out?

Dale: We haven’t actually started writing anything for the new album…we have a couple of ideas. I think it will work pretty much the same way as it did last time. If we get a bit of a long sound check, we’ll write some stuff in sound check. Even if it’s just ideas, we’ll probably take some studio time so that we can all just sit in a room and put all the ideas on the table. We’ll see what we’ve got…write some parts for things that are unfinished. Basically, we’ll just put songs together and hope that you get lucky. I think it’s good to be able to just stay in a creative mindset…constantly thinking about new stuff.

MusicPix: What about Truth & Remedy? They both have such great hooks… Were they close to being baked before you went into the studio?

John: Remedy was. All the songs except for Truth were before we went in. Basically, after we did the drum track, we’d sit and work on the song and decide if we wanted to make a full song out of it. After sound check, we’d sit and work on these songs. Shaun had this verse that we really liked and we thought it was cool. The songs were basically all there we just had to go into the studio and do it.

MusicPix: Your latest video offers more than simply a dark sense of humor…How involved where you in the creative process?

John: That’s from the dark recesses of Dean Karr’s mind…people submitted treatments and we received several but we went back to him because he did the Remedy video. He’s an awesome guy and a lunatic. It was completely from his interpretation which went along with our style.

MusicPix: How would you categorize your style?

John: We don’t take ourselves too seriously. It’s dark. Remedy could have been a cheesy video you know what I mean? But it came from a much darker side. And as a band, we wanted the performance side in it because it’s important. We’re a rock band. Kids need to see that. It’s not all concept. Dean (Karr)… I think he gets us pretty well.

MusicPix: From what I gather, you’ve got a bad taste in your mouth (maybe Shaun?) about American video channels because of the plethora of reality shows and hip-hop. What are your future plans for making videos?

Dale: I think videos are important even if they aren’t played as much as we’d like. If you release a song without a video, you’re at a disadvantage. I guess it’s like a lost art for rock bands. It’s important because you have to be competitive in the marketplace. You have to spend a lot of money so that it doesn’t suck…it’s a double-edged sword. We have a new single coming up that we’re getting ready for, a song called The Gift. I guess it’s a more accessible song. The last two were really rock songs. We’ll see what will happen but I think it’s really important.

MusicPix: Which style do you prefer…the more accessible or the heavier-core dark style?

John: I think it’s both…we have elements of both on our album and I think that’s why we fit this tour because Audioslave has those elements as well. They have the slower stuff and they have the rockin’ stuff. I personally love both. I love Broken as much as I love Gasoline. I really think that’s what Seether is all about. It’s not thirteen songs that sound like the same song over and over again. I think it’s a cool aspect of the band.

MusicPix: We share your appreciation for Foo Fighters & Staind- What is it about these bands that put them on your ‘A’ list?

Dale: I think it’s the songs. They are really good songwriters. If you have good songs, that what keeps a band around for a long time. If you have consistently good songs, I think that’s what keeps a band alive. It’s the dynamic…it’s not all hard songs or really mellow…it’s diverse. I love a band like Hatebreed. I’ll listen to three or four songs and then I’ll put on Counting Crows or REM…and then I’ll put on Pantera. We grew up with the Pearl Jams and Alice in Chains so we like a lot of different stuff.

MusicPix: [Dale] With you and Shaun growing up in South Africa, and being into music…Was it your ambition to someday come to the United States and join the music industry vs. staying in South Africa?

Dale: It was so unrealistic at the time. I don’t think it really crossed our minds. Sure, I guess we might have said, wouldn’t it be cool if we could…but the chances were so bad. There had never been a rock band to go over seas to make an impression and do that. I’d always loved music and wanted to play in a band but I never really thought it was something that we could make a living at doing. But things started. We got a song on the radio and it was like ‘Wow’, got a couple of gigs, we’ve got a song on the radio and we got some label interest…It’s crazy. We one day got a call from Wind-Up Records, it was crazy. Every now and again, I think about it and it blows my mind.

MusicPix: [John] Seether has gone through a handful of drummers… It seems like you’re the perfect fit…why?

John: I think that 80% of this is being able to get along. You live in a space the size of that table (pointing at a six foot table) for nine/ten months out of the year-maybe more. I pride myself on my playing and being a good musician and bringing that to the table. I was in a band before in the 90’s and had experienced all of this before. Touring and separation from family, life on the road and living on the road with four or five other guys for an extended period of time in a very small space, I think that my experiences helped in trying to keep it smooth and not be a point of friction which they experienced in the past. Personality wise and respect as being a good musician…

MusicPix: So you got a good grade in school on ‘gets along well with others?’

John: I guess so [laughs] It’s very important.

MusicPix: Honesty is valued and appreciated. I especially like your shit list on seetherville.com, your band managed web site and not Wind-Up Records-your label. You guys like the immediacy of pictures and stories from the road. So who in the band coordinates this effort?

Dale: Shaun is the one with the laptop on the road. He’s always online. I’m not a big computer person so he works with the band manager. We’ll call in and say put this on the site-we like to put up pictures from shows and we do call in journals from the road. Fans appreciate it.

MusicPix: It appears that Broken has left a somewhat bittersweet taste in your mouth- sweet because of the wide exposure that it received, but bitter because some consider it a pop song. What does it taste like today?

Dale: I think we’re pretty much over the whole thing. There’s always going to be people who criticize you for whatever you do especially, it it’s successful. We couldn’t have done that without Amy Lee. Maybe Broken wouldn’t have been as big. But we had already established ourselves. We just rolled with the punches. When it crossed over, and basically exploded into a large audience that we’d never been exposed to before, so it went gold again. I think it was a good thing.

MusicPix: So when Karma & Effect goes platinum, you can say, well see?

Dale: Yea, we can say yea, we did it without the help of anyone. We’ve got good catchy songs, we put on a good live show, we work hard…it’s looking good- a lot better than we expected.

MusicPix: As artists, how much to do pay attention and/or how difficult is it to insulate yourselves yourselves from critics?

John: If we didn’t, we wouldn’t get up in the morning. As artists, you put your heart and soul into every bit of this…a weird wonderful thing that you put it out there for the whole world, and then they critique it. As long as we have each other and we think its cool and we’re happy with what we’re doing, I don’t listen to the negative press. We’re persevering and we’re rockin’. Everything we do, we look at each other and say yea, the track is awesome, and a great take…or whatever…

MusicPix: Here’s a non-music question. [Dale] You seem to be a pretty well-rounded guy- you have ‘other’ interests like snowboarding and you like a Harley ride to change up the scenery. What about you John?

John: I’m Mr. Mom. I’m a dad. I have two baby boys so whenever I get time, I go home (Oklahoma) so I’m looking forward to going home for Thanksgiving break. This tour ends on the 19th so, I’ll be going home.

Musicpix: How old are they?

John: My oldest is 6 and the other is fifteen months.

MusicPix: Are they into music?

John: My oldest is but he’s more into Spiderman right now. Although he always asks about the guys…he always asks where everone is this very moment on the bus. What videogames are we playing…he’s more into videogames than I am. That’s my life. An interesting dichotomy. I go home and live in suburbia and I have two kids. I mow my yard. I’m a dad but I’m in this rock and roll band. Strange life…my neighbor’s kind of wonder who this guy is who comes and goes…

MusicPix: A question about Shaun. After listening to a lot of interviews over the past few weeks, Shaun’s speaking voice sounds strained. Other than taking a break from interviews…, is he doing anything special to protect his pipes?

Dale: He smokes and he drinks [big laugh]. He’s amazing. His voice. We just got a tour with Crossfade and A Dark New Day and we’d play an hour fifteen every night and sometimes nine shows in a row! We’re all good friends with those bands and we’d get off stage and have this awesome party! Drinking whatever… His voice is fine. He maintains night after night. I don’t know what his secret is…maybe just good technique. He nails it. We’ve maybe missed a show because somebody was sick with the flu and one show we just had to shorten a show… If you’re sick as a dog, you’re voice telegraphs it. You can’t hide but you’ve gotta get up and go to work.

MusicPix: You’re music stands with anyone out there in the rock world…How difficult is to not be the headlining act when a large amount of the crowd came to see the headliner? Does it make you long for the day to headline a tour like this?

Dale: It’s cool….the crowds have been awesome so far. We’ve done a couple of our own headlining tours…and tour with other people. They’re cool in a different ways. On a tour like this, you don’t feel a huge amount of pressure to sell tickets. You don’t have to carry the load, you’re just along for the ride. There are different challenges that come with each. They are both cool in a different way. For a show like tonight when you have 10,000 people…it’s awesome to see a sea of people singing your songs. In a club, it’s great because we’re sweaty and the fans are all sweaty. There’s energy in the club when you can see the people’s faces. They are both cool but I think it’s the fan interaction that’s different.

MusicPix: We have a series of questions that we ask every artist we interview called the MusicPix Six:

MusicPix: What is the first musical instrument you played and at what age?

Dale: Guitar –I started taking lessons when I was about five but my hands were too small.

John: Piano -at around six.

MusicPix: What artist/performer influenced you the most?

Dale: Long pause….

MusicPix: OK John, you look like you have your answer…

John: My childhood hero was Elvis Presley…the whole story of him being sort of the American dream…object of childhood poverty…the drugs… to what he became. His life was almost operatic and they way it ended. His music. It was the first music I listened to in my life so- Elvis Presley.

Dale: Pause…Can I say Metallica?

MusicPix: If you weren’t in your current band, what band would you like to play in?

Dale: Metallica…[big laugh]

John: I’d say Metallica too [continued Big laugh]

MusicPix: What are your 3 ‘desert island’ albums?

Dale: Vulgar Display of Power, Pantera… August and Everything After, The Counting Crows…..Animosity by Sevendust.

John: Elvis Gold Records-Volume I, VanHalen’s Fair Warning…and Soundgarden’s, Superunknown- in honor of Chris…I actually love that album.

MusicPix: Who do you think is the most over-rated in the music industry?

Dale: Any blonde lip-syncing pop star. I hate them all. There are so many of them…

John: I think some of the pet bands that are in Rolling Stones…I get tiered of the strokes of bands like Franz Ferdinand…I don’t get the artsy thing, It’s just not my deal. It’s a little played out to me. It’s all about being cool and in Rolling Stone. Some of these bands, I don’t understand.

MusicPix: What’s your ‘perfect world?’

Dale: A Harley, a lifetime supply of Tabasco…whiskey…uhhh…

John: Going home and playing Santa Claus for my kids at Christmastime. It’s my favorite part. Kids just bring childhood back…you live again through kids. It’s awesome. Christmastime.