andPop

Seether Dig Deep In Shallow Industry

Tonight, like many nights this month, John Humphrey will sit down behind his drum set before a crowd of fist-pumping, foot-stomping, Seether-loving rock and roll fans. The charismatic performer – along with Seether frontman Shaun Morgan and bandmate Dale Stewart – will entertain an audience in Raleigh, North Carolina, with new songs and old favourites.

Seether, the band that produced two gold albums and four top 10 singles, is on tour again, hitting all corners of the United States to promote their latest album, “Finding Beauty in Negative Spaces,” set for release on Oct. 23.

“Not to sound cheesy, but I’m really excited about this album,” Humphrey tells andPOP, just hours before Seether hit the stage with Three Days Grace and Breaking Benjamin. “As an artist, I am always critical about my own work. I’ve never been one to sit and listen to my own stuff – but I have been listening to this one. I’m quite proud of it.”

Seether’s first single on the new album, “Fake It,” has been steadily climbing the charts and has been quite well received by the online community. On their last days off, the band shot the video for the new single in Los Angeles.

“It’s shot with a hip hop video vibe; we’re in the jet and we’re partying, and then there is this big epic scenic set where we’re jamming, and it’s snowing on us for no reason, and there are lots of girls, and then the backdrop falls and shows how it’s just a set. It’s hilarious,” Humphrey laughs. “The point is to show how fake and pretentious it all is. How shallow [the industry] can be.”

And he certainly is no stranger to the industry.

Humphrey’s drumming repertoire is not limited to his time with Seether, having previously played in a popular ’90’s band called The Nixon’s. In fact, Humphrey has only played with the band for four years.

“A soundman that used to work with [The Nixon's] had let me know that he knew a band that had been through a few drummers and needed something permanent,” Humphrey says.

He was the fourth and final audition of the evening and didn’t get to hit the drums until midnight.

“I had gone out and got their CD [Disclaimer II] that week, and learned all the music, and then pretty much nailed the set and was hired on the spot,” says Humphrey with a quiet, comfortable confidence.

Since then, Humphrey has toured with the band all over the world, including the band’s home front South Africa, where they played with Metallica.

“Playing with Metallica was a dream come true. They are real heroes of ours,” Humphrey says of the experience.

Humphrey likes to spend time with his two little boys, Jaxon and Jett, whenever he gets the chance. “They’re my barometers,” he says of his boys’ keen ear for music. Often Humphrey will bring home a recording of Seether’s latest single, and watch how the boys respond. “If they move and dance to it, I can usually tell if it’s going to be a good song or not.”

In November, Seether will start playing shows through Texas, a state the band always loves to play. “The Midwest areas are always really great for rock music. The people just love going out to see live shows and supporting the bands.”

The band has circulated through the United States, parts of Europe, Canada and beyond many times before, but Humphrey assures fans that it never gets boring. “It’s actually refreshing to go places we haven’t been in two years. It’s like starting over again.”