Herald Tribune

Seether Sick Of Last Year

There might not be any band that was happier to see 2006 end and a new year begin than Seether.

"Last year was a pretty tumultuous year for all of us, personally and as a band," drummer John Humphrey said in a recent phone interview.

The troubles included the much-publicized stint in rehab for singer/guitarist Shaun Morgan in summer 2006.

Morgan's monthlong stay coincided with the release of the Evanescence hit single "Call Me When You're Sober." The song was written by Morgan's former girlfriend of three years, Evanescence singer Amy Lee, and she has said the unflattering song was inspired by the breakup of their relationship.

For his part, Morgan has refused to get into a war of words over the song other than to tell MTV.com, for one, that he was disappointed Lee chose to air the couple's dirty laundry in public.

But Morgan's battle to overcome his substance issues (he has not revealed what prompted him to enter rehab) is just one challenge Seether faced last year. The band also lost one of its members, guitarist Pat Callahan, who tired of the grind of touring.

And Humphrey ended 2006 on a sour note by undergoing back surgery.

"I was literally flat on my back for the holidays," he said. "I had four months of recovery from that."

On a group level, there was some upheaval as well, as the band split with its former manager and signed with powerhouse management company The Firm.

With the business setup revamped and personal issues resolved, Morgan, Humphrey and bassist Dale Stewart returned to action in the spring with a decidedly new outlook.

The new enthusiasm was focused toward Seether's third CD, "Finding Beauty in Negative Spaces," which debuted at No. 9 on the Billboard 200 album chart last week. The first single from the CD, "Fake It," debuted at No. 5 on Billboard's Modern Rock chart.

"I think there were a lot of chances that we took with this new album," Humphrey said. "We're not going to come out with a polka album or a jazz trio album, Dave Brubeck or something. But we've matured -- I'd like to think we have -- and grown as artists and songwriters, and I think this CD reflects that."

Humphrey credited producer Howard Benson with encouraging Seether to step beyond the tried and true.

"He really kicked us in the butt and made us think a little bit outside of the box for Seether and maybe add some color and some things musically that we hadn't considered before," Humphrey said. "I think he brought a lot to the table, and I think that's reflected in the CD."

So far, Seether has been judicious in adding material from "Finding Beauty in Negative Spaces" to its live set. On Friday, it performs at radio station 105.9 FM's "Buzz Band Camp" in Port Charlotte with Finger Eleven, Fiction Plane, Drowning Pool, Operator and tourmate Breaking Benjamin.

"We've been having a lot of fun," Humphrey said. "It's kind of Seether's greatest hits, jam-packed into 40 minutes."