SOCIAL MEDIA

Twinmusix got to speak to John about Seether upcoming tour, album and more.

TM - Hi, this is Amelia and Elizabeth from Twinmusix and we are here with John from Seether thank you for having this interview with us today we appreciate it.

JN - Thank you for having me.

TM- You are going on tour with Skillet what can fans expect?

JN - They can expect a great show and hopefully they can look forward to 'Judas Mind' being added to this set. It will be a lot of fun for the fans to hear us sing a new song and we will do what we have always done go out and put on the best show we can. We also brought a bit of production with us this time. I think this is the most staging we have ever had and that looks good incorporating the new album art into our stage. I Love touring and playing shows live and I am excited to get back to it it has been a good year for us and we have toured.

TM - What can fans expect from your setlist?

JN - We have a lot of good singles and we will have 70 minutes. We have some very popular singles for our set. Some fans ask us to play certain songs but sometimes it is difficult because we keep our songs to the 70 minutes but we will add 'Judas Mind'. I am excited to play it live is great to play a song that you haven't played live we played it in rehearsal and it sells really good I am excited to be playing live too.

TM - Do you have a favourite song to play live?

JN - For me, it would be 'Judas Mind' it has an interesting drum pattern some of the other songs we have been playing forever and we can play them in our sleep. I'm excited to play on you song we have probably played 'Gasoline' several hundred times. I have been the drummer for 21 years I have always been excited to play Gasoline as it has been a show starter for a long time. The song always sets the tone for the performance of the night 'Fake' and 'Remedy' is also fun to play live.

TM - What can fans expect from your new album 'The Surface Seems So Far'?

JN - I am very excited about this new album it is a strong album for us. It is heavy and very melodic. This is the third album that Shaun has produced. He has produced three of our albums starting with poison and at this point, Seether knows what we do the best and I think we do it very well. Shaun has put together an amazing group of songs and he has done very well at writing them and then he sends them to us to learn them. Then we go into the studio and in my case, I'm the drummer so the drums are the first thing to be recorded and we start building on the demos and that allows him to be in the control room and to be the producer listen back and give me suggestions back of what I should do try this try that drop that and he is great that way. He writes amazing music and lyrics he knows what he wants stylistically and that focus is because of Shaun's dedication.

TM - Do you also get to add your own suggestions of what should be in the song?

JN - Yes, if I feel a certain part or a fill For drums I will set up a part or it is my part to support something or set up the next part to go into a bridge and he will be like oh that's great I'll make it a little bit longer. We contribute and throw in our thoughts. He will lay out the rhythm and the beat with a drum machine but it is my duty to humanize those parts and make it sound like me and when he is writing these songs. He stylistically knows what fits me really well and he knows that when he is suggesting the drum parts for the songs.

TM - How did you come up with your Album cover and is there a meaning behind it?

JN - The artist on the last three album covers is called Shaun and Shaun will send him these songs and he will listen to it stylistically he will give him freedom to go wherever he wants with the artwork and let the music guide the imagination. That's what Shaun did in this case. He came up with the title and the artwork and everything I think it is cool and turned out well it is cool to see an artist inspired by music and see where it takes them. I think he came up with some great artwork that we are incorporating into the new stage show.

TM - How did you come up with your video for 'Judas Mind'?

JN - There are directors will send their storyboards and the video lined up to what we were talking about and it made me hear the song differently. I really like the chaotic motion of the camera. Shaun screamed in the bridge and I think it fits the song well. It is not a heavy concept video it is the band doing what the band does I am really proud of 'Judas Mind' and the video I think it really fits these song.

TM - If you could have any band play one of your songs what band would it be what song and would it be in your style or their style?

JN - Foo Fighters playing 'Remedy' and they can play it in our style which is kind of theirs because they are also Rock. I would like to have Dave Grohl on the drums doing his own thing.

TM - What was the first band you saw live can you tell us a story?

JN - My first ever concert I went to was because my friends sister was sick and I went to see the Go-Go's with A Flock Of Seagulls in the 80'S and it was one of the loudest shows I have ever been to. I didn't know if the roof was going to come down and it was a big Arena show in my hometown and I was just blown away. I thought I would love to do this I definitely got addicted to the whole ritual of going to see bands live I love the live energy of the crowd and just the whole thing.

TM - Are you coming back to Australia anytime soon?

JN - Not at this point but it is a beautiful country with beautiful people and we are so grateful for the fans, that's why we have had and stuck with us through all these years. I hope we get back sometime soon, I would love that.

TM - Anything else you want to say to your fans?

JN - Thank you so much and we don't take our fans for granted. I have been the drummer of Seether for 21 years and we are thankful for Aussie fans who have stuck with us we are excited for everyone to hear our new album and thank you so much for the interview.

TM - Thank you for having this interview with us today we appreciate it.