Interview With Shaun Morgan of Seether
Posted: 11 November 2007
Contributed By: Chris
TuneLab Music: 'Finding Beauty in Negative Spaces' was released a couple weeks ago, how would you say the recording of the album differed from the first two?
Shaun Morgan: It was fun! The first two were like getting blood out of a stone. The producers weren't cool guys and they weren't fun to work with. They were making albums for themselves... not for the band. This one was great because Howard Benson more of a type a guy that sat down and listened to us... what we had to say, what we wanted to do and where we were coming from as a band. I think that was great as far as the final product because we got exactly what we were trying to achieve. It was the first time that I was excited about getting in my car and going to the studio everyday where the other ones were hell.
TL: Just from reading the new bio it sounded like you had more fun this time.
SM: Yeah, it was way more fun. The guys we were working with were great guys. It wasn't like a producer with an ego. It was just straight up get to work and get to have fun type stuff instead of get there and do things perfect like the producer wanted. Like the guitar tracks didn't have to be precise, they could be kind of sloppy in some places. If you listen to the album they left in some of the mistakes I made and that's kind of cool. I hate when you make albums that are made by machines. You might as well not even make one.
TL: How did working with Howard Benson affect the bands sound?
SM: He adds piano parts, synthesizer stuff and some drum samples in the background. He did the Three Days Grace album which is why we picked him. I liked what had happened with their last album to the new one. I liked the change in the sound and all the stuff that was going in the background. It's not really obvious but there's definitely something there that is coloring in the guitars and stuff like that. It was time for us to do something different. We didn't want to just do another guitar rock album. We wanted to do something that had more variety as far as instruments and a broader sound.
TL: Being a three piece once again, what kind of affect has that had on the band?
SM: Its fun! One less guy to worry about if you had a good show. One less guy to worry about what his opinion is. Obviously it's a little different sounding live than on the album but I think albums should stand alone anyway. I don't think bands should sound like they do on albums live. I mean, some bands do which is great but I think the live experience is more primal and its got to be more chaotic and more sort of rock and roll instead of trying to recreate an album. I don't want to go watch a band play and album. I want to go see a band play. So if it's slightly different I think it's cooler with little variations and stuff. There is more pressure on me live doing all the guitar parts and stuff like that, but we were a three piece to begin with so we just have to go back to being that guy in that roll.
TL: At some point in the tour do you think you'll end up adding a touring guitarist?
SM: I do want to add another guitarist at some point because I think having two guitarists does make it sound fuller live. I miss some of the guitar parts on the new album. It's a question of finding the right guy. A guy that can sing, a guy that can play, a nice guy and a guy that you can live with. We have a guy in mind but he is busy with another band. Probably in the beginning of next year we'll add someone.
TL: You've been on the road for a few weeks now, have the fans reacted to the new songs?
SM: So far great! "Fake It" is getting a better response now. When it started off people sort of knew it, but didn't really know it. Every night now when Dale starts to play the bass line there is definitely a better reaction where before it was just a few people.
TL: Have you decided on a second single yet?
SM: At this point I don't know what it's going to be. Possibly "Rise Above This" but I'm not sure. It's really more of a label decision and we'll decide that when we get to that point. Single selection is really an art. You almost have to get a better song than the first one because if its not they won't stop playing the first one.
TL: The bands extensive touring has really helped you get to where you are today. How do you stay focused being on the road for such long periods of time?
SM: I just love it. It's easy when you love to tour. When we started touring in the states we were in an RV. It was pretty hard because it was 6 or 7 of us in an RV that slept 5. So it was a little rough but when you get the first bus it becomes like home. Then you get so used to that being in one place for an extended period of time it actually becomes kind of annoying. I think some part of touring is really kind of an addiction man. Some guys don't like doing it and some do. Personally in our band we love to tour and that makes it easy and it's not very difficult to keep yourself motivated.
TL: You've performed in just about every size venue, which size do you prefer and why?
SM: Umm... I like all the venues. I like the small ones because they are more intimate but they are also kind of nerve racking. I like the bigger ones because there are so many more people but it's a little daunting sometimes. We haven't really done our own club shows in a while. We did a couple in Canada recently and I was freaking out because its like "these people are here just to see you" and it's a headlining thing so it's up to you to entertain these people because they came to see you. It's weird because I haven't done that in so long it's kind of bizarre. I enjoy being the second or third band from the end because you don't have to sell the tickets! There is definitely an appeal to the big shows, but the small shows are a lot of fun but their all cool to me.
TL: You've done a few shows in South Africa in the past, what is it like going back over there and performing?
SM: Oh man, we started out playing to 3 people at this little night club and next week there were 9. We played the same club for many months. We went back with Metallica so the shows were like 45-50,000 people. It was awesome when we got up on stage and started playing. We've had more singles there than we've had here and the whole set was just singles. By the time we finished playing the crowd was really responsive to us. Even though a lot of people were pissed when we left I think there are a lot of fans that are really proud of us. I never really understood why you'd be pissed that we left. We're out there and we're promoting the name of the country and we're in the rock scene which is the first time it has been done by any South African band. I think it was a good feeling going home cause you're with South African people. You're back in what you know and understand. Sometimes I don't feel like I understand America too well. It's not very different, but it's very different at the same time. Its like trying to explain South Africa to you... you have to go and see it for yourself. It's very difficult to describe the cultural difference and the attitude and the life styles. It's cool though. I love going back.
TL: So far, what has been your most memorable concert?
SM: There have been memorable moments on all the tours. Metallica was obviously a highlight. There was Audioslave, we had a great tour with those guys. I got to go out and sing "Fell On Black Days" with Chris Cornell a couple times. That was crazy because I remember being a kid playing "Fell On Black Days" really badly! I'd say my favorite memories of touring in the states have been with Audioslave.
TL: The last year or so has been kind of rough for you with you checking yourself into rehab, a certain song on the radio and most recently the loss of your brother. How has not only your own music but music from other bands help you pull through those events?
SM: It's therapeutic. I think any kind of music for me personally is. I started liking music as a kid and getting into bands because it felt like the lyrics were applicable to my life. It's that sense of someone else understanding what you're going through and has been through it and sort of has knowledge that can help you get through it somehow. I think our music, just writing it down and getting it out is help in its self cause you're kind of dealing with it instead of keeping it inside. For like 2 years when I was a kid I quit playing music and I got really aggressive... going out and fighting a lot. When you have the ability to get on stage and play 5 nights a week and play and rock out and get rid of all your frustrations. It's a good thing. I've had nights when I'm super super pissed off before I walk on stage and walk off afterwards and be totally calm. You just thrash it out and get it out of your system which is a far healthier way of dealing with it than going out to bars and fighting.
TL: Your lyrics, especially with "Fine Again", have helped a lot of other people pull through tough times. What is it like having fans come up and tell you stories about how your words have helped them?
SM: Its really bizarre man. It's a great feeling obviously having people that are affected that way. Like I said before it's a way for me to deal my issues in a sense and for it to help someone else and to see people be affected the same way that I was affected when I was a kid... its kind of a trip because you never assume that's going to happen. You start off in a band in garage and there are three or four dudes 14 years old sharing a six pack getting hammered and playing covers. The idea that one day you'll end up in a position like this is kind of bizarre but I'm still a fan too. I'm a fan of Breaking Benjamin and Three Days Grace and Red and a bunch of other bands too. So its weird cause I'm still the fan, I've never changed from the fan to the dick head rock star guy. There are a lot of guys that do that. I've seen a lot of guys become "their music is the only cool music". It's just weird. It's always very very touching when someone comes up and tells you something like that.
TL: Say 30 years from now, which of your songs would you want people to remember Seether by?
SM: Wow... I don't know! I think at this point, what we've done so far there are a couple songs on all the albums. Mostly ones that weren't even released. There are great songs that we've released that I like and that have done well for us. If any of them make it 30 years I'll be happy! I think this album might be more full of songs that could last 30 years. We wrote a lot of songs, 60 songs and chose 12. I think the fact that we wrote so many is a good thing. I think that this day in age there so more concentration on the image and not the music. We try and write music that we enjoy playing and if it lasts 30 years I'll be happy. At this point on this album, I'd say "Walk Away From The Sun", "Rise Above This" and "Breakdown". Those are three songs that I hope will still be being played in 30 years.
TL: Eight years ago did you think that you would have sold over 2 million albums and have the kind of success that you've had?
SM: No! That's the whole thing. When we started off... this band doesn't even have original members in it! We started off as a four piece band when I was in college and this guy I knew had a band and I told him if you need a rhythm guitarist let me know. I ended up on rhythm guitar and background vocals and we had this horrible singer chick on keyboards and a guitarist friend of me. Two weeks went by and we fired the singer and guitarist so there were only three of us then a couple months went by and we fired the bassist and got Dale then a couple years went by and we fired the drummer and we got one of the many drummers we've had until we got John. I remember how proud and excited we were of the demos we had with the chick singing but they were horrible, they were terrible. She had one of those old lady in the church behind her kind of voice. Real nasally and high pitched annoying voice and I remember running around with a tape showing everyone and being so excited about it. Listening back to it after we became a three piece and a band it was horrible. It was pretty crazy then. We've come this far and achieved so much. You never expect it and you certainly don't when you're a kid in a garage. You have dreams of it, I'm sure every kid who has picked up a guitar has dreams of one day doing this. Its great... it's awesome that we're out there. I don't know if I could do anything else. You never ever imagine and almost on a daily basis something happens and you just go "man, is that really happening?". You become part of history in a way, every time your song is played on the radio and say it goes to No. 1 and that's historic...for us anyway. It's documented and for the rest of time whenever your album comes out whatever number it starts at. It's a great thing... to slowly but surely weasel our ways into the history books.
TL: What would you do if one of those demos ended up on YouTube or something?
SM: Demos... oh man. Those are horrible. The demos are horrible... the photo shoots we did were terrible. It was just horrible all around. I wish I could find them. I know our old drummer is holding on to the footage we took and he's really really tight with it.
TL: Waiting till you get real famous and then try to sell it.
SM: [laughs] Yeah, he thinks he can try and sell it but he doesn't have our permission to use it. It's just really bizarre. I think he's holding on to it and one day expects us to pay him a million dollars or something for it.
TL: Last week Ozzy spoke out against illegal downloading while Trent Reznor kind of endorsed it. What are your views on it?
SM: Umm... it's obviously hurts everything. It hurts sales... it hurts record companies... its kind of upsetting the entire business. And as much as the business sucks already, it's making it worse. So... I don't know. I think it's easy for really big powerful bands that have made millions and millions of dollars to say "Here take these songs" cause I think they have already made their money so they don't really care. I think bands that are trying to make it and trying to get to a point where they can feed themselves and their families pay their child support and you know numerous other bills that you have to pay. Stealing is stealing in any sense. It's my job and I know its music and it's not considered to be a job and it certainly isn't considered to be a really occupation necessarily by a lot of people. The question is if I came to your house and stole something that you worked really really hard on and have an emotional investment in how would you feel? I mean yeah... its 99 cents, but say you were at home and I stole your favorite teddy bear, wouldn't that piss you off? I think it's not cool, but you can't really stop it. It doesn't matter how cheap you make it, people refuse to buy it. To this day I still buy CDs. I love to buy them and look at the artwork.
TL: That's one thing that scares me about the whole iTunes thing is that one day you won't be able to buy the actual physical CD.
SM: Yeah, it's like that's it? I just hit buy and it's done? Where's the experience and where's the fun? I've done it before like late at night and I really want to hear this song and for that's its great. Even if I buy it on iTunes I always go and buy the hard copy too cause I like to have it. I have stacks of CDs back home. I actually got in trouble for buying too many CDs. [laughs] I wish people still put out music on LP cause records sound way better than CDs do. And on top of that MP3's are so compressed and everyone is listening on their iPods and stuff. I mean it's a great invention and I have one but it certainly isn't as far as when you listen to music you want to hear all the parts. You know you want to be in it and nothing beats a sound system with a record.
TL: You've got a few more weeks on this tour then you're doing a headlining tour with Red. Do you have anything locked in for 2008?
SM: We start a Canadian run with Three Days Grace in January then its back to the states. Maybe we'll do some European stuff. It's basically if you book it we'll play it. That's how we've always been. We've got new management now and there are whole business plans and stuff. It's not like before where we would just be sent out and never know what's going on. We've got new management now and there are whole business plans and stuff. Its not like before where we would just be sent out and never know what's going on.