Seether Avoid Getting Heavy

The boys in Seether are once again enjoying mainstream success with their latest album, Finding Beauty In Negative Spaces. The disc was released in October and now the South African quartet are taking the show on the road. Singer Shaun Morgan is happy his band are back in the spotlight and talked to ChartAttack about the challenges of making the new record.

ChartAttack: What does the title Finding Beauty In Negative Spaces mean to you?
Shaun Morgan: We're trying to change our lives and to see the bright side all the time. In a way, it's us growing up and trying to see the good and the bad. For a while, we spent a lot of time on the bad, and that didn't get anywhere. It could be in the lyrics. We spent a lot more time on them this time and thought about them more. It was sort of a collective subconscious thing going on. It was certainly a rough year.

How so?
It wasn't rough musically, but personally. Hopefully we can put this year behind us. That's why the title makes sense. It's easy to let personal stuff drag you down sometimes, and then you think you'll never get out of that hole.

You guys wrote almost 50 songs for the new record. How did you decide which ones to put on it?
After you've heard them for a while, you identify songs that you think are better than others. You all pick the ones that are your favourite 15 songs, and the lists generally all look pretty similar.

How would you describe the sound of this album?
We didn't want to write heavy songs or songs that sounded like they were trying to be heavy. We had some songs stored away that were really heavy — almost metal — and I certainly didn't want those. There are elements of heaviness, but only on two or three songs as compared to six with our other albums. I didn't want a heavy album.

How does it feel to be back in the touring cycle?
It's just good to be playing again after so long. It's good to be back out. It keeps you a sane person. Many relationships of mine have failed because I'm not on the road. We're the kind of band that loves to tour. It's where we feel most comfortable.

Seether are back in Canada for a bunch of shows in January. Have Canadians been good to you in the past?
They're great. It's been really tough to get up there. We did it with Audioslave, and with Our Lady Peace before that. I love the people. We always get really hammered off their beer. I love the mentality of people. They always have smiles on their faces.

You don't mind touring Canada in the middle of winter?
I actually like the snow because we never get it at home. It's exciting for us.