Seether Named After Vagina

Not that you would have known it, but South African rockers Seether (named after that unforgettable Veruca Salt song) almost didn't have a name.

Originally dubbed Saron Gas (a really evil thing), singer-guitarist Shaun Morgan, bassist Dale Steward and drummer Nick Oshiro realised that if their Wind-Up/Sony debut album was ever to happen, a new name was of top priority.

"We went through a bunch of names like 7 Ape," says Morgan, "but I always had Seether in the back of my head. I love that song. I didn't want an 'er' band like Weezer and all those other bands, so I was holding it back, but then I found out about the vagina connotation in the Veruca Salt song — she's singing about her pussy! How can you not name yourself after that? That, and it was the one fuckin' band name that wasn't taken already, so I just threw it out."

As you can guess, the choice was a pretty good one, or else you'd probably be reading an article about yet another pop-punk or garage band that we here at ChartAttack just can't get enough of. Calling themselves hard rock in honour of their "thunderous rhythm section," just fuels the misconception that Seether are "just another pop band."

"People hear one song from you and they pigeonhole you just like that," Morgan snaps. "We like to get heavy whenever we can. We're a lot heavier live than on the album, 'cause that's when we can really throw down. I think in that way we're a hard rock band. That's what our roots are. When people pass us off like that, that's when we love to play the heaviest stuff we can live. It's fun to see that look of surprise."

Similarly, Morgan finds that a lot of people (your parents, perhaps) are quick to judge his lyrics. Simple statements about his personal emotional upheaval are misconstrued as anthems of destruction, something Morgan is quickly losing patience with.

"A lot of people take my lyrics at face value and think they're evil or negative. If you really listen, you'll hear something a little more beyond it; that sarcastic tone. A song like 'Fuck It,' they don't go beyond the first word — the inner psyche of the song and what the meaning might be, the ultimate rejection song. If they took the time, they'd understand more. My saying 'fuck' isn't gonna make their kid start worshipping Satan. Unless you're some extreme death metal band, most musicians aren't about hurting anyone. It's just about releasing emotions. Ah, people are fickle..."