Sevendust: One World Under A Groove
Atlanta’s SEVENDUST are just about to drop their latest album, the massive sounding ONE and it sees the band doing what they do best. Huge tunes delivered with passion and soul from start to finish. To celebrate the release of the record, we caught up with vocalist Lajon Witherspoon to get the lowdown on ONE and tales from the whole history of the bad.
We begin with Lajon explaining about how SEVENDUST feel to be back with this album and how their life experience has influenced it. “I feel like it’s a long time coming for the band. I feel like this album is a definite sign of where we’re at as grown men. A lot of life that we’ve been through in this album, us growing up, losing things, gaining things, kids leaving the house, going to college, I think it’s all those kind of things went into this album, for sure.
An undoubted album highlight is the track Unbreakable, which is an apt description for the band, given how long they’ve been in the game. “The thing I think that’s kept us together so long is because we split everything equally and we all come in together equally, and I think that’s kept us together for a long time. This album and our recent tours has lit a fire and I feel like if anything, it’s just the beginning.”
Lajon then tells of his enthusiasm to bring the songs of ONE to the live stage. “I look forward to it because we’re taking our production in a way that we’ve never taken it out before, and it’s going to be a really big deal! The upcoming live dates have an upcoming date with SNOT, a band who have so much history with Lajon as he enthuses. “That is going to be a special show. We love them. it’s going to be a good time, man. Those brothers kind of changed our course of our lives and how cool is it to still be apart of their lives and for us to still be tight like we are.”
With the two band’s history and the fact they came together to pay tribute to much missed SNOT vocalist Lynn Strait on Angel’s Son, Lajon is excited about performing the tribute live. “We’ll definitely do something like that. I’m sure the guys will come up and jam with us, I hadn’t even thought that far into it. All right!”
With SEVENDUST’s self titled debut album celebrating its thirty year anniversary next March, Lajon reveals that they may have donning planned to commemorate this anniversary. “There’s been a lot of talk about a lot of things, we may do something to tie in with the festivals next year but we just hadn’t really pinpointed anything yet.”
With the band being active for over three decades, Lajon tells of feeling blessed at still being able to do this. “It’s pretty amazing. I love the opportunity, I love still writing music. I feel like music is a medicine and I feel like I’m a doctor, and I just have to give it to the people. I can’t stop. The music is always there, and it’s something that keeps us young. It keeps us strong. It gives us hope, it gives us meaning.”
Lajon then reminisces about the early days of SEVENDUST. “Oh, man, just being those young men that just couldn’t believe that we had a record deal and we were doing it, still, sometimes I pinch myself that I get to do this! But I can never take it for granted. I feel like there’s a new fire under me right now. I’m even more excited than I’ve been in a long time about the band.”
Talk then turns back to live shows and touring, and with SEVENDUST having played with everyone from METALLICA to SLIPKNOT, Lajon highlights the band’s stint playing Ozzfest as an undisputed highlight. “That was great. Even though we were like the outsiders, kids from Georgia, but it was a great experience for us and we got tight with Ozzy along that time and fast forward, Ozzy invited SEVENDUST to play Australia with them, which was crazy. We couldn’t believe that. We were on a jet just with Ozzy and Zakk Wylde, they were some good times!”
We conclude this great chat with Lajon considering a memoir about his time with SEVENDUST given he has so many cool memories from his long and storied career. “Yeah, I think I need to write a book one of these days, man. I think we would definitely have an incredible story of some young men that never thought that they would have had a record deal, and who would have known that our lives would have changed and had these ups and downs and this beautiful collage of stories and obscure adventures that we’ve been on, it’s been a beautiful journey for me thus far!”
One is out now via Napalm Records. View this interview, alongside dozens of other killer bands, in glorious print magazine fashion in DS129 here.
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