INTERVIEW: Lajon Witherspoon – Sevendust
With a career now spanning some 24 years, legions of fans worldwide and a huge back catalogue of material that even culminated with a Grammy nomination back in 2016 for their song Thank You, it’s safe to say that Atlanta alt-metallers SEVENDUST are a pretty big deal in the world of rock music. Now signed to Rise Records, and on the eve of releasing their twelfth studio album All I See Is War, we got the chance to chat to vocalist Lajon Witherspoon about creating the album with producer Michael ‘Elvis’ Baskette, touring across the world, and his feelings on their success.
At this point in time, we’re just over a fortnight out from the release of All I See Is War – how does it feel for you guys to finally be about to get this record out to the public?
Lajon: It’s so exciting man. Let me tell you, it’s not only exciting because we’ve been off for a while, it’s got a new air of freshness with us signing to Rise Records and us taking time off allowing us to be fresh again and there’s that excitement; we hadn’t done a video in so long and now there’s two new videos and a surprise getting ready to come out now, so it feels like we’re going down a different avenue. And we have the right team behind this right now and look, I’m talking to you right now overseas and we can’t wait to get over there, it’s, you know, it’s really exciting for us right now. We’re at the beginning of this new tour. The new single with everyone seems to be excited so we just look forward to seeing what’s going to happen, we’ll see.
So far, we’ve had two tracks from the record released to the public with music videos – Dirty and Not Original. What’s the reaction to those tracks been like from your own perspective?
Lajon: It’s been great so far. You know, uh, it seems like everyone is excited, I think enjoys them. It was fun to be able to put out a song like Dirty first and then to kinda go back and throw ‘em a loop with something like Not Original. But it’s still SEVENDUST you know, it’s a side of us we’re not afraid to hide at this point. And I think it’s new, it’s fresh and uh, just to have the chance to work with Elvis Baskette on this album was so exciting and I can’t wait for people to hear the rest of the album.
Obviously with those two tracks so far, you’ve got the heavier side of things with Dirty, and then a much slower, more melodic song in Not Original. Would you say those two songs are mostly representative of the sound of All I See Is War as a whole?
Lajon: Oh yeah, I definitely think those are good examples man. I think those two are good examples of the growth of the band, not being afraid to put out a song like Not Original right after putting a song like Dirty out. I think it lends us to maybe a stronger growth of people who haven’t heard the band before but now they’re gonna be listening to it because they might not have listened to Dirty but they’ll definitely listen to Not Original, know what I mean? [laughs]
So in that regard, when you’re putting together a record, is it difficult trying to get the balance of those types of songs right?
Lajon: It’s the worst, because now at this point we have so much music and everyone writes. Y’know, it’s not the worst in a bad way or anything, it’s the worst because it’s exciting that you have so much talent and so many ideas to choose from. When we went into this album there were over 60 songs that we were able to pick and choose from, so it’s always a good time man, a lot of music between us all.
In terms of overall sound, where do you think you’d place this record amongst the rest of the band’s catalogue to date?
Lajon: I think it’s different just because of the team we worked with, Elvis Baskette and Jeff [Moll, engineer], it was incredible man. I’ve never seen a team work like that, and they brought us in and it wasn’t like a producer produces working with the band, it was like brothers working together, so it felt like he became a part of the band with us. It was really fun because he didn’t wanna change anything, he let us be us, if you know what I mean. He wouldn’t come in like “do this, do that”, he’d just say like “I want you guys to do what you do”.
And his resumé is huge too – he’s done stuff with ALTER BRIDGE….
Lajon: Oh he’s worked with so many bands, and it was great for us because we were the first band to ever be invited to go and live in his house, and of course we said yes. The studio was connected to the home and it was this big beautiful place, and when you walked in the studio it was themed like the Haunted Mansion so everything was this cool gothic candelabra-on-the-walls, y’know – oh it was just such a cool vibe with all these like gothic couches and huge over the top chairs that were gold, you just felt cool. It was like going into a different world every time we got to go and perform – it was really fun.
Isn’t this record also the first time you’ve had an outside producer involved in the process since Cold Day Memory or something like that?
Lajon: It’s been a while, yeah, definitely been a while since we brought a producer in; and that’s not to take anything away from the other producers we’ve worked with, they’ve always been incredible, but this time around for me personally it was just a different energy with the album. It was a very comfortable, laid-back environment and it was just easy to work with, and there wasn’t one day where I went in to do my vocals that I didn’t wanna go in there. It was fun and there were days where I almost didn’t wanna leave, y’know? So that was cool, it was just a different feeling man, good times. And I hope we get to work with him again.
I guess from your perspective, he must’ve had quite a large impact on how everything turned out his time then?
Lajon: Oh yeah, definitely. It was very cool to just be able to sit and talk and hear stories, go back to work the next day, work all day long and then stay the night, hang out and hear even more stories and laugh, and it was just a family affair man – really cool.
I read somewhere, and you mentioned it briefly before too, that SEVENDUST actually ended up writing somewhere in the region of 50 to 60 potential songs for this record – have you decided on any plans yet for some of the ones that didn’t make it onto the actual album this time?
Lajon: Well, y’know, that stuff’s always recorded and stored so we can keep going back and listening to them; you never know if you’ve got something that might be a hit. But man, it’s so crazy the way that this band works, those songs’ll be ‘old’ old and we’ll end up just starting on a new batch. And that’s what’s cool about the band really, you’ve got all these ideas, but it’ll be cooler to go back to some of that stuff yeah, but I think with this band what we normally like to do is to do it all new and fresh and keep it in the moment and capture the groove of what’s going on at the time.
Not only is this SEVENDUST’s first album for a couple of years or so, it’s also the first since Thank You earned the band a Grammy nomination….
Lajon: Yeah man, let me tell you what – what an incredible experience even to be nominated. We didn’t win it obviously, but even just to get the nomination, that was enough. Wow. For me personally, as a kid that was always something I watched growing up and to be a part of the 58th Grammys was a big deal and I really hope to be a part of something like that again in our career.
Did getting such a big nomination like that affect the way you approached things this time at all, going into the process for this next album?
Lajon: Oh no, not at all. I’ve been asked that question – we didn’t go in thinking about it at all. I mean, we were more excited about being in Florida recording an album for the first time not in the winter in a mansion with Elvis. We were excited about the swimming pool and the hot tub in the back after we worked. [laughs] But yeah, we didn’t think about it really. Now, to me in my head, yeah man it’d be great to go back again but it wasn’t something that was over my head like a stress. That, to me was like this huge opportunity that we never thought we’d be a part of, so I think if it happens again we’d be very impressed but it wasn’t like this time we were thinking we had to be working for a Grammy again or anything like that.
Obviously now the record’s about to be out, you guys are a couple of dates into the start of a huge US tour at the time of speaking, including a bunch of festivals and headline shows with MEMPHIS MAY FIRE, FIRE FROM THE GODS and MADAME MAYHEM supporting.
Lajon: Yeah man, we did our first show the other day with FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH and this new band BAD WOLVES and JONATHAN DAVIS’ solo project which was great. We’re about to do our fourth show of the run here in Austin, Texas at a very interesting venue and yeah, we’re into it man. We have 18 headline shows and all the rest are gonna be festivals so it’s a really exciting time right now.
It might be a touch too early to ask, given how early into the tour you are right now I suppose, but how’s everything been going so far then?
Lajon: The shows have been great every night man. The crowds have been incredibly excited and it’s been fun, and I can’t wait to get through this tour. If it’s going to be like it’s been these last few shows then it’s gonna be alright.
It looks like an absolutely huge run based on the poster – nearly two months out on the road combined or something like that?
Lajon: Oh yeah, but what’s cool about it, is right when the album comes out on May 11th, we get to go home for a week, so it kinda breaks it up for us, y’know? It was tricky but it works.
Obviously with a tour going for that length of time, you’re presumably going to be hitting a lot of different places across the country. Are there any specific places you’re looking forward to playing in particular at all?
Lajon: That’s a good question. We’ve been gone for so long I think I just look forward to playing all the places. I’m really looking forward to the whole tour, I’m excited about being back out and being in all the places we’ve not been in two years or however long it’s been, really excited to be getting back around to all of these towns.
Has much of the new material started to work its way into the live set yet, or will that begin once the record’s actually properly out?
Lajon: Well, Dirty is in there right now of course, once we have the second single out we’ll probably start to bring more of that stuff in. So it’s being kept under wraps pretty good right now, and that’s an exciting thing too because it makes people want it more and we’ve done a good job of that this time around. And yeah, we’ll definitely put more songs from the album into the set when that time comes around.
So, you’re on this US run from now until the start of June, more or less…
Lajon: Yeah, June 2nd is the last show in my hometown, Kansas City, and it’s gonna be at Rock Fest. And what a way to end the tour, I’m gonna be able to go back to my house afterwards. [laughs]
Has it been decided exactly what’s on the cards for SEVENDUST after this all wraps up then?
Lajon: Well, we’ll definitely be talking about what’s coming next soon; we’re gonna get to the UK to come and see you guys for sure, that’s definitely in the works right now and something we look forward to doing, building relationships and continuing to come back over, but the thing that’s great about this whole relationship with Rise Records is that’s something they’re strongly behind too so we look forward to touring the US and then like I said getting over to you guys.
Is there any message you’d like to give the readers of Distorted Sound Magazine who might be fans of both yourself and the band?
Lajon: Yeah, I’d like to say, and I mean this from the bottom of my heart – we cannot wait to get over there and to share our music with you guys face-to-face and shake hands and hug and hear stories and tell each other about life and grow together, that’s something that I really cannot wait to do. Like I said, I think with this new venture we’re going down with this new label, that’s something that’ll be happening real soon so we look forward to seeing everybody and thanks for all the support and staying with us, it means a lot.
Thanks very much for taking the time to speak to us today L.J.
Lajon: Thank you for taking the time brother, we look forward to seeing you soon man. Can’t wait, I mean that.
All I See Is War is out now via Rise Records.
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