Seether frontman Shaun Morgan blames “ego problems” for the fact three guitarists have left the band since the group were formed.
Since 1999, Johan Greyling, Patrick Callahan and Troy McLawhorn have all departed, with Morgan saying: “What drummers were to Spinal Tap, lead guitarists are to Seether.”
Speaking with Music Radar, the South African continues: “The problem is that a lot of these guys have ego problems, plain and simple. We’ve seen guys become rock stars overnight, which becomes a problem because that’s not how we operate.”
Earlier this year, Morgan, drummer John Humphrey and bassist Dale Stewart brought lead guitarist Bryan Wickermann into the fold to join them on tour, and things seem to be going well.
“Everybody seems happy and feels it’s a good fit,” Morgan says. “No signs of rock stardom with Bryan – we’ll see how it goes.”
On Seether’s latest album, their sixth full-length recording, Isolate And Medicate, Morgan assumed all guitar responsibilities, and the group were joined for the second time by producer Brendan O’Brien, who worked with them on 2011’s Holding Onto Strings Better Left To Fray.
Speaking about O’Brien’s contribution to the band’s sound, Morgan says: “He’s worked with some of the greatest artists and best players in the world. To think that he respects our band and likes what we do is pretty extraordinary.
“He gives us a lot of freedom and he’s always willing to try new ideas. He’ll say, ‘That’s a great song, but how can we make it more interesting? How can we keep the listener engaged?’
“You see the song take off in some new direction. That’s just the way Brendan is – he wants to make every second of the band’s music count.”
Isolate And Medicate hit No.1 on Billboard’s Top Rock Albums chart earlier this month, selling 37,000 copies in its first week. However, Morgan revealed the album could have destroyed the band, after discovering they had been sold to another label without so much as a courtesy call.
“It was pretty brutal considering we thought these people were friends,” Morgan says. “I was pretty upset and scared because I didn’t know what was going to happen next. It was a trying time for all of us.”
