The name Seether has been tossed around here and there since 2002. I remember hearing random songs from their Disclaimer album and figured if Amy Lee agreed to do a duet with them then they couldn’t be so bad. My mom on the other hand has been completely obsessed with them since day one. At the time, I was just getting into music and concert photography and I remember telling myself one day I would photograph them.

Apparently that old saying “you can do anything you put your mind to” is right because six years later, here I am telling you how I’ve accomplished just that! Not only have I photographed them numerous times (as you have seen throughout previous issues) but I finally got the once in a lifetime chance to chat with bassist Dale Stewart. Read on to find out the answers we’ve all been dying to know about lineup changes, their expanding loyal fanbase, and their latest album…

S!: Having formed in South Africa, what were some advantages/disadvantages you had to deal with to place on American billboards?

Dale Stewart: It was actually not that hard once we had landed on the scene. I mean, when we first started out and started touring in South Africa, of course no one had heard of us anywhere else. Once we started to play gigs though and managed to get over to the US, the name I guess kind of stuck. It’s not like if you’re a band from Canada hitting the US Billboards or anything like that. I think our music was just ready for the US and we were welcomed on the charts since then.

S!: Why did Veruca Salts’ single inspire you to create a band name from it?

Dale: [Laughs] We just liked it. It was just something we were playing around with and when we all heard it, it was like, “that’s cool. We could use that.” It was kind of a group decision we made very quickly.

S!: What is the biggest obstacle you’ve had to overcome personally and as a band throughout this career?

Dale: Hmm. That’s hard. Personally, I guess, would be all the sacrifices I’ve had to endure. You know, relationships, family, friends, and being away from home. I really miss everyone when we’re on tour for so long. It’s good to go home and see the people that care about you most. Don’t get me wrong, I love touring and seeing the fans, but there’s just nothing like being at home. For the band, I would have to say just everyday things. Getting out of South Africa, touring internationally, putting out this past record. The recording process was very long for this record so when we finished it we all had to feel quite accomplished. There might be some things I would go back and tweak but this album is perfect. Going through the whole process was quite hard though.

S!: How do you feel the band was affected by Pat Callahan leaving?

Dale: It was a bit rough for everyone. I mean, he was like a brother. We all had differences and he is working on different things in his life. We wish nothing but the best for him now. We had to trudge on with touring and whatnot and put out albums. We kept going.

S!: Do you feel that new addition, Troy McLawhorn makes the band whole again?

Dale: Troy is great. He brings in a fresh outlook that wasn’t there for a while. His presence when he takes the stage is a lot like ours, so we all get along well. We’ve known him for a while now so he just seemed to fit right in. It’s great!

S!: The community on your site is surprisingly active. What is it about your music that you think captivates such a diverse and loyal fanbase?

Dale: Gee, I don’t know. Shaun never writes about just one thing. His lyrics are very open to the fans so that they can interpret how they see fit. It’s not like one song is about one particular incident or situation. Anyone can place themselves in any setting and that is what they can do through us. I guess that’s how we can get the attention of so many different fans because we’re all so different. The loyalty comes from I would hope us giving back to them. It seems kids these days are with you until the end if they like you. They put everything into seeing you, buying merch, and your music. We give everything we have to them when we’re out there playing.

S!: Your newest album, Finding Beauty In Negative Spaces is said to be more diverse than previous records. What brought on this change of direction?

Dale: I wouldn’t say we planned on changing to a new direction so to speak. It’s really more that we are just different people than what we used to be. We’ve all grown and experienced more now than from the last album. We just put that into this album. It’s a good idea of where we are now as opposed to see if we could just sound like every other album.

S!: Your music is featured in movies, television and video games. How does it feel to have your music streaming throughout pop culture?

Dale: It’s pretty cool actually! It’s almost more popular to be in video games than to have your album bought these days. I mean, there are games about music out now and to have your music on there is pretty amazing. As for being on television and in movies though, we never set out to do that sort of thing. The fact that we’ve accomplished that is very cool. We’re honored to be in everything that we are.

S!: You’ve just announced dates for the Flyleaf tour. What are you looking forward most to on that run?

Dale: Ah, yes! I am looking forward to this run. The members of Flyleaf have been friends of ours for a while now. They’re great to tour with and they always put on a spectacular show! Hopefully we’ll hit some cities we haven’t hit in a while and pick up a few new fans along the way to answer your question. We’re out promoting our new album so it should be really fun!

S!: Is there anything else you’d like to add to our readers?

Dale: Check out the new album, Finding Beauty In Negative Places,  and thanks for reading. We’ll see you on tour!

• Official Site: http://www.seether.com
• MySpace URL: http://www.myspace.com/seether