On October 2nd Atlanta’s Sevendust released their eleventh studio album, Kill The Flaw. The energy is there, the passion is there, the blazing guitars and machine gun drumming are there. Everything you could possibly want on a Sevendust record is served right up. “We took some time off from the heavy side of Sevendust and when it came time to record some new music Clint, John, Vinnie, Morgan and I put everything we had in to what became Kill The Flaw,” vocalist Lajon Witherspoon revealed just prior to it’s release.
A major part of the Sevendust sound has always been guitar player Clint Lowery. Starting his musical journey as a kid playing drums, he quickly turned to the guitar and in 2013 Paul Reed Smith came out with a Lowery signature guitar, a beautiful mahogany SE in black nickel, and a dream come true for the musician who went through some tough times only a few years ago. Feeling balanced and thankful in his life now, Lowery brought that new depth into the songs that make up Kill The Flaw.
Last week, Glide had a chance to speak with Lowery about the new album, his creative relationship with Sevendust’s other guitar player John Connolly, some special moments for him in the band’s history and, of course, guitars.
The new album came out last month. Which song would you say has your biggest imprint on it?
I think “Not Today” is more like if I could put together a song within Sevendust or outside of Sevendust, it would resemble that song. There’s a certain style and formula that goes along with Sevendust and then I have my own material that I write on the outside of it, so that’s kind of the best of both worlds. It’s a type of sound that I really enjoy writing when I’m just writing for myself and then it does sound and have the elements of a Sevendust song. So “Not Today” is probably the song that I think has my strongest input as far as vocal melody-wise, guitar riff-wise; just sonically everything about it.
So you brought that one in?
Yeah, I mean, I have my hands in on all the songs for the most part. There are a couple that John will bring in but vocally and musically, I’m pretty involved in all of it.
Which of the new songs would you say changed the most from it’s original state to the final recorded version?
That’s a good question. I think a lot of them, they evolve, arrangement-wise, but there is a song called “Torched” that was one of John’s songs. Actually, you know what, I take that back. “Thank You.” John had brought the basic music in for that and I really loved it. John brought this riff and he’s very close to it and, as far as the arrangement, I heard it a little differently so we like, what the verse was became the chorus, you know. There were a lot of changes arrangement-wise so it hardly resembles the original demo that John did but it has the parts. It was just arranged a lot differently.
When you are creating music, and coming up with riffs and everything, do you tend to hear Lajon in the back of your head or do you hear your own voice more?
You know, Lajon is just an amazing singer so after the years and years of writing songs with Sevendust and with him in mind, there’s absolutely a wheelhouse that I think I try to write FOR Lajon. Like, I pride myself in being able to give him material that is going to fit his voice, his style and his swag, you know, and it’s such a cool thing. So when I write, even when I sing on demos, I try to sound like Lajon. I try to do it all. I’ll give Lajon a certain vocal part but he’ll make it his own. He’ll take things he likes about it and he’ll redo things he doesn’t. And that’s the cool thing, he’s just such an easy-going guy to work with. He’s awesome.
How has the way that you and John work together during the creative process changed over the years?
I think it’s different. I think that John, he’ll help produce my ideas and I help produce his. We produce our own records so we have to trust each other in terms of ideas and turning over some unturned stones. I think we’ve evolved because we trust each other more every record and depend on each other. You figure out people’s moods and musical tastes and things that they like. So it’s a mutual respect and I think that that trust is getting better. Like, we’re competitive but we’re not trying to outdo each other. We’re just trying to, you know, “Oh that was cool. Let me show you this” and back and forth so it’s healthy competition.
How often in the creative process are the two of you actually sitting down together?
Not a lot. Not as much as everyone thinks. It’s very rare that John and I will sit, like, he has his writing process and I have mine. They’re similar but we hardly ever write in the same room together. We do as a band, we’ll write songs, but it’s hardly just John and I jamming out and stuff. Every now and then we will and we’ll go over ideas and stuff but we have our ways and processes. When he’s in a mode, I just let him do his thing. I don’t like hover over him and try to change his ideas while he’s formulating them.
When you first started learning to play guitar, what was the most difficult part for you to get the hang of?
I think the thing that everyone kind of struggles with is just actually your fingers hurting and fretting chords and being able to get past that frustrating stage of holding a guitar, pressing the strings down, tuning it; just the fundamentals and very basics. Once you have a breakthrough with that and you play the first song, then you can actually call yourself a guitar player. I remember the first time I played an actual riff, I was like, “I’m officially a guitar player. I’m not good but I’m a guitar player.” Then it just starts naturally becoming easier.
How old were you when that riff came?
My mom and dad played music, my brother did. I was a drummer first but I was around maybe nine or ten when I started playing guitar and was interested in it. My dad played so I was trying to be like him.
Were you coming up with ideas on your own when you were starting or were you trying to learn other bands’ music?
I was interested in learning songs like that but I was absolutely always writing, like from early, early on I would write words, lyrics and I would write guitar riffs. It would sound a lot like other stuff I was listening to but to me, it was more natural to, “Oh that’s a cool song. I like that Ozzy song. Let me try to write a song LIKE that.” To me it was more interesting putting together my own riffs and the songs that I did learn were more an influence.
As you have progressed as a guitar player, do you find that where you get your inspiration has changed?
Yeah, I do. Melodically, music styles change, guitar players try new things. Unless you live under a rock you’re going to be influenced. Guitar players will try something and I’ll see it and go, “Oh that’s cool. I never thought about that.” So you’re always learning, you’re always changing. I think that’s the beauty of it. Sometimes I think people can get worse, you know. If you don’t practice, if you don’t apply yourself, you don’t put your head into the game, you become less of a guitar player. People say, “How long have you been playing?” I’ve been playing a long time but there’s been years where I really have been a disciplined guitar player and there’s been years where I’ve slacked off. It’s not the amount of time you play, it’s how disciplined you are as a player that really progresses you.
How did it feel to get a signature guitar?
It was a dream, you know. PRS has always been good to me. I’ve been with them for a long time and have a good relationship. So that’s an accomplishment that I can always be proud of and the fact that they’re willing to do that with me means a lot to me and I don’t take it lightly. It’s definitely something that you always want. I never realized how much I wanted it till it actually happened (laughs).
You guys have done a lot of cool things in your career. What has been something really special to you?
There have been a few things and I think playing overseas for the military in Afghanistan was a crazy experience but it was really fulfilling to provide some escape for those people over there while it was such a hellish environment. That was cool. Playing any charity stuff. The older I get the more fulfilling it is to do something for other people instead of just getting up onstage. I want to use what we get to do to help people. We don’t get the opportunity to do enough but it’s impossible to be unhappy when you’re doing something for someone else and helping them.
Being away from Sevendust for a couple of years, how did it change you musically?
Just working with different people, working with my brother and some other musicians, working alone, it made me appreciate what Sevendust was but also made me gain some experience with other people’s formulas and processes. Leaving the band was a tough situation at the time but now that I’m back I’m thankful that it happened and thankful to be back.
What is coming up in the next few months for Sevendust?
We’re going to do a few one-off shows. We’re playing Dallas on New Year’s Eve and a couple odds and ends. But we’re going to Australia in March and then we’ll gear up for a headline run that will start late April and then we’ll go into the summer and then what’s next after that is still in the air. But we’re excited about getting to Australia finally and a proper headline tour.
Who was the first real rock star you ever met?
Oh man, I didn’t really meet a lot of them until I was in Sevendust. I mean, I’d see a couple of people here and there but I met Trent Reznor one time real briefly and I was like blown away. That was the first rock star I really considered a rock star and idolized.
How old were you?
I was about twenty-one maybe
You weren’t a fanboy to him, were you?
(laughs) No, no, I wasn’t. For some reason I had this intuition not to fanboy out on him and just kind of talk about what was right in front of us at the time, which was, you know, very random, just kind of laughing about this sudden knee injury he had or something and how he was going to play.
Are you currently working on any music or projects outside of Sevendust?
No, not right now. We have a break coming up really soon at the end of this tour and I’ll probably start putting together some new music for myself and what happens with it or what I do with it, I’m not really sure. But I’m kind of interested to get started.
Are you one of these guys that have a lot of riffs hanging around that when you are putting together new music you go back to more so than newer ideas that pop up?
I have a voice memo collection of some different riffs and stuff but I like to always think that the best thing is right around the horizon. So I’ll go and listen to old ideas and stuff if I’m getting a dry spell but for the most part it’s the spur of the moment, try to write a song today thing.
You are a health conscious guy now, I hear.
Yeah, I crossfit when I’m at home and I’ve really become obsessed with fitness and crossfit. It was just kind of one of those things when you get sober – I haven’t had a drink in eight years – and you find something like that and I love it and it’s definitely my second passion in life. I don’t eat great all the time. Sometimes I have these phases where I really know what I put in my body and others where I’m like, I don’t care, I eat whatever, you know. So it’s up and down but I definitely know what I should do. Whether I do it or not is another thing. But I love learning about it. I’m over forty years old and I’m trying to maintain and it’s more of a meditation. I don’t really do it for the vanity, it’s more for sanity, the stress-reliever that it is.
Do you feel more sure-footed now? I know a few years back you went through some not so great times. Do you feel at a good balance in your life now?
I do, absolutely. Compared to the past, it’s a whole different world. I don’t feel like the same person. It’s not always a bed of roses. There are challenges and different things and I just handle them a little different. I feel like an adult finally and I’ve got kids and that’s where my focus is at and thank God I’m able to be sober and be there for them and be present and reliable instead of a liability. That’s important to me. I believe in God, I believe in trying to do the right thing and that’s all I can do. I can’t change anything I ever did but I can do something today that is different. I like the peace. I can put my head down on my pillow at night and sleep. I don’t lie, cheat or steal and that’s good.
Live photographs by Amy Harris
