Sevendust's Lajon Witherspoon on 30 Years Of RHYTHM AND BANG

Conversation's with LJ from Sevendust are always like a catch up with an old friend.  That's what makes them special for me. 

Sevendust has been an Active Rock force for close to 30 years and their 15th release "ONE" is out and is dazzling. To me, their best yet. 

One of rock's greatest live bands, one of rock's greatest frontmen. 

In this Carr Stereo episode Lajon discusses how making this one felt different vocally, fatherhood and the road, playing a sold out  Madison Square Garden for the first time and his distinct style of "Rhythm and Bang". 

 LJ  checked in from the road, on the bands bus and I'm always grateful for the time when an artist is on tour. Until next time Lajon! 

TC Out! Tune in next week! 

Transcript

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Hey friends, it's Terry Carr, and this is the Car Stereo Podcast. I hope you're having a great week. I hope you had a spectacular weekend. I had an awesome rock and roll weekend. I actually got the opportunity to see live in concert two artists that have been on the Car Stereo Podcast. Jared James Nichols, who just is like the greatest guitar player around today. It's just incredible. And opening for Jared was Tenton Mojo, and I had Dave Anthony from Tenton Mojo, full band out of New York, on the podcast as well. So yes, a good time was had by all. Highly recommend seeing both artists if they come to a venue near you this summer or not. So this week, I'm having a conversation with a pal, and it feels like just like, hey, how you doing, my friend? Long time no chat. I'm talking about the John Ruther's creature. Seven Dust. LJ is one of current-based rock's greatest frontmen. Seven Dust, one of Current Based Rock's greatest bands. It's hard to believe they've been around almost 30 years. Seven Dust has arrived. If you've ever seen them in concert, LJ is a friend to rock and roll. The band's 15th record. One is out now. It is beautiful, dazzling, and spectacular. What do we cover in this interview? Well, we talk about the new record, we talk about life changes, juggling rock star and dad, playing Madison Square Garden for the very first time. I was at Seven Dust First Gig at the Garden. Next year's 30th anniversary celebration, and not having time in life for a whole lot of BS these days. I love that. This one was, like I said, just like sitting down with a pal, cracking open a beer and having a hang. I hope you love it. The Car Stereo Podcast welcomes the master of, as I call it, rhythm and bang, LeJon Witherspoon. So I often say I'm with one of my favorite people, but you truly are. You may be like the favorite person. You may be LJ in the house. LJ has arrived. And I thank you so much because you're on tour. Yes, it's always a pleasure. I love when I see your name, or if you're going to be at a show or somewhere close, it makes me so happy. I love you. My family loves you. You're a movement in this uh this uh uh this this world that we live in. You carry a flag that everyone loves. I mean, just uh just everything. You're just a lovely person, so thank you. Thank you. Oh my gosh. We're on tour, yes. One is out, it is the 15th record for the band. I think I said this last record, but I mean it for this record. This is my favorite Seven Dust record ever. Well, you know what? That's thank you so much. There's been an energy shift, I think, in the last couple of records. And tell me if you feel it too. And I don't really know, I have a few theories as to why I think that there has been. I mean, for you guys, I think it's been as low and steady wins the race. I think that Seven Dust has been a band that has been such a staple of the active rock format, and yet never tried to sound like a lot of the bands that do sound very similar. You never said, you know what, we're gonna make this record that sounds like that band. You've always just stayed true to who you are. But I think the shift really came for the appreciation for the band that you always got from the diehards, but the bass started to grow. I think your your shift came with a management change when you joined the Janice. Yeah. That happened. That's so grateful, so grateful for them too. And also in going into that with Janice, with everything, you know, just the future was so bright. With uh after, you know, we've been with them for a while. Tim was incredible, but you know, after the Disturbed Tour doing the album, then going back to Europe and having such a big success over there uh with one before it even came out, doing videos over there, and the shows are great with Alter Bridge. But I I if this makes sense, Terry, I feel like when we went in to do the album, it was very organic. And I just feel like we're at a point in our career, and just as grown men, at the age that we are, that this album came together and didn't mean to tell a story, but it actually does. And I feel like it has to do with everything that's going on in our lives, it including management, but not only that, relationships, wives, daughters graduating, kids growing up, everything that's going on in life that everyone deals with. And I think we were just able to paint this portrait of that in the time, in real time. And so that's what's happening to us, and I feel like people can relate to that. I do feel like it's a timestamp. I think I read a quote where you said about Elvis Basquette, your producer. He doesn't tell us what to do, he knows what we do. Yes, and I think that's so important, and you've made so many great records with Elvis. So going into this one, record number 15, Wowza. How did you there seems to be this like this whole feeling of uh a rebirth in a different direction for the dust? Did you feel it going in, or did it kind of just work out that way? We just knew something was going on when we went to the farmhouse when we first started writing and magical place. The farmhouse always brings the magic, right? Yes, it's incredible. And uh, we just knew something was special, and just the things that were actually going on in real time, songs were getting written about. So it was a very special time. And so we went into Elvis' spot. We were very secure with a lot of the songs that we had, and then we even still worked on new songs while we were there, but we were very tight with the band, and uh we knew that we had something special. When I heard one, I was like, wow, and there's something special also about your vocals on this. You've always had this great ability to bring this soulful RB vocal styling. Yes, thank you. Which floats above the metal, if that makes any sense. I call it kind of rhythm and bang, right? Rhythm and bang, not rhythm and bang. Right, right. I like it, I like it, I like it. It's rhythm, it's rhythm and bang. Talk to me about the the vocals on this record and why I hear them almost slightly differently. Is that something that came from inside of you? Was that something that happened in the midst of the process? That's so funny. No, that's so funny you say that. I just wanted to really sole it up. You know, like, is this the real you? I'll call that the gap band song. And uh everyone's like, yeah, I get what you're saying, man. You know, I have that written down. It's such a groove, it's got these great harmonies, and it has such a there's like a groove, every every turn is a different groove. I just wanted to go old school and you know, just let the uh the kids and everyone out there, just the fans see a different avenue of seven dust and just uh and it's been going over so well. They're singing that song, and people are dancing, and that's what I want. I want something that's gonna be remembered, and you know, not something that people are gonna hear for a week and then not want to hear it again. I want them to hear it and want to hear it again and you know hear it for a long time. Well, I've been seeing these crowd reactions too, because it's it's festival season now. You guys did Rockville, you guys just did Sonic Temple. Sonic Temple. People have been going berserk. I mean, everyone has has known that Seven Dust is one of the greatest live bands that you could ever see. Whether you are lucky enough to see them even strip down acoustic, you guys bring it. When you talk about great live bands that are out touring now, Seven Dust is always like in everybody's top three in the rock arena. So when you're doing these new songs and people are just going so crazy, I mean that has to be a really, really good feeling. The record just came out, hasn't been out for a long time. It's crazy. We talk about it every night after the show about how many new kids are coming out. Mothers, daughters, sons, grandsons. I mean, it's it's a continuous over the crowd. What a beautiful thing to generations of families. And I've been meeting new kids, they're like, what happened? Our daughters called and said, You guys are TikTok famous. And I'm like, I don't even know what that is. So I got a TikTok account. And my daughter's like, You're you're viral and seven does viral on TikTok. So a lot of kids now that I've been meeting are like, man, we've seen you on TikTok. We love it. And what a you know, what a good thing to open up your, you know, to open up and these kids are starting to come out and they're singing the songs, they have t-shirts on. It's amazing. Not only is the band a pioneering band, but you're a pioneering artist as well. I mean, here you come into this metal band, almost, you know, next year will be 30 years. Not trying to date you. You look exactly the same. But, you know, as a black metal singer 30 years ago, you were a pioneer that I don't really know if you get the credit that you deserve for the other. Oh, well, thank you. Thank you very much. I uh I uh I would never take this for granted at all. And anyone that's learned from me, I really appreciate it. And uh, I am here for uh for us, uh for the you the you to be united. That's what we need to be. And music is a healer. So uh I'm a bit of a doctor, and I'm just here to give you medicine and uh music. I love that. I love that. I remember the first time I think I saw the dust. I think I saw you for the first time. I think it was OzFest '98. So I think about all these great, like shows you've been on. Ozfest, Rolling Rock Town Fair. I saw you there in the early 2000s. Yes, yeah. Oh my god. Yeah, that was like Well, we were hanging out with Tommy Lee and them. That was a methods of Mayhem. Oh my god. The disturbed guys were getting in a fight, and we ran into their bus to help them. I forget who they're fighting with. There was some band. And uh, we were there to help our brothers. It's crazy. I'm like, look, what are we doing? Woodstock 99. I mean, oh god, all of this, right? Yes, Woodstock 99. What still, what an incredible thing to be a part of and a part of history. Yeah, yes, very cool. Warp tour, the Roar Tour. Oh my god, all those things. All of those things. I mean, you've got to look back. Yes. And again, I think the band is stronger than ever now. Now is this like crazy wild appreciation for Seven Dust that so many of us had in for so many years. And I think that has got to be just exceptional and incredible, incredible feeling. Was there ever a time in these 30 years where you said, you know what, we're just not gonna do this anymore? I mean, I think I read something that Morgan had said, like, yeah, we kind of thought maybe we were gonna retire soon. And I was the one that said, Well, if you do, I'll be up there by myself tap dancing. So I we're not slowing down at all. So no, you know, like there's a resurge for sure. After that European tour, we're already going back in November for a headline run. I mean, can you believe that after 15 years not going there and going back and they were crazy? It was a oh man, it was a magical thing. And then to come back to the States and and think that it was not going to be it's the same. It's like uh, like you said, it's a resurge. It's uh the music is there and the people want it. And there's a shift in you also. I would imagine that over the years, it's kind of hard to be a touring musician, a rock star. Like let's face it, you've been a rock star. Also be a husband, a family man, you're juggling kids, kids being born, young kids being there for them. I see you now, you're at dances, you're at choir, you're at oh yes, you know, things with your little guy. The kids are absolutely gorgeous. I I saw them at the garden. They're such sweet kids. Thank you. But those years had to be really hard for you as a juggler, you know, as the guy who's out on the road making the, you know, keeping the family together like that. Not easy. Oh, absolutely. You know, I I take my hat off to my wife. She's incredible. Ashley uh handles it. She's uh called the warden sometimes, but she's the boss, you know. She's uh she ha handles it when I'm gone. And and I look so forward to getting home in a couple of days. I, you know, we got a two months off or so, so I'll be able to be daddy and really get in there and help her and let her relax a little bit and go to all the games. Last night Kinks was at a dango baseball game. I was like, what time is the game over? It's like 10 o'clock. I'm like, what are they paying them? Is he for unless he's getting paid, these kids don't need to be playing baseball up in 10 o'clock in the morning. They're eight years old. I'm like, what's going on? I'm like, uh, so I'm there for it. But I'm, you know, but yes, it's cool. It's uh I love it. I can't wait to be there. Right when I get home on Sunday, they pick me up and we go straight to the lake for the the weekend for us to to be together and uh to get out there and uh hang out. Since Jada graduated last week and I was able to fly home for like one day, barely make it back to the tour, but I told her the next day, I said, just you really didn't graduate. When you wake up, you're gonna be in the eighth grade again. So she's like, Dad. You wish, you wish. And she's been like the prom queen and the this queen. And I mean, she's just she's such a beautiful, such a beautiful girl, but such a beautiful girl on the inside, too. I met her when you guys did the garden. Oh my god. So what was it like? So, all right, you're probably at the garden with Disturbed, okay? Seven Dust is an opener. I get in there, and the garden is packed. At 6:30 at night, when you guys are going on, I was like, oh my god, it was a sold-out Madison Square Garden. Now that was your first time playing the garden, correct? Oh my goodness. This is my first time ever even going in the garden. And so, of course, the whole day we were in there walking around, taking pictures, and what an amazing experience to not only have your family be a part of that, but just to be in the presence and the energy of so many incredible stars and people from around the world that have been there. I really enjoyed myself. And we had a good time in New York. Yeah, we had a great time. Uh, we stayed right beside uh what's the Mr. Jimmy's uh trainer, uh, the boxing trainer from Muhammad Ali and everybody. Yep. Um we stayed, our hotel was right next door to us. We had this really nice hotel, it was great, and we were at the dive bar the whole time. It was so incredible. I had a great time. And you guys killed it on stage. I mean, absolutely killed it. I walked into that arena, I'm like, I've got to see Seven Dust. It was packed, everybody was on their feet. People in front of me were 60 years old, 20 years old, 11 years old. Like it was amazing. And and you guys have that ability to take us to metal church, you know, lift the roof off of a place, and everybody just travels with you. Everybody kind of lifts lifts that roof off with seven dust. It's an experience, it's just such, such an experience. So let's talk a little bit. I talked about your soulful RB vocals and the uniqueness of what you do. Give me three of your favorite seven. Well, we'll go 70s because we could just keep going, but give me three of your favorite 70s RB albums, not even songs. I'll I'll do albums. You do three, I'll pick out three of mine too. Okay, let's go. Let's go something with Stevie Wonder uh in the key of life or something. I don't know if that's from the 70s or not. Yes, Songs in the Key of Life is. I was gonna go inner visions. There's always uh I you know there's always I could go either way. Yep, either way. He I love him, incredible. Me too. Uh I would say something else RB in that era would be Earth, Wind, and Fire, maybe the greatest. Yes, uh, and then after that, probably Rick James was the 80s, I believe. Let's say in the Commodores. Oh, yes, yes. I was gonna do stream. But you're right. And I'm thinking also more of a band sense, too. Those those guys all had played instruments too. So I'm thinking of an RB, the band, like a band like Mint Condition, and you know, things like that, like Tony Tony Tony and stuff like that in the future, you know. Yep, little P Funk. I had a little P Funk on my. Oh, hey K. I love, yes, George Clinton. That's what I'm saying. Oh, there's Alterbridge pulling up beside us. They are so we that's why we can't pull our slide out. I'm sorry. I love that. Scenes from the road. And you know what? When you guys do go out with like bands like Altar Bridge and stuff, there's this real familial kind of feeling where you and you can tell when bands are on tour, because look, touring can be very stressful, but the stress of a lot of the BS of the people that you're intermingling with is not there. I notice when you're out touring with a lot of the people that you guys tour with, there's that real family feeling. Yeah, we're too old to be knuckleheads out here. And you know, that's what we bring is a family vibe because that's what we are. I was after we got back from Europe and the UK, I had four days at home, and my family was trying to get me to go to Florida for spring break. And I was like, I really need to kind of get back into I'll be a bum if I'm like on that schedule still. I'll stay home with the dogs. My family ended up at the Tremont's house. Yeah, and our family was at the Tremont's house the whole time there at spring break. So, you know, so it is it's definitely a family, you know, kind of thing. Everyone loves each other. We hang out not only on the road, but we hang out, you know, off the road. We do vacations together and stuff. So it's really cool. Oh, I love that. I absolutely, absolutely love that. So getting ready to wind down the tour, then you guys have some time off, and then you guys are going back out on the road in support of this incredible record. Next year marks 30, 30 years since the TBT debut. That's crazy. Anything special, I would imagine there's gonna be some special plans for 30 years. Yeah, there's gonna be a lot of special things. There's special things coming around when you see us see some special things that you've never seen before with Seven Dust. So there's a lot of big plans in the future, yes. I love it. I think I love you. I love you as well. I think you've made one of the best albums of your career. The writing is incredible, the production is great, and I love the sequencing on the album too. Misdirection closes the album. It was an unexpected turn for me. You know, I listened to the album, didn't read anything about it, didn't see any interviews. I wanted to just kind of go in, waited for release date. So excited when it came out. And when I heard Misdirection, I was like, wait, what is this? Yeah, it's John Clint and you. I'm trying to figure out who's singing, and then LJ comes in kind of. Morgan's in there too. He is Morgan's in there. Wow. Uh just really, really incredible. It takes you on a ride. The record takes you on this great journey. Yes, thank you very much. I we uh without even knowing that was gonna happen, it happened. Because I don't listen to the album after we do it. And then listening to the sequence of the album, I was like, this really tells a story, man. Like uh again, congratulations. I'm always grateful to catch up with you. We'll see you out on the road, my friend. I can't wait to see you. Let's make sure we hang out. I would love to see you. Thank you so much, my friend. Love you. Be well. Hey, good luck with the birds. Don't forget to like this podcast and subscribe to the car stereo page on Spotify, Apple, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Rob Moorhead, TC, and I will see you next time.