Clint Lowery

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by Deb Rao
Staff Writer

SEVENDUST has just released one of their most anticipated, passionate, and personal albums of the year, Cold Day Memory. The Atlanta, Georgia rock band is currently on tour in support of their latest release and looking forward to performing at one of the biggest U.S. Festivals this Summer, Rock On The Range on May 22. To add to all of the excitement of this whirlwind year, Sevendust will be joining The Carnival Of Madness Tour this summer. Sevendust’s features original lineup – Lajon Witherspoon (vocals), Morgan Rose (drums/vocals), Clint Lowery (guitar/vocals), Vince Hornsby (bass/vocals) and John Connolly (guitar/vocals).

One of the reasons of the success of Sevendust’s latest release Cold Day Memory is due to the return of guitarist Clint Lowery. Clint, who re-joined the band two years ago makes his mark with vocals and with guitar arrangements that are passionate, and spellbinding textured around the melodically aggressive vocals of Lajon Witherspoon, Every song stands on its own personal and up-close inflicting lyrics that everyone can identify with at some point of our lives. From the hauntingly love gone wrong song “Forever Dead” to their new hit single “Unraveling.” Cold Day Memory touches upon every aspect of life. The good, the bad, the trials and tribulations that we endure are all exposed in an album this is well crafted from start to finish. Sevendust return to the scene energized with a sound that is larger than life.

Guitarist Clint Lowery gives us an up close and personal look of his track-by-track account of Cold Day Memory. Clint also discusses the current Sevendust tour, Rock On The Range, and upcoming Carnival of Madness Tour at Hardrock Haven. Clint Lowery of Sevendust on Rock On The Range,”Yes, it is going to be awesome. It is always nice to be part of that thing. That festival has taken on some legs. It is a huge deal. It is probably of the biggest ones in the U.S. right now. It feels good to be part of it, playing there with our piers. To play in that competitive atmosphere is great.”

HRH: Sevendust is currently on tour. I know the band is playing your hometown of Atlanta on Friday. How is the tour going so far?

CLINT: The tour is going good so far. We have been out for a long time so this is just like another day in the office. We are excited on the new record being out and playing new material. So that is good.

HRH: I have heard the new album. It is fantastic. Tell us about the writing process.

CLINT: It usually starts with John and I. We have the seeds of the music. Then we get together and play through it. On this record the guys let me do a lot of the writing. I have been gone for three records. I got involved a lot on the vocals and lyrics and everything. It is always a group effort in the end. It takes all of us to do it. I have a lot of drive on this record. I really wanted to put my two cents in. I had a good time doing it.

HRH: Do you think the band has come full circle now that you returned to the mix?

CLINT: Yes, in a way it made me appreciate the band a lot more. The guys are my brothers. It is our lively hood and we take it real serious.

HRH: What prompted you to return to the band? I know you said you were gone five years and recently returned two years ago to the band.

CLINT: Just the fact that it is family. It was all down to being happy the way you want to live. Those guys I am comfortable with them. They are my family. It was a creative decision that I thought would be the best thing. It was an emotional, personal decision as well.

HRH: The new single is called “Unraveling.” Is there a new video out for the single too?

CLINT: There is a collage of the making of the record. It is just us in the studio. But the video is on MTV 2 or you can watch it on our official website.

HRH: Sevendust is going to be performing at Rock On The Range on May 22. Are you looking forward to performing the new material to the masses at one of the most anticipated festivals of the year?

CLINT: Yes, it is going to be awesome. It is always nice to be part of that thing. That festival has taken on some legs. It is a huge deal. It is probably of the biggest ones in the U.S. right now. It feels good to be part of it, playing there with our piers. To play in that competitive atmosphere is great.

HRH: Also, it was just announced that Sevendust is going out on the road with Shinedown on the Carnival of Madness Tour. Are you looking forward to this tour?

CLINT: Yes, that is going to be awesome.

HRH: How do you think Sevendust has evolved since back in the day?

CLINT: It is just natural things. We get older, we get more experience. We find a shortcut to do things. You kind of have to challenge yourself to get out of your comfort zone. You just grow. Things change. The things that you like change. I think the music kind of reflects that.

HRH: I noticed on this album too that Cold Day Memory is full of melody. How difficult was it to go through all the guitar structure and tones? Did you have anything specifically in mind when writing the album?

CLINT: No, we just kind of wanted to do what was natural to us. That always seemed to work. Sometimes it ends up a little melodic and sometimes it ends up really aggresive. We just wanted to have all of those flavors. Because we can do it. We have a lot of different singers. A lot of different textures that we can add to our music that some bands don’t. We utilized it all.

HRH: Clint, is there anything else that you want to say about the new album?

CLINT: I want to thank everyone for the great response for it. We appreciate every bit of it.

Sevendust Clint Lowery Track By Track of Cold Day Memory

l. “Splinter”- “That is the one we wanted to re-capture our childhood with an Iron Maiden metal type of thing. There was a lot of high energy when we did that. We knew that was going to be the first one on the record.”

2. “Forever Dead”- “Is kind of a dysfunctional kind of love song. Are you going to be stuck with me forever? That is what the topic of it. It is a great love song.”

3. “Unraveling”- I wrote with Dave Bassette. Basically, we wanted to talk about the exposing of either a parent or a authority figure of some kind that is fake and let you down when you rally needed them.

4. “Last Breath” -“Is kind of a last I will to go my grave kind of saying. I will keep trying to get through hard times until I am gone.”

5. “Karma” – “Karma is basically self explanatory. It is about calling yourself out on the things that you do. When you make mistakes you are going to pay for them. When you do good you are going to be rewarded.”

6. “Ride Insane” – “Trying to get lost riding motorcycles.”

7. “Confessions (Without Faith)” – “Confessions is our band’s story. Our situation as brothers and what we go through as a band together.”

8. “Nowhere” – “This is one of the funniest songs we had doing. It is just a song about the way the world is. How we all kind of follow the media and all that stuff like a cattle kind of things.”

9. “Here And Now” – “That is about I am in desperate need of support or help. It is kind of like having run ins waking up the next day after you exerted yourself a lot. You’re just in.”

10. “The End Is Coming” – “It is just the basic truth that the end comes for everyone. No matter what.”

11. “Better Place” -“Is about my personal fight with drugs and alcohol. My years of struggle with that. I thought I would write a song about it.”

12. “Strong Arm Broken” – “That is about an ex or someone you just want to beat the hell of.” (Laughter)

Visit Sevendust on the web: www.myspace.com/sevendust