In a recent conversation with WSOU 89.5 FM radio station, Sevendust frontman Lajon Witherspoon opened up about the band’s association with the nu-metal genre, reflecting on its history and revival.
The era between 1994 and 2004 saw mainstream media labeling a diverse array of artists under the nu-metal genre. Bands like Korn, Deftones, and Slipknot emerged during this time, some distancing themselves from the label in the years that followed. However, Witherspoon expressed an embracing sentiment towards the label:
“All right, so, listen, I don’t know who made that word up. I think it’s amazing that you can just make up a word, and all of a sudden, you have a big following of people that are like, ‘Yeah.’ But I would rather be ‘nu metal’ than ‘old metal.’ So, with that being said, I feel like we were put in that era because we were in it, but it’s fine.”
Drawing a distinction between categorizations and the essence of Sevendust’s music, Witherspoon added:
“I feel like we’re a rock and roll, soulful rock band, metal band, soulful metal band, whatever you wanna call it — I don’t know — nu metal. It’s funny. I don’t mind being in that category because I feel it’s awesome that music is resurging, and we’re not letting a movement get away from us and get so far away that we don’t even like it or listen to it anymore.”
Nu-metal’s rebirth, according to Witherspoon, offers bands a chance to ‘share that energy’ once again:
“I think it’s a beautiful thing that it’s coming back around. These bands have a chance to share that music and that energy, and maybe that’s what we need right now, to have those types of memories back in our lives, to build it back up to that good feeling, and if that’s what it takes, man, I’m behind it.”
Later in the interview, Witherspoon shared an anecdote about being offered a hosting gig for a ‘nu-metal’ show in Texas. While humorous in his initial reaction, questioning the nature of the event and joking about monetary compensation, the frontman remains in support of the movement.
He also fondly recalled Sevendust’s performance at the Sick New World festival in Las Vegas earlier this year. According to the musician, the 13-minute set didn’t diminish the experience for him, and the festival reminded him of the power of the genre.
Meanwhile, Sevendust is getting ready to hit the road with Static-X for a co-headlining Fall 2023 US tour, which will kick off on October 6 in Houston and wrap up on November 1 in Los Angeles. You can get your tickets here.
Below, you can watch the full interview.
