In an interview newly published online over at Metal Hammer, Sevendust vocalist Lajon Witherspoon spoke of his band being “the odd man out” amid the meteoric rise of nü-metal in the late 90s/early 00s. While Sevendust did go on to secure three gold records (“Sevendust“, “Home” and “Animosity“) during that era, they never quite managed to achieve the level of stardom experienced by their peers.
However, in straying a bit from the trends at the time, it could be argued that they also planted the seeds for the career longevity they have enjoyed since. Admittedly, Sevendust‘s more soulful take and southern metal roots did much to differentiate them from their peers at the time.
And while fellow Atlanta-based outfit Stuck Mojo helped to pioneer rap metal/nü-metal in the area, that city wasn’t exactly a hotbed for nü-metal bands that broke out. The likes of Korn, Linkin Park, Deftones, Coal Chamber, Incubus, System Of A Down and more all called California home.
Thus, when asked by the aforementioned publication if he ever felt his band was truly a part of the nü-metal movement, it’s not surprising that Witherspoon was hesitant in his reply. Here’s what he had to say:
“I didn’t necessarily think we were nü-metal. We were just these guys from Georgia that popped up on TVT Records, and all these other cats were hanging out in California.
They had a certain chemistry with each other, and we were kinda like the odd man out and had to prove we could whip ass. So that’s what we did and stayed in our lane. There wasn’t that kind of camaraderie at the beginning, but over the years, we became friends with everyone.”
