What's Next For Sevendust?

Wed 30th Nov, 2005 in Features

With a busy schedule that involved recording their fifth album, Next, and embarking on tours with the likes of Creed and Hatebreed, Sevendust’s new guitarist, Sonny Mayo takes a short break from their year-long, non-stop touring of the US before heading out on the road again with Sevendust to bring in the year supporting Mudvayne.

Even though it’s only been less than a year since joining the band, he could already be considered a fully fledged member of Sevendust. Today Mayo, the only member of the band that doesn’t live in Atlanta, Georgia, and the only band member who is not a father, relaxes in his beachside home in Santa Monica, California. Despite not having any children, Mayo still gets to play the paternal role with his crossbreed-dalmatian, Buckley. Mayo admits to being a big animal lover, and the one thing he has done repeatedly throughout the years (in addition to being in different bands), was work as a veterinary technician, right up until the time he joined Sevendust in January 2005.

Mayo seems comfortable as part of Sevendust, not only because of his experience in other various hard-rock bands, including Amen, Hed(pe) and Snot, but because he has maintained a close friendship with the Sevendust guys since 1996. When Scott Lowery (ex-Sevendust guitarist/co-founder) quit the band, there was no doubt for both Sevendust to choose Mayo, and for Mayo to accept the offer. “It’s been incredible, for me I kind of have the stock answer to when people ask me how it’s going with Sevendust, and I can tell you from the bottom of my heart that this is exactly where I want to be.” He gushes, “It’s been wonderful. I got to record an album with them, I got to contribute on the album writing, and got to tour with them, and I’m really looking forward to continuing it.”

And what’s your non-’stock’ answer, I ask.

He laughs, “I think we’ve just withered it down to the most simple answer which is, I’m happy where I am. I’ve been in a lot of different bands, and I’ve had a lot of different experiences, and this one for me is the most gratifying, it’s the band that’s most like ‘a band’.” He clarifies, “I mean, it’s five guys – it’s not just like one dude who’s writing everything and all the rest of the guys are just playing his shit. It’s like, five band members all going for the same thing, and I love that.”

The creative involvement that Mayo seeks in a band may be attributed to the fact that prior to joining Sevendust, Mayo auditioned for NIN, a band that, unlike Sevendust, is known to solely be the brainchild of Trent Reznor.”Just before November of last year, I audition for NIN. And all through the holidays I was sitting there thinking, I wonder if they’re going to call me back after the New Year? You know, what’s going on?” He continues “And the call, which I actually received, was from Sevendust. And I can tell you honestly, with no reluctance, that I am much happier here than if I was in NIN. I love NIN, and Trent Reznor’s music, but in this case, I’m a band member. I’m in this band and I’m a contributing member, so I really got the best opportunity that I possibly could have gotten.”

So it was serendipitous…”I’ll tell you what, the day that I kind of put it out there, the day that I kind of asked my ‘higher power’ or whatever you want to call it, to let go of this obsessive thought of being in NIN, that was the day that Morgan (drummer, Morgan Rose) called me…” He describes, “I asked that day to be relieved of the obsessive thought that I should be in NIN or that they should call me. And that day I had a great day at work, and that night, Morgan called me up, and he said, Sonny, I don’t know what you’re doing, but I hope it’s nothing because we want you to join Sevendust! -Serendipity, or whatever you call it, that’s the beauty of life.”

Those fateful turn of events led to Mayo having to quickly embrace becoming a part of a new band. In less than a year he has already won over many critics and faithful fans dispelling any hesitations about him making the right decision to be in the band. “I can’t tell you how nice it’s been for me, for Sevendust fans who have been fans for years and years, walk up to me and say, Sonny, welcome to Sevendust.” He describes, “I’ve seen over the past few months on certain websites people who have been sceptical, but the same people go, I thought it would be weird but it’s not, it’s all good, so that’s nice to see.” In August this year, their fifth album Next was released and not only was it warmly received, Mayo’s favourite track on the album, Pieces, also appeared on the soundtrack to Saw 2.

When Next was recorded, it was at a time when Sevendust departed from their previous label and was still looking for a new label to take them on. This short hiatus from label heads gave the band the opportunity to self-produce and self-engineer the album. Therefore they were able to, and had to, exercise more creative control than they ever had on any of their previous albums, allowing them to trust their own creative judgment, without having to worry about the opinions of their label or producers. It was only after they recorded the entire album that they were picked up by their new label, an unconventional process, which proved to be successful in this case. “Sevendust is a band that writes about what’s inside us and what’s around us. We’ve continued on through all the trials and tribulations, and we’re still here. I know a lot of bands that have had more success than Sevendust, as far as record sales and stuff like that, but these bands have imploded on themselves for lack of unity and lack of perseverance.” he says. “So I guess if there is any message on this album, it would be, that when things seem like they’re falling apart, they’re probably just falling into place.”