Making music in grandma’s bedroom?! This week’s guest on Discover New Music is family to JJO, the incomparable Lajon Witherspoon of Sevendust. Discussing the band’s 14th studio album “Truth Killer” and almost 30 years of Sevendust, Lajon recalls how the band reclaimed some innocence while making this new record, as well as making some of their heaviest tracks to date. Plus, he talks about wrangling a calf, if Rumble Fish or Crawlspace was a better name and plays a round of Rapid Fire!
bio: Sevendust never follow a linear path. Instead, they continue to bulldoze a lane of their own with a proven one-two punch of rumbling grooves, unpredictable riffing, and stirringly soulful vocals unlike anything else in hard rock. As a result, their music connects straight to the heart as evidenced by their full-contact live shows and diehard “family” of fans. It’s why they’ve been around since 1994, tallied global sales of seven million, logged three gold-selling albums, delivered three Top 15 debuts on the Billboard 200, and garnered a GRAMMY® Award nomination in the category of “Best Metal Performance.” 2021 saw them deliver one of the most-acclaimed albums of their career – their thirteenth studio masterpiece – Blood & Stone, which Metal Hammer christened “Sevendust’s best work in years.” However, the Atlanta quintet—Lajon Witherspoon [lead vocals], Clint Lowery [lead guitar, backing vocals], John Connolly [rhythm guitar, backing vocals], Vince Hornsby [bass], and Morgan Rose [drums]—defy expectations yet again on their fourteenth full-length and debut for Napalm Records, Truth Killer, produced by Michael “Elvis” Baskette [Alter Bridge, Trivium, Slash]. Ultimately, Truth Killer reaffirms there’s only one Sevendust—and they’re here forever.