In this interview, I was able to catch up with Shawn Walker-drummer for the U.S. based band 'Seventh Servant' to ask him a few questions about their album "The Tree Of Life".
(Jacob) It's so good to finally be having this interview with your band:
(Shawn) Thank you for having me! It is a pleasure to be with you!
(Jacob) So, can you give us some insight into what got you involved in the music industry and what is the ultimate purpose of the band?
(Shawn) Well pretty much as a teenager, I realized that I loved heavy metal and wanted to play drums like Lars. I got my first drum set 20 years ago when I was 16 and played a lot of Metallica covers. Then I found a band around age 21 called Beyond Bethel. We were metalcore and it really pushed me to get better. After a few years, half of the band moved away to a different state. John the lead singer of Seventh Servant kept asking me to come jam with them. Around the end of 2016 we jammed for the first time. The ultimate purpose of Seventh Servant was to create this album that is based on the words of Revelation from the Bible. John said he had been led to get back into music and this is what God wanted him to do.
(Jacob) Who was the founding member(s) and when did the band officially form?
(Shawn) John was the founding member. From my understanding he started writing the album around 2006. Shortly thereafter Ginger joined him on bass and helped him write. They started doing some pre-production recordings prior to me joining in 2016. We started the album recordings probably in early 2017.
(Jacob) What brand of instruments do you all use and why do you prefer that specific brand over another? (Shawn) I have a 5-piece Tama Rockstar kit and a 9-piece Pearl Export kit. I prefer the Tamas. My personal preference is that the older Rockstar Birch kits just sound so amazing without a ton of tuning over the Pearls poplar shells. The Pearls all black hardware do look super cool though!
(Jacob) Do you all have any hobbies outside of music that help to rejuvenate or inspire creativity within your music?
(Shawn) I have a ton of hobbies. I love sports, singing, and video games. I wish I had time for all of them. I don't know that they contribute to creativity, but anytime I don't get to play drums for a while it makes me remember how much of a part of me that drumming is.
(Jacob) Are there any artists that have played a part in influencing the members of your band along with your band's sound?
(Shawn) I could talk drummers for days haha. Joey Jordison, Matt McDonough, and Raymond Herrera are probably my biggest style influences. SO many have blown my mind and inspired me throughout the years though. Andols Herrick, Chad Sexton, Lars, Dave Lombardo, Alex Bent, etc... guys like that have pushed me and inspired me to love the instrument.
(Jacob) What is the biggest problem that you have had to overcome as a band?
(Shawn) TIME! We all have full time jobs, families, and homes. Time is the hardest thing for us to come by as a band.
(Jacob) Can you go into some detail about the musical direction on your latest release "The Tree of Life"? (Shawn) John sang for Iced Earth in the 90's and has a very Power/Thrash Metal style voice. Him being the predominant songwriter definitely leans the sound that direction. Also with the lyrics being from such a profound and mysterious book of the Bible paired along with that style of music, it really makes it a very large and epic sounding album. I think Ginger's bass playing and my style drumming add a bit more flavor than a typical "Thrash" album would sound as well.
(Jacob) Do you feel like you achieved what you set out to accomplish on your latest project?
(Shawn) Absolutely! My goal when I met John and heard his vision of the album was to help him accomplish the dream and get the album finished. It exceeded all of the expectations that I had envisioned. MiAH Lajeunesse from the Sound Lair studio did a phenomenal job. The years and hours that he, John, and Ginger spent on this album really show in the final production. I can't say enough about MiAH as a producer, engineer, and musician.
(Jacob) What is your favorite song to perform, whether live or in studio, and why?
(Shawn) Probably Forevermore. Although it is an exhausting song to play, I feel like it fully encompassed my style of drumming into John's style of metal.
(Jacob) Were there any special or funny moments during the recording process of the album?
(Shawn) John would like to make changes on the spot in studio which I would fight him tooth and nail on. When we recorded "Forevermore" he kept talking about doing a tribal type beat at the beginning. I pretty much improvised the beginning on the spot and loved it ever since. They spent a lot more time in the studio than me so I'm sure they have tons of stories.
(Jacob) At this time, are you planning to keep moving forward as a band and are there any plans for future projects in the works?
(Shawn) Yes definitely! We want to bring 'The Tree of Life' to people live and start working on new material soon!
(Jacob) Thank you for your time and thoughtful responses to each and every question. I am excited about your latest release and am looking forward to hearing more from the band in the future.
(Shawn) "Thank you so much for opportunity to talk with you and keep rocking!"
(Jacob) It's so good to finally be having this interview with your band:
(Shawn) Thank you for having me! It is a pleasure to be with you!
(Jacob) So, can you give us some insight into what got you involved in the music industry and what is the ultimate purpose of the band?
(Shawn) Well pretty much as a teenager, I realized that I loved heavy metal and wanted to play drums like Lars. I got my first drum set 20 years ago when I was 16 and played a lot of Metallica covers. Then I found a band around age 21 called Beyond Bethel. We were metalcore and it really pushed me to get better. After a few years, half of the band moved away to a different state. John the lead singer of Seventh Servant kept asking me to come jam with them. Around the end of 2016 we jammed for the first time. The ultimate purpose of Seventh Servant was to create this album that is based on the words of Revelation from the Bible. John said he had been led to get back into music and this is what God wanted him to do.
(Jacob) Who was the founding member(s) and when did the band officially form?
(Shawn) John was the founding member. From my understanding he started writing the album around 2006. Shortly thereafter Ginger joined him on bass and helped him write. They started doing some pre-production recordings prior to me joining in 2016. We started the album recordings probably in early 2017.
(Jacob) What brand of instruments do you all use and why do you prefer that specific brand over another? (Shawn) I have a 5-piece Tama Rockstar kit and a 9-piece Pearl Export kit. I prefer the Tamas. My personal preference is that the older Rockstar Birch kits just sound so amazing without a ton of tuning over the Pearls poplar shells. The Pearls all black hardware do look super cool though!
(Jacob) Do you all have any hobbies outside of music that help to rejuvenate or inspire creativity within your music?
(Shawn) I have a ton of hobbies. I love sports, singing, and video games. I wish I had time for all of them. I don't know that they contribute to creativity, but anytime I don't get to play drums for a while it makes me remember how much of a part of me that drumming is.
(Jacob) Are there any artists that have played a part in influencing the members of your band along with your band's sound?
(Shawn) I could talk drummers for days haha. Joey Jordison, Matt McDonough, and Raymond Herrera are probably my biggest style influences. SO many have blown my mind and inspired me throughout the years though. Andols Herrick, Chad Sexton, Lars, Dave Lombardo, Alex Bent, etc... guys like that have pushed me and inspired me to love the instrument.
(Jacob) What is the biggest problem that you have had to overcome as a band?
(Shawn) TIME! We all have full time jobs, families, and homes. Time is the hardest thing for us to come by as a band.
(Jacob) Can you go into some detail about the musical direction on your latest release "The Tree of Life"? (Shawn) John sang for Iced Earth in the 90's and has a very Power/Thrash Metal style voice. Him being the predominant songwriter definitely leans the sound that direction. Also with the lyrics being from such a profound and mysterious book of the Bible paired along with that style of music, it really makes it a very large and epic sounding album. I think Ginger's bass playing and my style drumming add a bit more flavor than a typical "Thrash" album would sound as well.
(Jacob) Do you feel like you achieved what you set out to accomplish on your latest project?
(Shawn) Absolutely! My goal when I met John and heard his vision of the album was to help him accomplish the dream and get the album finished. It exceeded all of the expectations that I had envisioned. MiAH Lajeunesse from the Sound Lair studio did a phenomenal job. The years and hours that he, John, and Ginger spent on this album really show in the final production. I can't say enough about MiAH as a producer, engineer, and musician.
(Jacob) What is your favorite song to perform, whether live or in studio, and why?
(Shawn) Probably Forevermore. Although it is an exhausting song to play, I feel like it fully encompassed my style of drumming into John's style of metal.
(Jacob) Were there any special or funny moments during the recording process of the album?
(Shawn) John would like to make changes on the spot in studio which I would fight him tooth and nail on. When we recorded "Forevermore" he kept talking about doing a tribal type beat at the beginning. I pretty much improvised the beginning on the spot and loved it ever since. They spent a lot more time in the studio than me so I'm sure they have tons of stories.
(Jacob) At this time, are you planning to keep moving forward as a band and are there any plans for future projects in the works?
(Shawn) Yes definitely! We want to bring 'The Tree of Life' to people live and start working on new material soon!
(Jacob) Thank you for your time and thoughtful responses to each and every question. I am excited about your latest release and am looking forward to hearing more from the band in the future.
(Shawn) "Thank you so much for opportunity to talk with you and keep rocking!"
