I love music so naturally getting to know members of the bands gives me a huge high. Sometimes I get lucky enough to interview them and it gives me a better understanding of who they are and why they have chosen music as their path. Seasons After was formed in Wichita, KS in 2006. The band is comprised of Chris Dawson (rhythm guitar), Tony Housh (vocals), Jim Beattie (Lead guitar), Jessie Saint (bass), and Tim Rails (drums). Their debut album “Through Tomorrow” was released independently in 2008. “Cry Little Sister” made it to the Billboard Charts in 2010, after the band signed a label partnership. That year, the band lead vocalist, Chris Shlichting, left the band. He was replaced by current vocalist, Tony Housh but soon after, the band found itself in a dispute with the label they’d recently signed with. It was a lengthy process getting to where they are now, but in 2014m they are finally out from under the label that seemingly held them down, and they are back, ready to fight for their rightful place in the industry. Seasons After fans are loyal but a band and its’ popularity can suffer when they are out of the public eye for a while so they are eager to put all the bullshit behind them and prove they have not lost their momentum or their passion. Their new album “Calamity Scars and Memoirs” was released September 26, 2014 and is already paving its’ way to excellence. This band has a lot of heart and motivation. They know where they want to be musically and are going to do what it takes to get there. Check em’ out. They don’t disappoint.
Interview with Chris Dawson of Seasons After
By: Leslie Elder Rogers
Metal Exiles: After everything that has happened to Seasons After, did you think that this day with the release of CALAMITY SCARS AND MEMOIRS would ever come?
Dawson: It was always a hope and a dream. We worked so hard to get it here. There were several times where we all thought it wasn’t going to happen. Every time we got so far it just got pushed back a little farther but we stayed on course. We are very persistent and we did everything we could possibly do on every aspect and the first of this year things just really started to play in our favor. We took advantage of it and just kept pushing and pushing and finally got to the position where we were able to release the record without going into legal details of everything that we had to go through. It was definitely a struggle. It’s kind of a testament to the guys in this band, whet they’ll go through to get this record done and get our music out there.
Metal Exiles: You guys were riding so high with everything going for you, were you shocked with everything that happened?
Dawson: It was definitely a shocker for us. It’s a hard thing to go through when you are as passionate about what you do as we all are. Knowing that things are going well and you’re starting to carve a path for yourself and then all of a sudden you fall off the edge or whatever. There was nothing we could really do about it. We just had to try to get back to where we were on our own. Yeah, it hurt for sure but it wasn’t gonna stop us.
Metal Exiles: What was the spark that got the band back on the right track?
Dawson: Well, that’s a tough question. We actually never really stopped behind the scenes. We are very close friends. Even when we had to announce kind of a hiatus, we really just never stopped. We were getting together constantly to write music. We did let it really phase us. We knew that from the public aspect we had to go away while we worked out our issues legally but behind the scenes we just didn’t stop. We wrote the record. We wrote 40-50 songs and continued to build up what we were gonna be doing once we were able to release the record so that way we didn’t really lose any momentum and when we came out we’d be able to come out strong. The actual spark was basically just getting the news that we were able to finally release the record and then we just went in high gear. We could release the record as of January 31 so it was like “Great, let’s go in, let’s get it recorded, let’s do all the stuff we gotta do and get it out there as quickly as we can”. We were definitely waiting for that day to happen.
Metal Exiles: You said you wrote 40-50 songs. How hard was it to narrow down the songs you wanted on this album?
Dawson: That was probably what took the longest time. There were a lot of songs and everybody had different songs that they all liked. When it came down to it, everybody kind of sat back and selected all their songs, and it was kind of unanimous between 10 or 11 songs that were on there. At that point it was just about how many songs we were going to put on the record and which ones are they gonna be for sure. It took a while but it wasn’t too difficult and fortunately the theme for the record and everything that we went through, the songs that we selected all really kind of played a part and told a little bit of the story of what we were going through at the time. It actually worked out really well for us; the songs selected and the title of the album, everything that we went through was very well themed.
Metal Exiles: Tony Housh is a great singer and delivers the material extremely well. Where did you find him and what does he add to the band?
Dawson: The story with him is actually really crazy. When I formed Seasons After, at the very beginning of everything, he is the very first guy I called. I’ve known him for years. When we were in bands before Seasons After, he was a front man for a band out of Texas that I loved. So when we were forming Seasons After, he’s the first guy that I called. I told him he had to come and sing for this band. He was actually working in another band and couldn’t do it. It was what it was. So we continued with the singer for Seasons After that we had on the first record and then we ended up parting ways and I immediately called Tony again. I said “dude, you have to come do this project”. He said he really liked our stuff and he really liked us so he’d give it a try. He came out and filled in singing on tour and we immediately went off the road and started writing for the next record and that’s kind of when things went a little south for us. He just brings everything to life. I think he’s such a dynamic singer and he’s got such great conviction and passion when he sings. He’s able to portray very soft emotion up to intense rage, 0-60 in a second. His lyric content is very thought out. I just love him. I love him as a person. He’s one of my best friends in the world. This band is very tight. We’re like brothers and I couldn’t imagine anybody else being here doing it. Getting this record out was so good for all of us because there was a little bit of an awkwardness when he joined the band. We just wanted to finish up all these tours and put out a record. We wrote all these songs and we spent a year working on some material and then we had to take that hiatus and we thought “man, we’ve all worked so hard and we never got him on a record to actually release it.” Then over these last couple of years of trying to get this out, the day that it came out and we were able to release a song, it was quite the celebration for us to know with that all that hard work, he was finally on a release with the band. It was finally out there and it was definitely a great day for all of us.
Metal Exiles: My Last Words has gotten a massive reaction as the first single. Where did that track come from and what does it mean to the band?
Dawson: When it comes to the songs and stuff I think they’re very internal for Tony and what he was going through and feeling. He’s said it in a post on Revolver a while back when we’d just done the release, that it was a song about the struggle he went through for his love and passion for music and creating music and how that sometimes affects the people around you that you love negatively. You dive so deep into this rabbit hole of creating and what it takes to put this stuff out there and I think he was in a place where he felt like what he was going through made him very toxic as a person, the trials and the struggle to get it out there and there was nothing he could do about it. That’s just how it was for him. I think that song just encompasses his story and how he felt through that time. He wanted her to know that he truly did love her but right then he was dangerous, he was toxic, he was in a weird place.
Metal Exiles: The album is dark in places. Were all of the issues you guys went through a great drawing board to pull from?
Dawson: Yes, unfortunately you write so much from the heart that there’s no cheesing. No “this sounds cool so let’s do this”. There’s none of that. It’s just very emotional and the lyrics just come from the heart. The whole album was written in a pretty dark time for us and so it is literally about the struggle, not only with the band, but just like in the song “My Last Words”, and what the struggle did to the people around us. Our close knit family had to suffer right along with us so yes, the entire record is pretty much based on everything that we went through.
Metal Exiles: Considering the reaction, did you ever feel that the fans would have forgotten you after such a hiatus and are you shocked they have gotten right back on board?
Dawson: Another great question. We didn’t know what to expect. It was definitely something that we chatted about; how were we gonna be received coming back but we knew there were a lot of hard core, long term fans that would have us right back. We didn’t know if we’d be able to pick up right where we left off. We were pretty sure that there was going to be some building for us to do to get back to where we were. Fortunately, right out of the gate, the support that we had was so overwhelming from not only fans but from the industry people. When you’re in a band and you’re starting to break out, there are a lot of industry people that you work with on a regular basis; managers, booking, radio, and promoters and all that kind of stuff. They really help put you in the scene. You’ve got to book shows and you’ve got to book tours. You’ve got to do interviews with people, like yourself, and fortunately everybody has had opens arms. They want to know what happened. They want to chat. They’re glad to have us back. It’s been overwhelming and it’s something that we’re very happy with, being welcomed back so well.
Metal Exiles: Wake Me is another stand out track, where did that come from?
Dawson: Wake Me was another song about not understanding how you can get yourself into a situation that you have no control over. It’s like you’re living in a nightmare. Sometimes you just want to give up. It’s hard to keep fighting when there’s no light at the end of the tunnel sometimes. It’s very difficult when there’s no end in sight. I think it was at a time when we didn’t know if we could keep fighting the fight, I guess is a good way to say it and that song reflects that. The pre-chorus and chorus say it best “I’m dying in this nightmare. Wake me when it’s over”.
Metal Exiles: Weathered And Worn would be an amazing single for radio. What are your thoughts on the feel of this track and where did it come from?
Dawson: That’s my favorite song on the record. It’s the whole bands’ favorite song. It touches everybody a little bit differently. We’ve all talked about it and nobody has the same answer about why it’s their favorite. Again, it’s about the struggle and not always knowing what’s going to happen. It’s a little about reassurance, for me, personally when I hear that song. It’s like no matter what’s going on, whether you think the worst is happening or whatever and you’re fighting and struggling and trying to achieve something that’s bigger than yourself and you don’t know if you can do it; you feel defeated sometimes, for some reason that song just makes me feel ok. Like no matter what’s going on, things are ok, I’m alive, I’m healthy, I’m playing music. I might not be where I want to be today, but I can get there. I just gotta keep working for it and that song just eases my spirit a bit.
Metal Exiles: So with that said, do you think that might be the next single that is released from the album?
Dawson: Well that’s the greatest thing about what we’re doing this time. We learned some valuable lessons the last time around. This time we are gonna do everything ourselves. We recorded that album ourselves. We produced it ourselves. We do everything in house, all of our heart, all of our video stuff. We are a self-sufficient team. We’ve worked on it the last few years to get to a point where we could be independent and really make the things happen that we want to happen in the way that we want them to happen. “Weathered and Worn” is definitely a song that we are going to be putting out there to represent the band and the message that we want to put out there. When we will do that, I’m not quite sure. We’ve got some plans that we’re gonna start rolling out. “My Last Words” is not even officially a single. It’s a song that we’re putting out there to get a little bit of organic growth and to let people know that we’re back. I think a lot of people liked the heavier side of Seasons After. We had that first record that was a little bit heavier so we wanted to put that out there and let the fans know that we’re here, we’re still heavy. We’re just leading with that track, getting it out there and letting people soak it in. Hopefully we’ll gather them back onto our team. Probably toward the end of the year or first of next year we’re gonna push out what our team decides is going to be the first single on the record. Our vote is for “Weathered and Worn” for sure so it’ll go out there; we’re just not sure of the time.
Metal Exiles: Now that the album has dropped and there is a lot of hype, what is next for the band and are there any festivals planned?
Dawson: We’re gonna be doing a lot of independent headlining stuff at first, just to get our feet wet and back into things, so we can build up some of the market and reintroduce ourselves into some of the markets where we left off. If some opportunities arise to go on some festival stuff, radio opportunities, or other tours with support acts or us supporting another artist, yeah, if those opportunities arise then of course, we’d love to do them but right now, we’re so focused on getting our stuff together. We’re gonna do a bunch of headlining stuff and really work on ourselves and getting our feet back under us and build ourselves back up the way we want to do it. We’re just gonna keep pushing this to everyone as far as it can go. We’re very driven to get this out there. We’re gonna play everywhere we can plan and we’re gonna show this record to everyone that we can show it to. Hopefully we’ll get involved in a little bit of radio soon and that’s it, just keep pushing it out there as far as we can. We’ve been waiting for a few years to get this out and let the world hear it and that’s the goal. It’s a lot of work but that is the goal. We’re trying to put the past behind us and shine the light on what we’re doing now.
Band website: http://seasonsafter.com/
Buy the album @ https://itunes.apple.com/la/album/calamity-scars-memoirs/id919953126
Follow on Facebook @
https://www.facebook.com/seasonsafternation
Follow on twitter @
https://twitter.com/SeasonsAfter
Interview with Chris Dawson of Seasons After
By: Leslie Elder Rogers
Metal Exiles: After everything that has happened to Seasons After, did you think that this day with the release of CALAMITY SCARS AND MEMOIRS would ever come?
Dawson: It was always a hope and a dream. We worked so hard to get it here. There were several times where we all thought it wasn’t going to happen. Every time we got so far it just got pushed back a little farther but we stayed on course. We are very persistent and we did everything we could possibly do on every aspect and the first of this year things just really started to play in our favor. We took advantage of it and just kept pushing and pushing and finally got to the position where we were able to release the record without going into legal details of everything that we had to go through. It was definitely a struggle. It’s kind of a testament to the guys in this band, whet they’ll go through to get this record done and get our music out there.
Metal Exiles: You guys were riding so high with everything going for you, were you shocked with everything that happened?
Dawson: It was definitely a shocker for us. It’s a hard thing to go through when you are as passionate about what you do as we all are. Knowing that things are going well and you’re starting to carve a path for yourself and then all of a sudden you fall off the edge or whatever. There was nothing we could really do about it. We just had to try to get back to where we were on our own. Yeah, it hurt for sure but it wasn’t gonna stop us.
Metal Exiles: What was the spark that got the band back on the right track?
Dawson: Well, that’s a tough question. We actually never really stopped behind the scenes. We are very close friends. Even when we had to announce kind of a hiatus, we really just never stopped. We were getting together constantly to write music. We did let it really phase us. We knew that from the public aspect we had to go away while we worked out our issues legally but behind the scenes we just didn’t stop. We wrote the record. We wrote 40-50 songs and continued to build up what we were gonna be doing once we were able to release the record so that way we didn’t really lose any momentum and when we came out we’d be able to come out strong. The actual spark was basically just getting the news that we were able to finally release the record and then we just went in high gear. We could release the record as of January 31 so it was like “Great, let’s go in, let’s get it recorded, let’s do all the stuff we gotta do and get it out there as quickly as we can”. We were definitely waiting for that day to happen.
Metal Exiles: You said you wrote 40-50 songs. How hard was it to narrow down the songs you wanted on this album?
Dawson: That was probably what took the longest time. There were a lot of songs and everybody had different songs that they all liked. When it came down to it, everybody kind of sat back and selected all their songs, and it was kind of unanimous between 10 or 11 songs that were on there. At that point it was just about how many songs we were going to put on the record and which ones are they gonna be for sure. It took a while but it wasn’t too difficult and fortunately the theme for the record and everything that we went through, the songs that we selected all really kind of played a part and told a little bit of the story of what we were going through at the time. It actually worked out really well for us; the songs selected and the title of the album, everything that we went through was very well themed.
Metal Exiles: Tony Housh is a great singer and delivers the material extremely well. Where did you find him and what does he add to the band?
Dawson: The story with him is actually really crazy. When I formed Seasons After, at the very beginning of everything, he is the very first guy I called. I’ve known him for years. When we were in bands before Seasons After, he was a front man for a band out of Texas that I loved. So when we were forming Seasons After, he’s the first guy that I called. I told him he had to come and sing for this band. He was actually working in another band and couldn’t do it. It was what it was. So we continued with the singer for Seasons After that we had on the first record and then we ended up parting ways and I immediately called Tony again. I said “dude, you have to come do this project”. He said he really liked our stuff and he really liked us so he’d give it a try. He came out and filled in singing on tour and we immediately went off the road and started writing for the next record and that’s kind of when things went a little south for us. He just brings everything to life. I think he’s such a dynamic singer and he’s got such great conviction and passion when he sings. He’s able to portray very soft emotion up to intense rage, 0-60 in a second. His lyric content is very thought out. I just love him. I love him as a person. He’s one of my best friends in the world. This band is very tight. We’re like brothers and I couldn’t imagine anybody else being here doing it. Getting this record out was so good for all of us because there was a little bit of an awkwardness when he joined the band. We just wanted to finish up all these tours and put out a record. We wrote all these songs and we spent a year working on some material and then we had to take that hiatus and we thought “man, we’ve all worked so hard and we never got him on a record to actually release it.” Then over these last couple of years of trying to get this out, the day that it came out and we were able to release a song, it was quite the celebration for us to know with that all that hard work, he was finally on a release with the band. It was finally out there and it was definitely a great day for all of us.
Metal Exiles: My Last Words has gotten a massive reaction as the first single. Where did that track come from and what does it mean to the band?
Dawson: When it comes to the songs and stuff I think they’re very internal for Tony and what he was going through and feeling. He’s said it in a post on Revolver a while back when we’d just done the release, that it was a song about the struggle he went through for his love and passion for music and creating music and how that sometimes affects the people around you that you love negatively. You dive so deep into this rabbit hole of creating and what it takes to put this stuff out there and I think he was in a place where he felt like what he was going through made him very toxic as a person, the trials and the struggle to get it out there and there was nothing he could do about it. That’s just how it was for him. I think that song just encompasses his story and how he felt through that time. He wanted her to know that he truly did love her but right then he was dangerous, he was toxic, he was in a weird place.
Metal Exiles: The album is dark in places. Were all of the issues you guys went through a great drawing board to pull from?
Dawson: Yes, unfortunately you write so much from the heart that there’s no cheesing. No “this sounds cool so let’s do this”. There’s none of that. It’s just very emotional and the lyrics just come from the heart. The whole album was written in a pretty dark time for us and so it is literally about the struggle, not only with the band, but just like in the song “My Last Words”, and what the struggle did to the people around us. Our close knit family had to suffer right along with us so yes, the entire record is pretty much based on everything that we went through.
Metal Exiles: Considering the reaction, did you ever feel that the fans would have forgotten you after such a hiatus and are you shocked they have gotten right back on board?
Dawson: Another great question. We didn’t know what to expect. It was definitely something that we chatted about; how were we gonna be received coming back but we knew there were a lot of hard core, long term fans that would have us right back. We didn’t know if we’d be able to pick up right where we left off. We were pretty sure that there was going to be some building for us to do to get back to where we were. Fortunately, right out of the gate, the support that we had was so overwhelming from not only fans but from the industry people. When you’re in a band and you’re starting to break out, there are a lot of industry people that you work with on a regular basis; managers, booking, radio, and promoters and all that kind of stuff. They really help put you in the scene. You’ve got to book shows and you’ve got to book tours. You’ve got to do interviews with people, like yourself, and fortunately everybody has had opens arms. They want to know what happened. They want to chat. They’re glad to have us back. It’s been overwhelming and it’s something that we’re very happy with, being welcomed back so well.
Metal Exiles: Wake Me is another stand out track, where did that come from?
Dawson: Wake Me was another song about not understanding how you can get yourself into a situation that you have no control over. It’s like you’re living in a nightmare. Sometimes you just want to give up. It’s hard to keep fighting when there’s no light at the end of the tunnel sometimes. It’s very difficult when there’s no end in sight. I think it was at a time when we didn’t know if we could keep fighting the fight, I guess is a good way to say it and that song reflects that. The pre-chorus and chorus say it best “I’m dying in this nightmare. Wake me when it’s over”.
Metal Exiles: Weathered And Worn would be an amazing single for radio. What are your thoughts on the feel of this track and where did it come from?
Dawson: That’s my favorite song on the record. It’s the whole bands’ favorite song. It touches everybody a little bit differently. We’ve all talked about it and nobody has the same answer about why it’s their favorite. Again, it’s about the struggle and not always knowing what’s going to happen. It’s a little about reassurance, for me, personally when I hear that song. It’s like no matter what’s going on, whether you think the worst is happening or whatever and you’re fighting and struggling and trying to achieve something that’s bigger than yourself and you don’t know if you can do it; you feel defeated sometimes, for some reason that song just makes me feel ok. Like no matter what’s going on, things are ok, I’m alive, I’m healthy, I’m playing music. I might not be where I want to be today, but I can get there. I just gotta keep working for it and that song just eases my spirit a bit.
Metal Exiles: So with that said, do you think that might be the next single that is released from the album?
Dawson: Well that’s the greatest thing about what we’re doing this time. We learned some valuable lessons the last time around. This time we are gonna do everything ourselves. We recorded that album ourselves. We produced it ourselves. We do everything in house, all of our heart, all of our video stuff. We are a self-sufficient team. We’ve worked on it the last few years to get to a point where we could be independent and really make the things happen that we want to happen in the way that we want them to happen. “Weathered and Worn” is definitely a song that we are going to be putting out there to represent the band and the message that we want to put out there. When we will do that, I’m not quite sure. We’ve got some plans that we’re gonna start rolling out. “My Last Words” is not even officially a single. It’s a song that we’re putting out there to get a little bit of organic growth and to let people know that we’re back. I think a lot of people liked the heavier side of Seasons After. We had that first record that was a little bit heavier so we wanted to put that out there and let the fans know that we’re here, we’re still heavy. We’re just leading with that track, getting it out there and letting people soak it in. Hopefully we’ll gather them back onto our team. Probably toward the end of the year or first of next year we’re gonna push out what our team decides is going to be the first single on the record. Our vote is for “Weathered and Worn” for sure so it’ll go out there; we’re just not sure of the time.
Metal Exiles: Now that the album has dropped and there is a lot of hype, what is next for the band and are there any festivals planned?
Dawson: We’re gonna be doing a lot of independent headlining stuff at first, just to get our feet wet and back into things, so we can build up some of the market and reintroduce ourselves into some of the markets where we left off. If some opportunities arise to go on some festival stuff, radio opportunities, or other tours with support acts or us supporting another artist, yeah, if those opportunities arise then of course, we’d love to do them but right now, we’re so focused on getting our stuff together. We’re gonna do a bunch of headlining stuff and really work on ourselves and getting our feet back under us and build ourselves back up the way we want to do it. We’re just gonna keep pushing this to everyone as far as it can go. We’re very driven to get this out there. We’re gonna play everywhere we can plan and we’re gonna show this record to everyone that we can show it to. Hopefully we’ll get involved in a little bit of radio soon and that’s it, just keep pushing it out there as far as we can. We’ve been waiting for a few years to get this out and let the world hear it and that’s the goal. It’s a lot of work but that is the goal. We’re trying to put the past behind us and shine the light on what we’re doing now.
Band website: http://seasonsafter.com/
Buy the album @ https://itunes.apple.com/la/album/calamity-scars-memoirs/id919953126
Follow on Facebook @
https://www.facebook.com/seasonsafternation
Follow on twitter @
https://twitter.com/SeasonsAfter
