Seether not afraid to sing what's on its mind

More than most bands, Seether appreciates a solid cover song.

But don't expect lightning to strike twice on the current tour, which hits the Civic Center May 19. The South African band harbors no illusions of shaking up rock fans like it did last year with "Careless Whisper."

Leading up to Valentine's Day 2009, iTunes contacted the band and asked for a romantic number. Needing a quick turnaround, Seether decided not to write a new ballad but put its touch on a cover.

The suggestion: "Careless Whisper," the treacly 1984 hit by Wham!

"We thought it was kind of funny, because we don't think of Seether as a lovey-dovey band," says chuckling drummer John Humphrey. "But we thought it would be fun to take the song and rock it up."

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Out went the original's saxophones in favor of grinding guitars. And, somehow, it worked, with the surging grunge even more remorseful than George Michael's plaintive wailing. Even more impressive: Seether turned and burned the effort in just one day, during a tour stopover - yet it was good enough to reach No. 63 on the Billboard 100.

Humphrey says the band has neither the hope nor desire to hit it big with another mass-hit cover. Still, on the road, the band likes to offer its take on established tunes. Last time through Peoria, in August 2008, a highlight of the set list was a re-do of Stone Temple Pilots' "Creep." This tour, the cover of choice is Nirvana's "Heart-Shaped Box."

Such noodlings are the luxury of holding the headlining slot. As an opener, with less time to work with, Seether sticks to the hits. But as the closer, Seether can throw out a cover, plus other treats.

"We get to delve into deeper cuts, stuff that's fun for us to play," Humphrey says.

But don't expect any new material during the Peoria stop. The band has written an entire album of fresh tracks, recording four tunes so far. Seether will go back into the studio after the current tour ends next month, and the CD should drop in the fall.

Until then, however, the new material will be kept a closely guarded secret. Unlike many bands, Seether won't give the songs a test drive in concert.

"We want it to be fresh and new (in the fall) and have impact," Humphrey says.

The album likely will sound much like Seether's typical driving grit, he says. However, the guitars will be a bit heavier. That's simply the result of the newest way the quartet writes songs.

Used to be, frontman Shaun Morgan aurally sketched out the melodies before asking bandmates to flesh out the material. Now, however, all four get together, offering and following hooks and riffs. They'll record the efforts and play them back, listening for those that burst with the right touch. After they structure a song, Morgan adds lyrics.

"A lot of it depends on the tone of the song and what's going on in Shaun's life," Humphrey says. "... Certainly, it's his vision."

Phil Luciano can be reached at 686-3155 or pluciano@pjstar.com.