Whither, a band with a unique sound and a powerful blend of talent. From roaring Rock God guitars riffs too magnificent drumming and bass playing, and a humbling vocalist. The line up is a fearsome foursome. My interview today takes place with Sean Lacefield the Lead guitar player and bandleader of Whither.
GOM: Name the groups or musicians that have had the most influence on your music.
Sean Lacefield: In the early years: via , Satriani, Schon, Freidman, and every other monster in the eighties. After I matured: Joel, Kansas, Boston, and the list goes on.
GOM: How did you meet the guys in your band? Tell us about the history of “Whither”.
Sean Lacefield: It all began one nasty wet night, about two years ago in tacoma,wa.The bands that we were playing in at the time were on the same bill for the night.Thrown Electric played second and were great. We played last and could have been better. I was in F-line the singer in my band was total crap. I was doing all the back ups and blowing him away. Lead singer Brian Sonneman watched our set and came up to our guitar player and said that the bass player (I was playing bass at the time) had a great voice and how come I wasn’t singing lead.Brian and I had a conversation and really clicked. We exchanged numbers and started to talk reguarly. We planned to do another gig together and it was set for saint patrick’s day of 2000.We played at one of the clubs that we called home and it was typical. f-line’s singer was drunk and horrible and Thrown electric’s guitar player was drunk and horrible. That night would mark the end of both bands. I quit f-line and the drummer and bass player quit Thrown electric. Brian Sonneman was very depressed after two years went down the drain,but he eventually came out of his funk and we started to work together.I actually moved from aberdeen,Wa to gig harbor,Wa to escape the hellish grays harbor and to work with Brian. We spent the next year writing material and trying to put a band together.it was difficult to pull a band together because of Brian’s location and the fact that there are lots of musicians in tacoma but the few good ones are busy. Our first bassist was from lakebay and the drummer was from Grayland, 100 miles away. They were both incredible, but, the drummer was 100 miles away and the bassist was an drunk. It just couldn’t last.the next two are the individuals on the “weep” recording. Pete and Lizzy Johnston. Husband and wife. pete / drums lizzy / bass again incredible players but to busy to commit to a permanent situation. There were lots of unmentionable players that barely made it through the door. The list is long and ugly.That is the abridged version.
GOM: When did you take up the guitar?
Sean Lacefield: I aquired my first guitar at the ripe old age of 13.
GOM: How do you go about writing a song?
Sean Lacefield: In my earlier years, it was very difficult. the ideas would wake me up in the middle of the night, but I had no way to keep track of them. recording equipment was alot more expensive then and studio time was out of reach. now, I have every tool and toy that I could possibly want and I’m able to just sit down and let it go. The process starts with drum beat and i just noodle until I play something that strikes me as interesting.I build the song section by section. on the majority of the material that I have written in the last two years, I have played every instument.
GOM: Mr. Lacefield, how did you get started playing music?
Sean Lacefield: My grand father had his own radio show back in the 20’s and 30’s and had played guitar since he was 12 years old. He was my inspiration. He new just about every chord know to man.
GOM: What does the future hold for Sean Lacefield and Whither?
Sean Lacefield: Well as for whither, it was really never much more than brian and myself writing songs, so its fate was sealed along time ago. As for me and the songs we wrote together, there is a possible record deal looming in the distance. We are waiting to hear from them sometime this week fingers are crossed ! We decide what our future holds by how hard we work and how bad we want to achieve our goals.Relentless desire ! that is the montra we scream to the hills everyday we push forward.
Read this insightful intuitive interview with Sean Lacefield, of Whither. A great band a great story.
