Interviews: Seum

On this new occasion, we have had the opportunity to interview the Doom Metal band Seum from Canada. Check out this interview and follow the band on their FACEBOOK PAGE.

1. Where did you get the idea for the band name? Did you plan it or come out just like that?

Piotr: Hi Jon, thanks for having us. SEUM means venom in Arabic and is a common slang term used in French for frustration and anger. We started the band during lockdown, 5 years ago. It’s already hard to start a new band in general, but it was even tougher as we had to sneak in for practice, couldn’t play shows, or get our name known. We were full of SEUM at the time, and the name came naturally.

2. Why did you want to play this genre?

Piotr: We all come from different musical backgrounds but have a common love for doom and sludge, their groove, aggression, and the overall musical freedom they offer. It is a very fun music to play and a vast way to express ourselves.

3. Did you know each other before the band was formed?

Piotr: We are all European French immigrants who moved to Montreal in the mid-2010s. We knew each other more or less back in France, but we really started hanging out after meeting at a Dopethrone show at the late Katacombes club and deciding to play music together.

4. Each band member's favourite band?

Fred: Mastodon, Church of Misery

Gaspard: Immortal, Eyehategod,

Piotr: Acid Bath and The Ramones.

5. Who or what inspires you to write songs?

Piotr: As aging foreign immigrants in North America we seem to have a different/quirky look at our daily reality. We are mostly inspired by what we go through on a personal level or, more generally, the absurdity of living in a tech-centered capitalist world. In any case, sincerity is key.

6. Where was your last gig?

Piotr: We played at a local DIY spot, Batiment 7, for the release party of our latest record “Conjuring”, a split album with Detroit’s Temple of The Fuzz Witch. We wanted to make the event special, so we went above and beyond to find a real casket. We had our singer, Gaspard, delivered on stage by a troop of pallbearers while Fred and I were kicking off the show. The place was jammed and we somehow managed to keep this intro a secret until the very end. We had a lot of fun and the audience seemed to enjoy it too. You can have a look at it here.

7. Where would you like to act?

Piotr: We are playing pretty much anywhere, from real venues to kitchen floors. One of our best shows ever was under the Van Horne bridge, a local Montreal underpass hosting self-booked DIY shows in the summer. But our deepest dream would be to play in a Tim Hortons - the local Canadian equivalent of Starbucks.

8. Whom would you like to feature with? Whom not?

Piotr: We don’t plan features ahead so much. It made sense to invite our close friend Noureddine on our second album DOUBLE DOUBLE, as the song he participated in was about our cheap beginnings in local bands. Noureddine has been a Parisian scene icon for decades, so he was the right guest to invite. It is rather contextual; we don’t plan any features for the next album for now.

10. Have any of you ever suffered from stage fright? Any tips for beginners on how to beat that?

Piotr: We are older dudes. It doesn’t mean we are great musicians but we just know that even if we screw up no one is gonna die. Advice for younger bands? Go for it, practice, have fun and say “fuck you” to older dudes like us providing advices!

11. What bands have inspired you the most?

Piotr: The main band inspiration is Shrum. The first band we discovered that rocked without needing a guitar it. It made us realize that a bass, a drum, and a vocal were all we needed to wreak havoc. RIP Audie Pitre.

12. What's the weirdest thing a fan has ever asked you for?

Piotr: Let’s keep it between us and our fans, but nothing we could qualify as “weird”, maybe “intense” if anything, but the more intense the reques,t the better. 

13. What do you think of your fans?

Piotr: They are SEUM and we mean it. Without them playing our music loses its sense.

14. What do you think of our site?

Piotr: We appreciate that you offer many bands the opportunity to showcase their work and music, keep up the good work!

15. Something to add?

Piotr: Thanks for this interview, shout out to the Montreal scene and a huge thanks to Black Throne Productions for supporting us on the “Conjuring” release - check it out!