Prosevere have been around for almost 9 years but it wasn’t until now that they released their debut full-length album, which is full of powerful rockin’ tracks. Grande Rock had a chat with the band’s vocalist Gary Segars so as to find out about this new promising band and talk about their debut release. Read for more below…
Hey Gary… thx for talking to Grande Rock. Please introduce Prosevere in a few words…
G: Hard Rock with soul. It’s bland, but it fits! (lol)
Even though you were formed in 2006, it wasn’t until now that you managed to release your debut album. In the meantime, you released 4 EPs. How’s that? Why did it take you so long to come up with your debut release?
G: EPs are always easier to release! You save up, go in and record a few songs at a time, release your single, etc. Today’s digital generation is more geared towards the single, so you don’t have to release a full album at a time. That’s not really how we wanted to do it – generally, because we’re a fully DIY band, our situations had more to do with finances than anything else. We spend carefully and make sure that we make the right investments. We’re glad we were finally able to put out a full-length that we can be proud of.
Was it more crucial for you to tighten up as a band, experiment as songwriters through EPs, play various live shows… in order to mature and come up with an album that would satisfy you on the whole?
G: That was part of it – the years together have definitely tightened us up, and our maturation as songwriters definitely came through as much experience with trial & error as with learning from some great friends (producers, other songwriters, etc).
So what “Hurts Like Hell”? What is that thing which hurts like hell actually?
G: The process of trying to make it in the music industry. Especially as a rock band. There’s not as big of a market nowadays for bands like us, so to make your way, you have to really be passionate and dedicated to it. We’re almost 9 years in, and while we have some awesome life experiences, we haven’t gotten that opportunity to go out and knock it out full-time. We believe we’ll get that shot now that the record is out. That’s why we chose that as the title to the record.
I must tell you that as soon as I saw the cover art I thought that I had to deal with a black metal band! It’s the guy on the background who “hurts like hell”… but he also seems like a black metaler – at least from my perspective. What’s your say?
G: That’s kinda funny that you say that – that’s actually a girl on the cover. Haha. We wanted to show real raw emotion so our guitar player had his girlfriend make that pose and scream, and he messed around with it a lot in Photoshop before we tacked it onto the background texture, which actually includes the lyrics to the song “hurts like hell.”
How many tracks from your EPs were used in your debut album? I guess those tracks have been re-recorded, right?
G: The tracks were redone. 6 of them are on this one – 4 brand new songs and 6 old ones. The 6 were really strong and had not been given a fair opportunity to be out to the public, so we wanted to release them on here and really give them a shot. The 4 new songs really show how much we’ve grown, but they’re all still in the same niche. I think it almost shows an evolution of the band.
Do give us a small hint about each track…
G: “I Was Wrong”: Realizing people you should not have allowed back into your life and admitting you made a mistake…
“Hurts Like Hell”: The song is about a girl I know who went through a terrible addiction to cocaine and fought her way out of it. It’s about dealing with somebody like that and finding a way to relate and help.
“New Number 2”: Finally telling your significant other that you’re done putting up with their selfishness…
“Can’t Let Go”: It’s about having to move away from my daughter – but more about letting go of anything important to you…
“One More Thing”: Being on the road is difficult – this one is to let loved ones know that, even though you’re not always there, you do still love them…
“Not Worth Saving”: This one’s about a lying cheating whore. (lol). Real talk, right? I was cheated on years ago. Still stings.
“Glory”: About people turning out to be less than what you expected, and being strong through the realization.
“Bottoms Up”: This one’s about letting go – when the world gets you down, sometimes it’s OK to just sit on a cold one and let it go.
“1000 Lbs”: The pressure of different things can put a lot of weight on you – this is about dealing with daily bullshit.
“Burn the City”: This is about conquering our hometown. Memphis is a tough market to break – but we’ve been successful here. It’s about getting rid of the past and moving forward. Progression.
You worked with producer J. Hall in Nashville, TN. The album was engineered in several places and the track “One More Thing” was recorded with producer Dave Cowell in Memphis, TN. Tell us … how did working with different guys and in different places occur? Was it better than recording in one studio? What do you think?
G: It occurred both out of necessity and out of fun. Songs tend to take on their surroundings, and you can really hear the vibes from the room wherever they were recorded. A good example of this is the difference in all of Incubus’ records. Take “Morning View”, for instance – they lived on a street called Morning View Drive in Malibu, CA – and you can really hear the beach in those songs. But other ones, where they just got up and went to a studio or whatever – it’s different. Same with Foo Fighters. Their last album, “Sonic Highways”, really explored that, and you can hear where the songs were recorded before you actually know. It’s all about the vibe.
So anyway, we recorded 5 of these songs at the Sound Kitchen with J Hall when he was engineering for Skidd Mills. We came back to Memphis and recorded at Dave Cowell’s studio for the track “One More Thing”, and then we went back to J in Franklin / Nashville and kinda went everywhere. We did drums at Miles McPherson’s studio. Miles previously played with Paramore and Kelly Clarkson, so it was something to kind of expand our horizons a bit. Then we went and did bass and guitars in Kent Wells’ studio. Kent has done records for Dolly Parton, Reba McEntire, and a ton of other huge country stars, and is actually Dolly’s touring guitar player. Again, different kinda place for a rock band, but it was nice to have a little different experience and do something we’ve never done before. The vocals were done in J’s engineering room, along with the strings.
Overall, I believe it was much better than just doing it all in one studio. We were really happy with getting to try different things and get the best sounds possible. I don’t think the record would have sounded as good any other way, both sonically and just from a “feel” standpoint.
The video for the track “I was Wrong” (watch it below) is already out. Do you plan to release any other videos in the near future? What about a video for “Can’t Let Go”? (I’ve also seen the video from “New Number 2” in 2011)
G: Oh absolutely. “Can’t Let Go” is on the list, along with, I believe, the track “Hurts Like Hell”. Video making is tedious but fun. (haha)
What are your touring plans?
G: Right now, we just announced a slot at the Beale St Music Festival in Memphis on May 3rd with Scott Weiland, Of Mice & Men, Rise Against, and Cage the Elephant on the same stage. Ed Sheeran and Hozier are on another stage, Wilco and St Vincent on another – and 5FDP, Breaking Benjamin, Lenny Kravitz, Slash, In this Moment, Paramore, etc. on other stages throughout the weekend. After that, we’ll begin some regional runs while we try and find the right label fit. We’re currently talking with several different booking agents, so this, just like everything else, is something we want to make sure we get right. In the meantime, we’re all DIY. We handle our own booking right now.
What are the expectations from “Hurts Like Hell”? What is that thing you want to achieve with Prosevere in the years to come?
G: The expectation is to use this as a springboard to making music our career. We currently have day jobs to make sure our families are taken care of and to pay the bills at home. We believe we could absolutely kill it on the road, as do the other bands that we’ve had the privilege of befriending over the years (Shinedown, Devour the Day, Bush, Sevendust, Papa Roach, etc.). That’s what we want to achieve – to succeed in this industry, whether that’s with a bigger label, or pushing things ourselves, or whatever. Music is our blood. It’s our passion. We believe we deserve an opportunity to really make things happen.
How would you describe Prosevere’s music style?
G: I would call it rock n roll. Haha. But if you wanna get technical, I guess something like melodic hard rock? We’re somewhat in the vein of Shinedown, Breaking Benjamin, etc., but we have our own spin on things. Our songs are from the heart – we write very honestly about real problems. We’re a band that wants to make people feel something.
Time for our “weird questions”!!! How did you come up with the name Prosevere initially?
G: Our bass player actually brought it up. We were thinking of the word “persevere” because of things we had already been through in the Memphis music scene, and he brought up making up our own word. Google “prosevere” and I bet you don’t have a problem finding us on the web. Haha.
Are there any funny incidents from the recording days that you’d like to share with us?
G: Not any that wouldn’t get us in trouble back home. Haha. I’ll fill you in off-the-record later! (i.n.: Looking forward to hearing some “nasty” stories from the studio…)
Best 3 hard rock albums of all time?
G: Oh man. I guess for this recent time period, as far as commercial hard rock, for me it would be Sevendust “Home”, Shinedown “The Sound of Madness”, and probably Breaking Benjamin “Phobia”. That’s a tough one to put me on the spot brotha! I would include Foo Fighters “The Colour” and the “Shape”, but I don’t know that you could consider them hard rock.
Which is the most overrated band of all time?
G: Not a fair question. Because everybody has brought something different to the table, and music is really just a matter of opinion and taste. A lot of people hate Nickelback… but a lot of people really love Nickelback. Who am I to say who is good and who isn’t? It’s all just opinion. People should keep more of an open mind.
Which are the top 3 adventure movies according to you?
G: You’d have to ask Rocky, Eric and Riley. I’m not the movie guy. (lol)
What’s your opinion about the “free downloading issue” of today?
G: I think that streaming is one thing – but downloading intellectual property is just flat out stealing. If a band offers a free download, that’s one thing, but to steal an artist’s work is wrong. I’ve got CDs that I bought 15 years ago that I still play regularly – and I paid like $10-15 for it. I’ve definitely gotten my money’s worth. That $10 you spend at McDonald’s could go towards supporting your favorite band. If you like a band, support them! Easy enough. (i.n.: You heard the guy… support your beloved bands!)
Best pick-up line that has worked for you several times in the past?
G: Dude. I’m the singer in a band. You think I need pick-up lines? (Hahahaha). I’m just kidding man. I’m charismatic, but I don’t really use pick-up lines. (i.n.: Michael Starr would agree with you – a singer needs no pick-up lines!)
How do you see the future of music? More digital stuff or back to the old days?
G: Well, vinyl is definitely making a return… but it’s a smaller niche market. I don’t see any circumstance where the digital age slows down. Everything in a person’s life is confined to a single smartphone now – tickets to shows/games, your music, your pics, your videos, your money. Everything. People enjoy the convenience of being able to buy things right then and there. I think the industry has already taken steps towards hopping onboard and will continue to do so.
What do you think about this “Views, tweets & Likes” mania of our time?
G: I think it’s ridiculous. To value your worth by how many “likes” you get is ridiculous. At the same time, it’s all just a measure of popularity. It can be faked just like anything else. Basically, it’s all pointless, and we all know it, but people still worry about that shit anyway.
What’s the worst thing you can say right after sex?
G: That was OK. (lol). Or comparing her to someone else. (haha)
Which of the Seven Deadly Sins do you reckon is the one, that’s more likely to send you straight to Hell, in the afterlife?
G: Hell. You’ve got some tough ones. I would say greed. You have to give a little bit to get a little bit, y’know? That’s how the world spins. Luckily we live in Memphis, so we’ve come up in a community that’s not nearly as greedy as some we’ve come across.
Imagine that your girlfriend/wife is selling your whole album-collection just to buy an expensive ring for herself. How would you react? J
G: I would lose it, as I’m sure anyone would. But it depends on if I hadn’t done what I needed to buy her the ring myself. Haha. It all kinda depends. It’s all just material possessions, brotha. We don’t need any of it. But it’s still nice to have. (haha)
It was fun talking to you Gary. Wish your band the best for the future… add anything you want before we close… take care!
G: We appreciate your time on this! Grande Rock is definitely the shit – looking forward to talking with you more in the future! Remember, check out www.prosevere.com!
G: Hard Rock with soul. It’s bland, but it fits! (lol)
Even though you were formed in 2006, it wasn’t until now that you managed to release your debut album. In the meantime, you released 4 EPs. How’s that? Why did it take you so long to come up with your debut release?
G: EPs are always easier to release! You save up, go in and record a few songs at a time, release your single, etc. Today’s digital generation is more geared towards the single, so you don’t have to release a full album at a time. That’s not really how we wanted to do it – generally, because we’re a fully DIY band, our situations had more to do with finances than anything else. We spend carefully and make sure that we make the right investments. We’re glad we were finally able to put out a full-length that we can be proud of.
Was it more crucial for you to tighten up as a band, experiment as songwriters through EPs, play various live shows… in order to mature and come up with an album that would satisfy you on the whole?
G: That was part of it – the years together have definitely tightened us up, and our maturation as songwriters definitely came through as much experience with trial & error as with learning from some great friends (producers, other songwriters, etc).
So what “Hurts Like Hell”? What is that thing which hurts like hell actually?
G: The process of trying to make it in the music industry. Especially as a rock band. There’s not as big of a market nowadays for bands like us, so to make your way, you have to really be passionate and dedicated to it. We’re almost 9 years in, and while we have some awesome life experiences, we haven’t gotten that opportunity to go out and knock it out full-time. We believe we’ll get that shot now that the record is out. That’s why we chose that as the title to the record.
I must tell you that as soon as I saw the cover art I thought that I had to deal with a black metal band! It’s the guy on the background who “hurts like hell”… but he also seems like a black metaler – at least from my perspective. What’s your say?
G: That’s kinda funny that you say that – that’s actually a girl on the cover. Haha. We wanted to show real raw emotion so our guitar player had his girlfriend make that pose and scream, and he messed around with it a lot in Photoshop before we tacked it onto the background texture, which actually includes the lyrics to the song “hurts like hell.”
How many tracks from your EPs were used in your debut album? I guess those tracks have been re-recorded, right?
G: The tracks were redone. 6 of them are on this one – 4 brand new songs and 6 old ones. The 6 were really strong and had not been given a fair opportunity to be out to the public, so we wanted to release them on here and really give them a shot. The 4 new songs really show how much we’ve grown, but they’re all still in the same niche. I think it almost shows an evolution of the band.
Do give us a small hint about each track…
G: “I Was Wrong”: Realizing people you should not have allowed back into your life and admitting you made a mistake…
“Hurts Like Hell”: The song is about a girl I know who went through a terrible addiction to cocaine and fought her way out of it. It’s about dealing with somebody like that and finding a way to relate and help.
“New Number 2”: Finally telling your significant other that you’re done putting up with their selfishness…
“Can’t Let Go”: It’s about having to move away from my daughter – but more about letting go of anything important to you…
“One More Thing”: Being on the road is difficult – this one is to let loved ones know that, even though you’re not always there, you do still love them…
“Not Worth Saving”: This one’s about a lying cheating whore. (lol). Real talk, right? I was cheated on years ago. Still stings.
“Glory”: About people turning out to be less than what you expected, and being strong through the realization.
“Bottoms Up”: This one’s about letting go – when the world gets you down, sometimes it’s OK to just sit on a cold one and let it go.
“1000 Lbs”: The pressure of different things can put a lot of weight on you – this is about dealing with daily bullshit.
“Burn the City”: This is about conquering our hometown. Memphis is a tough market to break – but we’ve been successful here. It’s about getting rid of the past and moving forward. Progression.
You worked with producer J. Hall in Nashville, TN. The album was engineered in several places and the track “One More Thing” was recorded with producer Dave Cowell in Memphis, TN. Tell us … how did working with different guys and in different places occur? Was it better than recording in one studio? What do you think?
G: It occurred both out of necessity and out of fun. Songs tend to take on their surroundings, and you can really hear the vibes from the room wherever they were recorded. A good example of this is the difference in all of Incubus’ records. Take “Morning View”, for instance – they lived on a street called Morning View Drive in Malibu, CA – and you can really hear the beach in those songs. But other ones, where they just got up and went to a studio or whatever – it’s different. Same with Foo Fighters. Their last album, “Sonic Highways”, really explored that, and you can hear where the songs were recorded before you actually know. It’s all about the vibe.
So anyway, we recorded 5 of these songs at the Sound Kitchen with J Hall when he was engineering for Skidd Mills. We came back to Memphis and recorded at Dave Cowell’s studio for the track “One More Thing”, and then we went back to J in Franklin / Nashville and kinda went everywhere. We did drums at Miles McPherson’s studio. Miles previously played with Paramore and Kelly Clarkson, so it was something to kind of expand our horizons a bit. Then we went and did bass and guitars in Kent Wells’ studio. Kent has done records for Dolly Parton, Reba McEntire, and a ton of other huge country stars, and is actually Dolly’s touring guitar player. Again, different kinda place for a rock band, but it was nice to have a little different experience and do something we’ve never done before. The vocals were done in J’s engineering room, along with the strings.
Overall, I believe it was much better than just doing it all in one studio. We were really happy with getting to try different things and get the best sounds possible. I don’t think the record would have sounded as good any other way, both sonically and just from a “feel” standpoint.
The video for the track “I was Wrong” (watch it below) is already out. Do you plan to release any other videos in the near future? What about a video for “Can’t Let Go”? (I’ve also seen the video from “New Number 2” in 2011)
G: Oh absolutely. “Can’t Let Go” is on the list, along with, I believe, the track “Hurts Like Hell”. Video making is tedious but fun. (haha)
What are your touring plans?
G: Right now, we just announced a slot at the Beale St Music Festival in Memphis on May 3rd with Scott Weiland, Of Mice & Men, Rise Against, and Cage the Elephant on the same stage. Ed Sheeran and Hozier are on another stage, Wilco and St Vincent on another – and 5FDP, Breaking Benjamin, Lenny Kravitz, Slash, In this Moment, Paramore, etc. on other stages throughout the weekend. After that, we’ll begin some regional runs while we try and find the right label fit. We’re currently talking with several different booking agents, so this, just like everything else, is something we want to make sure we get right. In the meantime, we’re all DIY. We handle our own booking right now.
What are the expectations from “Hurts Like Hell”? What is that thing you want to achieve with Prosevere in the years to come?
G: The expectation is to use this as a springboard to making music our career. We currently have day jobs to make sure our families are taken care of and to pay the bills at home. We believe we could absolutely kill it on the road, as do the other bands that we’ve had the privilege of befriending over the years (Shinedown, Devour the Day, Bush, Sevendust, Papa Roach, etc.). That’s what we want to achieve – to succeed in this industry, whether that’s with a bigger label, or pushing things ourselves, or whatever. Music is our blood. It’s our passion. We believe we deserve an opportunity to really make things happen.
How would you describe Prosevere’s music style?
G: I would call it rock n roll. Haha. But if you wanna get technical, I guess something like melodic hard rock? We’re somewhat in the vein of Shinedown, Breaking Benjamin, etc., but we have our own spin on things. Our songs are from the heart – we write very honestly about real problems. We’re a band that wants to make people feel something.
Time for our “weird questions”!!! How did you come up with the name Prosevere initially?
G: Our bass player actually brought it up. We were thinking of the word “persevere” because of things we had already been through in the Memphis music scene, and he brought up making up our own word. Google “prosevere” and I bet you don’t have a problem finding us on the web. Haha.
Are there any funny incidents from the recording days that you’d like to share with us?
G: Not any that wouldn’t get us in trouble back home. Haha. I’ll fill you in off-the-record later! (i.n.: Looking forward to hearing some “nasty” stories from the studio…)
Best 3 hard rock albums of all time?
G: Oh man. I guess for this recent time period, as far as commercial hard rock, for me it would be Sevendust “Home”, Shinedown “The Sound of Madness”, and probably Breaking Benjamin “Phobia”. That’s a tough one to put me on the spot brotha! I would include Foo Fighters “The Colour” and the “Shape”, but I don’t know that you could consider them hard rock.
Which is the most overrated band of all time?
G: Not a fair question. Because everybody has brought something different to the table, and music is really just a matter of opinion and taste. A lot of people hate Nickelback… but a lot of people really love Nickelback. Who am I to say who is good and who isn’t? It’s all just opinion. People should keep more of an open mind.
Which are the top 3 adventure movies according to you?
G: You’d have to ask Rocky, Eric and Riley. I’m not the movie guy. (lol)
What’s your opinion about the “free downloading issue” of today?
G: I think that streaming is one thing – but downloading intellectual property is just flat out stealing. If a band offers a free download, that’s one thing, but to steal an artist’s work is wrong. I’ve got CDs that I bought 15 years ago that I still play regularly – and I paid like $10-15 for it. I’ve definitely gotten my money’s worth. That $10 you spend at McDonald’s could go towards supporting your favorite band. If you like a band, support them! Easy enough. (i.n.: You heard the guy… support your beloved bands!)
Best pick-up line that has worked for you several times in the past?
G: Dude. I’m the singer in a band. You think I need pick-up lines? (Hahahaha). I’m just kidding man. I’m charismatic, but I don’t really use pick-up lines. (i.n.: Michael Starr would agree with you – a singer needs no pick-up lines!)
How do you see the future of music? More digital stuff or back to the old days?
G: Well, vinyl is definitely making a return… but it’s a smaller niche market. I don’t see any circumstance where the digital age slows down. Everything in a person’s life is confined to a single smartphone now – tickets to shows/games, your music, your pics, your videos, your money. Everything. People enjoy the convenience of being able to buy things right then and there. I think the industry has already taken steps towards hopping onboard and will continue to do so.
What do you think about this “Views, tweets & Likes” mania of our time?
G: I think it’s ridiculous. To value your worth by how many “likes” you get is ridiculous. At the same time, it’s all just a measure of popularity. It can be faked just like anything else. Basically, it’s all pointless, and we all know it, but people still worry about that shit anyway.
What’s the worst thing you can say right after sex?
G: That was OK. (lol). Or comparing her to someone else. (haha)
Which of the Seven Deadly Sins do you reckon is the one, that’s more likely to send you straight to Hell, in the afterlife?
G: Hell. You’ve got some tough ones. I would say greed. You have to give a little bit to get a little bit, y’know? That’s how the world spins. Luckily we live in Memphis, so we’ve come up in a community that’s not nearly as greedy as some we’ve come across.
Imagine that your girlfriend/wife is selling your whole album-collection just to buy an expensive ring for herself. How would you react? J
G: I would lose it, as I’m sure anyone would. But it depends on if I hadn’t done what I needed to buy her the ring myself. Haha. It all kinda depends. It’s all just material possessions, brotha. We don’t need any of it. But it’s still nice to have. (haha)
It was fun talking to you Gary. Wish your band the best for the future… add anything you want before we close… take care!
G: We appreciate your time on this! Grande Rock is definitely the shit – looking forward to talking with you more in the future! Remember, check out www.prosevere.com!