About Me
All songs recorded at VALCOUR SOUND - © 2007 Severmind
"Long awaited. Simply stated."
Intense and driving riffs take you into, through and out the other side of the new CD by Severmind. Scorching vocals, enhanced by moving bass lines and strong drumming will keep your head bouncing and your ears waiting for the next turn in the never-ending blitz on the senses.
"Right from the start, we hit the mark..."
James Jones and Derek Sanders were friends from childhood. Jones began playing guitar in the early ’80s, and Sanders began playing drums a few years later. The pair teamed up for their first musical project together in 1986, and it was quickly apparent that the chemistry between the two was unmatched for their respective ages. After high-school, Jones moved away to check out the Los Angeles music scene where he honed his guitar skills with L.A.’s Prowler before relocating to the east coast a few years later to check out the circuit in and around Boston, Massachusetts.
"Pressure tested. Time invested."
In 1990, While Jones was living out of state, Sanders began playing in a band in the Tulsa area known as Caustic Descent . The front man for Caustic Descent, Heath Wiedmeier , had an extremely strong voice and belted out raw, guttural vocals with every show while playing incredibly strong rhythm guitar that showcased his years of playing and singing. Sanders and Wiedmeier played together through 1995 and enjoyed good success and recognition for their contributions to the project before parting ways amicably in early 1996. Wiedmeier continued on with Tulsa’s SnapHerHead and Hate Furnace .
After Jones recorded and released an EP with Wasted Tracy in Boston, he returned to Tulsa in the late ’90s, and was reunited with Sanders for a new musical project known as Gutwrench . That project disbanded in 2003 when Sanders re-located to Denver, CO.
"Back on the map. A full attack."
Sanders returned to Tulsa in late 2004, and Jones and Sanders decided to work together on another collaboration that proved to be the best yet. After running into Wiedmeier at a Corrosion of Conformity show, Jones and Sanders asked him if he would like to come on-board to be the front-man and rhythm guitarist of the latest project. Jones and Sanders explained that they were looking for a versatile singer with the ability to sing in a melodic, yet heavy style, and Wiedmeier graciously accepted. This trio, while trying to find the right bass player to complete the band, began to write songs that are 3 parts crunch to 1 part groove, and developed a solid chemistry in their writing and playing.
After searching through all of the local bass players they knew, the threesome put a personal ad on a local musician’s website in Tulsa, and were blessed with being contacted by bass player, Chris Eagan . Eagan had most recently been cutting his bass licks with Growing Mylow in Tulsa, and spending time writing and recording in and around the Dallas area. With 20+ year’s experience, an attention to detail and a good ear for the direction the band wanted to take, Eagan was exactly what the band needed to complete the chemistry.
"Revolving again. Take your spot."
After recording the self-titled CD, Eagan had to leave the band for a job outside of the country. Severmind was faced with the challenge of finding a new bass player, so they approached Scott Jones of Caroline’s Spine fame, and asked if he would like to become a part of the band. Caroline’s Spine had recently split, and Scott was not doing anything musically. Scott and James had both been schooled early on in their musical careers by renowned Tulsa guitarist and guitar-guru, Michael Houghton. And since James and Derek had known Scott since 1983, it made sense that Scott’s chemistry would be in sync with the style of the other band members, even though it was a departure from the style that Scott was used to playing when he was with Caroline’s Spine. Scott Jones became a permanent member of the band, and was excited to be a part of the project.
"What’s to be the future...?"
Scott will prove to be a major player in the direction of the band’s musical style, and as Severmind moves forward, they hope to continue to churn out riff after riff of mind-severing tunes for the masses.
"You want a piece of us? Come get it!"
