Seether (song)

"Seether" is a 1994 single by American alternative rock band Veruca Salt.

For the South African rock band, see Seether.
"Seether"
US vinyl single standard artwork
Single by Veruca Salt
from the album American Thighs
ReleasedMarch 1994
RecordedJanuary 1994
Genre
Length3:16
LabelMinty Fresh
Songwriter(s)Nina Gordon
Producer(s)Brad Wood
Veruca Salt singles chronology
"Seether"
(1994)		 "Number One Blind"
(1995)
Alternative cover art
UK artwork for mostly vinyl releases

Background

The song was written by Veruca Salt singer-guitarist Nina Gordon. "Seether" was more pop-sounding compared to the rest of the band's material. In a 1994 interview with Much Music, an interviewer suggested that "Seether" could either be about female "animalistic instincts" or bouts of rage. Gordon agreed that her songs' meanings often changed during and after the writing process. "You write a song, think it's about one thing for five minutes....and discover that it's about many different things and working on many different levels."[3]

Release

Veruca Salt recorded the song in early 1994, with production by Brad Wood. They then released "Seether"/"All Hail Me" as their debut single on the independent label Minty Fresh. "Seether" quickly became popular on college and alternative radio stations.[4][5] Its success led the band to record and release their debut album American Thighs, which included "Seether", later that year. Shortly thereafter, the band signed with the major label Geffen Records, which re-released the album. "Seether" peaked at number 8 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart, became a hit on MTV, and launched the band into fame.[4][5]

Legacy

In 1994, the song was number 3 in British Radio One DJ John Peel's Festive Fifty. In a 2014 retrospective, music magazine Paste listed "Seether" at number 10 on their list of the 50 greatest grunge songs of all time. The song appeared in the film Young Adult and the TV shows Hindsight and Halt and Catch Fire.

Music video

The video features band members Nina Gordon, Louise Post, Jim Shapiro, and Steve Lack playing the song in front of the iconic shimmering red Randolph Street Gallery building when it was located at 756 N. Milwaukee Avenue in Chicago. The indoor shots of the band with cats roaming about and in acclimating cages were taken at Tree House Humane Society at their former location, 1212 W Carmen Street, Chicago. Tree House is a stray cat shelter and adoption center founded in 1971 and operating from that address until 2017.

Charts
Chart (1994) Peak
Position
Australian ARIA Singles Chart 34
UK Top 75 Singles 61
US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks[6] 8

Seether version

The band Seether named themselves after this song,[7] and in 2013, recorded a cover of the song for their greatest hits album Seether: 2002–2013.[8] It was released as a lead single to the compilation on September 3, 2013.

References
  1. "100 Best Alternative Rock Songs of 1994". Spin. Retrieved September 18, 2020.
  2. Danaher, Michael (August 4, 2014). "The 50 Best Grunge Songs". Paste. Retrieved November 9, 2014.
  3. "Veruca Salt Interview on Much Music 1994". Much Music. 1994. Retrieved July 12, 2019.
  4. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Veruca Salt". allmusic.com. Retrieved September 28, 2020.
  5. Caro, Mark. "Veruca Salt reunites years after explosive breakup". chicagotribune.com. July 3, 2014. Retrieved September 28, 2020.
  6. "Artist Chart History/Veruca Salt". www.billboard.com. Retrieved 2008-04-13.
  7. http://www.last.fm/music/Seether
  8. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. Seether – Seether: 2002-2013 > Review at AllMusic. Retrieved November 29, 2013.
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