Pennsylvania artists

Interview: Seethe

April 4, 2025 — Leave a comment

Seethe is an alternative/nu metal artist hailing from Pittsburgh. Spawning from the isolation of Covid lockdowns in 2020, this project has taken on a life of its own. With a handful of albums and EPs and an expansive catalog of singles to his name, Seethe shows no signs of slowing down.

One of the first people to let me review his music when I started my own journey, I’m surprised it has taken us this long to do an interview! We discussed his musical beginnings, inspiration, dream collaborations, and much more – and I feel like we only scratched the surface! Check it out!

***

Mostly Music: So let’s talk some background first. How did you get started making music?

Seethe: Music has always been there. It’s in the blood on both my mom’s side and my dad’s side. I grew up around anything from oldies, to bluegrass, to metal, rock, and hip hop. I was air guitaring and singing with a brush as a microphone before I was even potty trained!

MM: That vast array of exposure explains a lot. Lol. Your music definitely has quite a bit of variety.

Do you have any particular band/artist that was, like, The One that made you really wanna pursue this? Or a song? I know it’s not always that specific, but…

Seethe: There are many layers to that. First, I was a guitarist that dabbled in some piano and bass, then over time, transferred to lead vocals. Stevie Ray Vaughn and Jerry Cantrell made me wanna pick up and sling the ole six string. In my high school years, I was deep into acoustic pop rock with the likes of John Mayer, Secondhand Serenade, Dashboard Confessional, and Five Times August. When it came down to vocals (waaaaay early on), I hadn’t found my voice and was attempting very bad Creed/Breaking Benjamin vocals til I started actually singing and exploring my voice round 3, 2016. Phil Anselmo, Tim Williams, and Billy Keeton were very, very influential in where I was trying to go vocally as I began to explore my voice.

MM: Okay, with all that going on, how did you find your sound? I know your sound varies, but for a while, you leaned heavily into the trap metal end of things, so to speak. Was that a conscious decision, or was it more…you played around with ideas and found that that particular genre fit what you were going for?

I feel like I’m wording that badly…

Seethe: Covid honestly was really responsible for the creation of Seethe. I had begun to dabble in electronic music but never had the guts to release it. Anything I had released up to that point I had a band or a partner in crime, and I always had that comradery and support, but never enough guts to put something out solely by myself. At the start it was mainly just to make some music with an electronic edge like the “Queen of The Damned” soundtrack with the modern soundscape of the trap metal genre that had been blowing up in recent years. While a niche genre, it allowed me to develop and grow. After 4-ish years of producing and releasing trap metal tracks, I had decided it was time to start branching out and shifting my sound. That’s honestly the beauty of being a solo artist. Yes, there is more work, and it literally all falls on my shoulders, but I could/can do what I want, when I want.

MM: So, this may be a stupid question, but with the recent releases veering into a less electronic/trap-oriented direction, are you still working solo?

Seethe: Nope. If I had the equipment and better resources, I definitely would (Lord knows it would probably be cheaper if i did, given my rate of output). Fortunately, I have met many different and awesome producers along the way. Sometimes, we work together on a project from the ground up, or it’s a matter of me merely scavenging beats/instrumentals I find and lease or purchase. Some awesome producers I’ve worked with (but not limited to) – Slaughter, APXLLYXN, Exor, Gus Wallner, VIXLENCE, Last of a Dying Breed. Can’t forget Aura Abnormal, and Dead Prophet Alive.

MM: You have released four tracks so far this year. Congratulations on that, by the way. Can you give me a bit of background on the most recent single, “Oceans”?

Seethe: “Oceans” is one of the first songs in a while that wasn’t written introspectively. It’s more of an observation about the world as we see it now. All of the doom and gloom and tension that hangs in the air. REM said it best: “it’s the end of the world as we know it.”

In the recording side of things, this was a fun/challenging one to work on. Jacob Lizotte is an amazing producer/composer, and that forced me to really up my game vocally. The music not only goes hard in the paint,  but it’s also very open and has a sort of ambient atmosphere to it, so I had plenty of room to paint the canvas with my craft.

MM: I wanna ask a question that’s kinda just for fun, but I love the answers I get. If you could collaborate with anyone, who would it be?

Seethe: Dream collabs would be Layne Staley, Phil Anselmo, Damien Starkey, Brock Lindow, and Chad Gray.

MM: A Chad Gray collab would be SO good!!! So what is your creative process? How do you piece songs together? (I’m interested in both the writing and recording aspects, but hands down, I grasp the writing part a lot more easily. I know nothing about recording.)

Seethe: The creative process varies. It’s honestly one of my favorite things about art. I am a multi-instrumentalist, but I unfortunately don’t have a means to record anything besides vocals. I have been fortunate enough to work alongside multiple producers and composers to build songs from the ground up. Sometimes, someone will hit me with a piece of music and want me to man vocals. Other times, it’s merely me scavenging on BeatStars or YouTube, looking for a beat that catches my ear. A lot of times, the songwriting for me is very spur of the moment or if something catches my ear. You never know when inspiration is gonna strike.

Or other times I will have a song written up and it’s a matter of finding or creating the music to bring it all together. There are times I will sit on a song or idea for months, or it comes out on the spot in minutes. Collabs are always fun as well. It’s a different energy when you have someone bring you on and you are putting your craft with someone else’s vision.

MM: We could probably keep talking for ages, but I’ve already used up a lot of your time. Thank you very much for this interview. I look forward to hearing what you come up with next and perhaps having another conversation about…well, everything!

***

In the time since we wrapped up our chat, Seethe has announced the release of his fifth single for 2025, “Reprieve.” The track will hit streaming services on April 26th. You can pre-save it here!

But while you’re waiting, be sure to listen to the other songs he has dropped since January – “Mandela Effect,” “IDT (Falling in Wait),” “Depths,” and “Oceans.” These four offerings grant a glimpse into the wide creative range Seethe possesses and the varied stylistic choices he makes. If you enjoy what you hear, follow him on your favorite platforms so that you never miss any Seethe music news!

Interview: Robbie Ekblom, Jr., and Hall of Lost

March 10, 2025 — Leave a comment

Robbie Ekblom, Jr., is a Finnish/American guitarist who focuses on lead and has influences ranging across the metal and metalcore landscapes. Philadelphia-based Hall of Lost is a hard rock/alt-metal project put together by singer and guitarist Jeff McAllister.

And when the two acts come together, listeners are gifted with a track like “Darkness Befalls.”

I had the chance to chat with Jeff and Robbie about their collaboration – how the artists met, how the song came to fruition, and what the odds are of them making more music together in the future.

***

Mostly Music: Okay, so tell me how this came together. I’ve talked to artists who have worked on a track from different places, but I’m not sure they’ve ever been from different countries!

Robbie: Long story short, we were able to get acquainted on Instagram and combined our appreciations for artists like Breaking Benjamin, Tool, Seether, and create our own track using our studio setups from across the Atlantic. That’s how our collaboration came to be. I think this story could motivate people who want to work together but don’t live near one another. You really can come out with some pretty cool stuff, and you can get pretty creative these days when it comes to recording.

MM: How did you and Hall of Lost handle writing “Darkness Befalls”?

Robbie: I had come up with an instrumental track for “Darkness Befalls,” and Hall of Lost contacted me on Instagram after hearing some of my other music and said that they’d be interested in doing a collaboration. So then Jeff and I started messaging each other and he said one of your tracks is something that I really wanna work on and beef it out with some lyrics and his own instrumental additions.

For the recording itself, we both have our own setups. I have a home studio, and he has his setup over there in the U.S. So we just combined sounds and sent one another the music files and kept adding bits and pieces until the final version was fully edited.

It’s been a first for me working with somebody as talented as Hall of Lost. Jeff is a phenomenal musician and really has an incredible appetite for creating music and creative arts in general.

MM: That’s a great segue into Jeff’s side of the story. Ha ha! Jeff, what was your inspiration for “Darkness Befalls”?

Jeff: Sure thing, Melia. This track was a fun one to work with because Robbie had all of the instrumental completed, and most importantly, he had a title for the song. So many songwriters attempt to write a tune without first having a title, and there’s nothing wrong with it…I’ve done it myself, but what you typically find is that if you have a solid title, that drives the whole process forward. Needless to say, with a title like “Darkness Befalls”, I had a lot to work with!

Those riffs Robbie plays on the song emote plenty of feelings, so the inspiration came pretty naturally. I wanted to capture a sense of an alter ego, an anger hidden inside, being taken to a place you don’t want to go. When the anger takes over, that’s when darkness befalls.

MM: This question may sound almost naive, but how different is it writing and recording a song remotely as opposed to physically being in a room (or the studio) with those you are creating with? I imagine it requires a change to your normal approach?

Robbie: From my perspective, being in a studio or in a recording space together has the advantage of being able to adapt or change things on the fly because you’re all together and can discuss recording, or certain segments of a song, lyrical changes, whatever it might be, in person immediately. Whereas doing it remotely like this has sort of a time lag between making the changes, especially given the distance between Jeff and myself. We have a 6 hour time difference. That means anything we want to discuss has a one day, or at least one night, lag. But what is really nice about this is, because we both have our own studios and equipment, and are familiar with our own recording infrastructures, it – at least, for my part – has been very comfortable, because I know exactly how to use my stuff. There hasn’t been a need for any gear changes or adjustments to any of the actual tech we’re using. I do imagine, depending on how much we continue to work with Jeff, it would be cool to get into a room and just jam out and make music in person.

Jeff: I think Robbie said it well. This really worked out very smoothly, and I think what it came down to mostly was faith. I had complete faith in the musical track Robbie laid down. In fact, upon hearing what he crafted, I knew I wanted to be a part of it. It was such a big sound. Conversely, he allowed me a lot of creative freedom with his baby, allowing me to suggest a few arrangement suggestions and modifications to fit the lyrical delivery. From there, I would run the lyrical ideas by him and send him some samples, and we would go back and forth on any edits needed, volume changes, etc., but all in all, those were minimal. The fact that Robbie doesn’t seem to sleep also helped.

It would be great to eventually get in a room together. We’ve become great friends throughout the process, so beyond the creative chemistry, I’m sure he and I would down some beers together and come away with another great track.

Robbie: 100% on the downing of some amber lager and making magic happen! That day will come eventually, guaranteed! Haha!

As for the sleep; I had to get myself into somewhat of a routine of maximizing the time to keep in touch and to discuss music with the time difference. Now I’m in this loop where I stay up late, but it doesn’t bother me much because I’m so excited about the music and our project.

MM: So y’all are definitely working together again in the future? Can we expect another collab anytime soon? Because I would be 100% behind that.

Jeff: I can go on record saying that is definitely going to happen, especially if you’re making a request, Melia.

We have something in the works right now, actually. Schedules have been a bit tight, but the process has started, so it won’t be long. We really appreciate the support.

I imagine that won’t even be the last of it. Robbie is a riff machine. He has probably pumped out 2 songs before eating his morning Cheerios today.

MM: If I’m making a request? Okay! Consider this my request. And y’all are very welcome! I’m excited to hear what’s next!!!

***

Y’all be sure to check out “Darkness Befalls,” and then do a deep dive into both artists! I’ve shared links to their socials below.

Also, this is not my only conversation with Jeff and Robbie. I will be back with a second interview in which we discuss their respective musical journeys, and maybe some off-the-wall topics as well, so please keep your eyes open for that!

Robbie

Hall of Lost

5 Bands/Artists You Should Be Following (#18)

August 1, 2018 — Leave a comment

1. Meka Nism

Metal from Florida. For fans of Arch Enemy, Within Temptation, Nightwish, etc. Meka Nism just released their latest EP, The War Inside, in May and are now booking shows. Check out the title track and “Bring the Sun Back.”

Facebook – Instagram – YouTube

2. Love The Hate

Rock from Mobile, Alabama. For fans of 10 Years, Tantric, Chevelle, etc. Love The Hate recently opened for From Ashes to New and Bad Wolves at a hometown show. Their latest album, Burn, is available for purchase through various digital outlets. Get a taste of Burn on ReverbNation, and listen to “Bleed the Weak” now!

Facebook – Instagram – YouTube

3. A Light in the Darkness

Progressive metal from Texas. For fans of Lamb of God, Soilwork, early Trivium, etc. A Light in the Darkness currently has two EPs available — Conspire and Athens to Piraeus — on digital platforms such as iTunes and BandCamp. Here is “Ransom,” from Conspire.

Facebook – Instagram – YouTube

4. Skynd

Electronic/industrial/dubstep duo that formed in Australia. For fans of Sköld, Die Antwoord, Skrillex, etc. Skynd premiered their video for “Gary Heidnik” recently, which features Korn front man Jonathan Davis. This is my new favorite band. Thus far, their songs and videos have been delving into the minds of murderers, and I love it! Please check out both of their singles, “Elisa Lam” and “Gary Heidnik.”

Facebook – Instagram – YouTube – Twitter

5. Hank the Businessman

Folk/progressive rock from Pennsylvania. For fans of Ed Sheeran, John Mayer, Jason Mraz, etc. Hank the Businessman released the Mountain EP in June. Here are my two favorite songs, “One” and “Tangled.”

Facebook – Instagram – YouTube – Spotify

Playlist Challenge, Day 58

June 28, 2017 — Leave a comment

Look, I’m not a huge fan of rap music, but when my friends and I used to play Mortal Kombat, we would always sing this song when someone chose Cyrax or Scorpion. Lol. Yeah, we’re nerds.

Wiz Khalifa — “Black and Yellow”