JOHN CONNOLLY On SEVENDUST's Longevity: 'We Still Have That Same Passion To Make The Music'

In a recent interview with Australia's The Music, SEVENDUST guitarist John Connolly was asked if ever glances at some of his band's contemporaries and wonders why they achieved greater commercial gains or if he is grateful for the level of success SEVENDUST has attained. "I think a little of both," he replied. "Because it's funny, we're super grateful that we've been consistent and 20-some-odd years ago we started this thing, [and now] we're still the same five guys and we still have that same passion to make the music.

"You look at some bands — look at CREED; they're a great example," he continued. "The ALTER BRIDGE and the TREMONTI guys are dear friends of mine. But you look at CREED, and CREED doesn't exist anymore. You look at a band like DROWNING POOL, who was the biggest band in the world there for a minute, and they're playing smaller clubs and bars now. You look at a lot of those bands that were really big when we first started out... LIMP BIZKIT, there's another great example. You couldn't get a bigger band on earth at one point in time than that band. And now, I don't even know who's in the band. So I'd almost rather have it be this way.

"There was a point in time where we were, like, 'Why aren't we bigger? Why aren't we as big as some of our friends?'" he admitted. "But when I look around [now], I go, 'Where are all our friends at?' [Laughs] A lot of those bands are gone. So I'd rather have it this way. I'd rather have a career and be able to have that consistency, that slow burn and slow build."

SEVENDUST and SKILLET will embark on the co-headline "Victorious War" tour in August and September. POP EVIL will support, while DEVOUR THE DAY will open the shows. The tour kicks off on August 11 in Memphis. Tickets go on sale on Friday, April 26 at 10 a.m. local time.

SEVENDUST singer Lajon Witherspoon recently confirmed to Australia's Loud that the band has begun collecting ideas for the follow-up to last year's "All I See Is War" album.

"All I See Is War" was released in May 2018. It marked the group's first album for Rise Records, the Oregon-based metal and hard rock label which was purchased by BMG in 2015.