Shavo Odadjian Teases Soon You Will Know Who (Or What) Violet Is

Though some may have figured out the band name Seven Hours After Violet is an acronym for Shavo Odadjian, there’s so much more to the name that will be revealed in time.

The System of a Down bassist spoke with Full Metal Jackie for her weekend radio show about his new band and he pulled back the curtain a bit on the rabbit hole that fans will be able to go down with the group and their name and story.

In addition to the new album there’s a comic book taking you further into the band’s overarching story. “When we do this comic book and you start reading about it, you’ll see the little elements I use within the music,” says Odadjian. “But you can’t tell until you read the comic because we’re coming up with cool stories about Violet, who she is, what it is. Is it a color? Is it a person? Is it an occurrence? Is it a thing? Is it a drug? It could be anything. Violet is really a cool definition of a lot that’s in my head.”

He adds, “Once you know one definition, you’re going to want to know the other seven.”

In addition, Odadjian speaks to the numeric coincidences that led to the start of his new band, why he’s decided to go heavier with his latest music and why he decided to start a label imprint to promote the band and their music.

Plus, Shavo gives us an update on his other projects and what’s on his to-do list.

Check out more of the chat below.

It’s Full Metal Jackie and this week we’ve got Shavo Odadjian on the show with us. Obviously we know you from System of a Down, but soon everyone is much going to know you from the band Seven Hours After Violet. This new band seems to have started in the most organic of ways. What was the starting point for this project?

There was a spark. So my lucky number is 22. I’ve always kind of done stuff with 22. I’ve worn it on my jerseys. With System, I started actually a lifestyle Cannabis brand called 22Red. My boys are 2 years and 22 days apart. I mean, you couldn’t even make that up, right? So anyhow, it was February 22, 2022, swear to God.

I threw a little get together for the brand in Hollywood, and I was doing a KROQ interview with Kevan Kenney, and I invited him to a small get together afterwards. It was at some hookah lounge. We were actually celebrating the number 22 because it was like February,  that’s the second month. 2. 22, right. It was just like all twos that day. Long story short, he said, “Can I bring a friend?” I said, “Sure.” And he brought Morgoth Beatz, whose real name is Michael Montoya. He’s a great producer, cool person. He came through, we talked and we exchanged numbers.

He was like, “I produce bands and maybe we should make some music together.” And I’m like, “Dude, I’ve been itching to write music. Let’s go.” So a couple weeks later, he hits me up, I go to his studio, we make some music and we write a full song. I just kind of poured riffs out and he organized it, put some beats under it put some accompanying music. And then I came back and arranged it as a song and boom, we had a song like, wow, this kind of happened easy. And it sounded so cool, but it was heavy.

Throughout my last 10 years after System stopped writing music a while ago. I’ve always tried to do side projects, but I’ve always tried to stay away from being really heavy because System’s heavy. So I didn’t want to touch on that.

But this one I said F-it. I’m not going to go against the grain anymore. I’m going to do what I really love. I’m a metalhead. I love hip hop a little bit. I love this, I love that. I love anything that’s good. I love music, I love art, but rock and metal is my go to. That’s what I’m good at. It shows in the studio as it started pouring out. The second day, we wrote another banger. And I was just like, “This is cool. Let’s keep writing.”

At some point, he’s like, “Bro, the initial idea was to just write music.”  But the vibe of the music was coming out. It’s like Shavo, you know what I mean? It’s like my vibe, my energy. I’ve written a lot of parts and riffs and arranged stuff for System, and it was coming out that way. So it was just natural that we do our own record. So he asked me, he said, why don’t we just do a Shavo rock record, dude? Let’s do a solo record. Everyone else has a record. You’ve never done anything heavy outside of System. So it made all the sense in the world. And we just kept writing music, and I kept going there, and at some point I just said, “Let’s go to my studio.” So I gave him the keys, and I had a nice private studio, and we went in there and we started making music.

Seven Hours After Violet, “Paradise”

Shavo, how far along were you into this before you had a vision of what you wanted this band to be?

We were at 18 songs in a year later, maybe less, six months, seven months later. I wasn’t keeping track. Cause we weren’t doing it because we had a schedule or there was some kind of deadline or we had to do something. It was just for fun. It was coming out organic and natural, and the sound was sounding really cool. It was like something I want to listen to. We were writing music I would listen to.

That’s what it’s about. It’s not about conforming or following a trend or doing anything that needs to be done. It’s what comes out naturally is what really is pleasant.

So that’s what we did, man. We did that. We had all the music done. And originally we were going to just grab a bunch of features and be like the DJ Khaled of metal, you know, and grab a vocal from Serj [Tankian], grab a hook from this guy, that guy. There’s a few new bands I really love, so we were going to meet up with the vocalists and ask them to do features. But the music was coming out so great. I was like, I really want to make this a band and take this on tour. I can’t tour with features.

So we needed to put a band together. Morgoth and I put our heads together. We tried out a bunch of people. We got Taylor Barber from Left to Suffer who tried out. I sent him a track. He sent me this genius vocal. I couldn’t believe he could sing like that. The dude’s like the ultimate deathcore dude, but he sang like a canary. I couldn’t believe it. He was singing in falsetto, and I was like, “Wow, this is who I need.”

Then when I was looking for a lead guitar player, Morgoth worked with Alejandro Aranda, who is the American Idol 2019 runner up. I didn’t know who this kid was, but I was like American Idol, come on, bro. You know, let’s get someone rock and metal, bro. The kid came and he was such a genius. He could rip, shred the guitar and sing like a bird. And their voices just complement each other. So it was perfect.

It just kind of happened. Like you said, it’s organic. It was very organic. It was like I didn’t know that they were pieces of the puzzle that I needed to build. So instead of being a solo record, I like bands. I don’t want it to be a side project. I want to have a new band. just like System works. But when we work, it’s very little. We’ll do like a few shows a year. I got a lot of days over there available. I didn’t want to become successful and stop working, man.

READ MORE: Shavo Odadjian Shares Why He Loves His New Band Seven Hours After Violet

This is what I do. I love it. I love making music. I love releasing music. I love performing. That’s what I live for. So here I am. It fell into my lap and I took it, you know? So I hope to be performing soon, and I will be.

Shavo, your band, in my opinion, has been very smart in the rollout. “Paradise” hits us with that chaotic element that you brought to System that made us fall in love with that band. And Taylor Barber is just a beast on that track. Then “Radiance” goes the opposite direction, showcasing his more melodic side. And now we’ve got “Alive,” which brings Alejandro as a perfect melodic vocal compliment for Taylor’s aggression. The word I’m feeling is versatile. How thrilled are you with this lineup you put together for this band? And do you feel this is the band that is most representative of who you are as a musician and your musical tastes?

Yes. Every member, once they did a piece, I knew right away. It’s like meeting the love of your life kind of feeling. You know it once you meet them. That’s how this band was formed. And that’s why I called it a band. That’s why I wanted a name.

Everyone wanted it to be called Shavo or Shav. And I was just like, “No, man, I’m not that guy.” I kind of wanted to be a band. So I settled with, let’s make Shav an acronym and come up with something cool. And when we came up with Seven Hours After Violet, it started having meanings. So it became this mysterious, creative name. It’s actually not just a band, but it’s a brand. We actually started writing comic books, a bunch of issues like Black Mirror explaining each episode. Each issue gives you a different definition of Violet. And what happened seven hours after. You know what I’m saying? It all worked out cool.

Each band member fits the mold perfectly, represents the music perfectly. Having done all the guitars and bass and the whole music alone without vocals over it, I didn’t know what to expect. I didn’t know who the singers were going to be, who the singer was going to be. So it’s a pleasant surprise.

Seven Hours After Violet, “Alive”

It’s Full Metal Jackie with Shavo Odadjian. We were recently made aware of Seven Hours After Violet being an acronym for Shavo. And I know you want to leave the name up to interpretation, but for those who want to go down the rabbit hole, I’ll ask if the band name ties in any way to the music on the new album. It’s such a unique name and this is a self titled album. So are there things we should be looking for in the new music once it’s presented as a whole that will offer more insight?

I think we put you through a little roller coaster ride with the album. I remember you telling me about the rollout with “Paradise” and “Radiance.” To me, that’s the toughest part because we wrote an album, not a song only. The songs kind of make a record. And yeah, it takes you through a story as well. It’s not written as that, but it happened that way once I sequenced it. So it’s a musical journey.

You can listen to it separately, but I think it’s best listened to when you press play and then the album ends. Each song goes into each other correctly I think perfectly.

And the name, like I said, there’s no references to it. It’s its own thing. But when we do this comic book and you start reading about it, you’ll see the little elements I use within the music. But you can’t tell until you read the comic because we’re coming up with cool stories about Violet, who she is, what it is. Is it a color? Is it a person? Is it an occurrence? Is it a thing? Is it a drug? It could be anything. Violet is really a cool definition of a lot that’s in my head.

So it makes a lot of sense. Once you know one definition, you’re going to want to know the other seven.

Shavo, you’re also the new label honcho of 1336 Records. Why was it important to you to have a hand in the label side of things as well when it came to presenting your new band and album? And will you be actively seeking out other bands during the launch stages of Seven Hours After Violet? If so, what are you looking for in bands that you might want to sign?

Kind of all of the above. But I’ll explain. So I was going to do this whole project independently, but I decided on the 11th hour that I should get a label because I wanted that major distribution. And I know Sumerian is with Virgin, so that’s huge. It’s worldwide. And I did enjoy meeting Ash, who is the CEO and founder. He’s a really good guy and he understood the record. I had met a lot of other people and they didn’t really get the record. They liked a song. This guy got the record. He’s like, this is a good record. That’s what I wanted to hear.

The 1336 Records came in because I really did want to do this independently. So I thought, let me sign the band to me. I’ve been doing this. I’ve been in the industry for 30 years, and I know what that means. So having my own label, I keep all the creative control. So I get to decide if I want to drop a single or not or make a video or not, or what route of marketing we go into. And we use Sumerian as our support system. I think that’s a good way of putting it. If we need funds, we get it from them. If we don’t, we don’t, you know. But I like having them there. So that was the angle.

Then at some point I was like, “There’s a lot of groups out there that I could help out as well.” So, yes, I will be actively searching. There is no prerequisite. I listen to all types of music. I just want good music, good art, So I just need passion behind what’s being done. I have been kind of looking at some bands right now. I’m not going to mention who, but I’ve been watching a few and there are a few that I think deserve to have the support of a label so they could do what they’re made to do and not think about the finances of it. They probably don’t have the connections that they need. So I’m always down to help.

There’s nothing that’s written in stone that I need to do, but it’s good to have that ability and have that under my belt. Like I said, I’ve been in this industry 30 years. So I kind of know how it works.

Shavo, Obviously you have that other band of yours …

Well, which band are you talking about?

I don’t know. I can’t recall. Oh, yeah, while taking that next creative step forward has not happened for System of a Down, and touring continues to be limited, there’s still a presence. Given how this has played out for System of a Down, has it allowed you the chance to be more in the moment and acknowledging of the continued love and support from the fans towards this band when there are these more individual moments you get to share with them?

Yes, of course it has. I’m actually intrigued by the support we’re getting. Our demand is high. Our supply is low. I guess I get that part of it. But we are true to ourselves and it takes four of us to do what we do, so I’ll take what I can get with System.

If it was up to me, we’d do a record every two years. We support the record with the world tour and then come and do our own things if we feel like it. Because everyone has respect for each other as you can tell, we all have side projects and we’re all doing our thing.

But yeah, it’s given me a lot of time. I would rather we do more, I’ll be honest, but I’ll take what I can get. If we’re doing two shows, I’ll take two shows. If we’re doing 10, I’ll take 10. If we’re doing a whole tour, that’s even better. I enjoy every minute with my friends who happen to be my bandmates.

Shavo, given that you always seem to have something creatively going beyond Seven Hours after Violet. Are there things on your to do list that you’d like to get to? Might we see Achozen or North Kingsley music at some point? Perhaps getting involved with film scoring more or once the calendar clears, is there an already existing project you’d like to address or something new you’re interested in starting up?

Well, RZA and I never dropped anything officially for Achozen. There’s some leaks out there on YouTube, so I’m thinking we might do something with that. I hung out with Wu Tang when they did the residency in Vegas and I hung out with him afterwards and we spoke about it.

The project is really original and does its own thing, but it was made practically 16 years years ago. But it still holds up. It’s this heavy hip-hop thing that we did without caring, so that couldn’t be released. We can release a few tracks with something. I don’t know. We were talking about some concept record.

And then as of North Kingsley, prior to beginning Seven Hours, which just fell into my lap, we recorded a full record. So the record went through a bunch of different forms. And it started off with like a trap-based heavy hip hop feel. But then I didn’t like it. I thought we should make it heavier. We changed the vocals, I changed some of the guitars and basses and I made it heavier and the vocals started screaming and had more like vibe in there because I wanted to make it heavier. And as I did that, the trap beats sounded too thin. So I recruited John Dolmayan, System’s drummer, to play drums throughout the whole record. So it turned into this big project. But as I was mixing that, we started Seven Hours. So I have that record. I just haven’t finished mixing it. I put it in the back burner.

So once we have some downtime with this, I can drop that. I don’t think I’m going to tour that or really like follow through on it. But I think it’s pretty interesting music that the world would want to hear coming from us because it’s got so many different facets. It’s not hip hop, it’s not just metal, it’s not punk. But it has every one of those vibes in it. And I mean it’s got me and John, so it’s kind of cool. I’ve always wanted to do a project with him outside of System.

So he came in, lent us a helping hand, ripped apart those drums within a day or two, and completed the entire record. There’s about 12, 13 songs that we haven’t dropped, so there’s a bunch.

And then, of course, scoring and stuff like that. I enjoy doing that, but like I said, right now it’s Seven Hours After Violet. That’s who I’m focusing on. I need to focus. I can’t just do too much, But I do love doing stuff, but I don’t like doing them all at the same time because then it becomes thinned out. So there will be stuff once this slows down, but I want to take this on right now.

Thanks to Seven Hours After Violet’s Shavo Odadjian for the interview. Be sure to pick up the new self-titled album Stay up to date with the band through their Facebook,  Instagram and Spotify platforms. Find out where you can hear Full Metal Jackie’s weekend radio show here.