Seether will drop their second album, Karma and Effect, on May 24th. In the wake of last year's smash single "Broken" -- a duet between frontman Shaun Morgan and his girlfriend (and Evanescence singer) Amy Lee -- the South African-born, Southern California-based rockers went into the studio with producer Bob Marlette (Saliva) last fall, and tried to avoid thinking about making radio hits.

"That medium is fickle," says Morgan. "We had no ambition of having a pop single this time around. We just concentrated on writing a rock album. That said, the response from the new songs has been mind-blowing."

"Remedy," Karma's first single, is indeed garnering healthy radio and TV play. Among the other thirteen tracks is the Ozzy Osbourne-inspired "Burrito." "We were on the bus watching an Osbournes episode, and Ozzy did his famous mumbling: 'Who wants a spicy burrito?'" Morgan recalls. "He just kept carrying on about this burrito place. So we wanted to pay homage to Ozzy."

Karma's lyrical content moves beyond the teen angst of 2002's Disclaimer. "Disease" tells the story of a friend who was abused by her boyfriend. "She got beaten up for many years, and I wrote it as if I were singing to this guy," Morgan says. "The older I become, the more socially conscious I am. I'm not just directing everything inward and concentrating on my own emotion."

After a couple years of replaceable instrumentalists -- who Morgan says were more interested in getting into "bigger bands" or "getting laid" -- Seether have added guitarist Pat Callahan and drummer John Humphrey to their permanent lineup. "I'm happier now in the band than I've ever been," Morgan says. "I now know every single member is in it for the right reasons. I welcomed [writing with a full band] because there were times I really was stuck and then I would turn to the other guys."

Seether kick off a string of shows Friday in Louisville, Kentucky, before joining South Carolina outfit Crossfade on a co-headlining trek that begins June 2nd in Norfolk, Virginia.

Seether tour dates:

5/6: Louisville, KY, Jillian's Pavilion
5/14: Birmingham, AL, Schaeffer Eye Center
5/28: Little Rock, AR, Riverfest
5/29: Rockford, IL, WXRX Radio Festival
5/30: Knoxville, TN, The Warehouse
6/1: Knoxville, TN, Blue Cat's
7/5: Milwaukee, Milwaukee Summerfest
6/8: St. Petersburg, FL, Jannus Landing
6/10: New Orleans, KKND Radio Festival

Seether tour dates with Crossfade:

6/2: Norfolk, VA, Norva Theatre
6/3: Winston-Salem, NC, Ziggy's Music Park
6/4: Myrtle Beach, SC, House of Blues
6/6: Lake Buena Vista, FL, House of Blues
6/7: Ft. Lauderdale, Revolution
6/11: Kansas City, MO, Liberty Memorial Park
6/17: Des Moines, IA, Val Air Ballroom
6/18: Sauget, IL, Pop's
7/2: Muskegon, MI, Muskegon Summer Celebration
7/14: Nashville, Dancin' In the District
7/15: Lansing, MI, Adado Riverfront Park
8/11: Sioux Falls, SD, Sioux Empire Fair
8/13: Billings, MO, Montana Fair
8/20: Louisville, Kentucky State Fair