Few things test a band’s dedication like a long winter tour, high winds, busted RVs, and dodging the aftermath of highway carnage. For Jamie Stewart, frontman of Tampa’s melodic death metal outfit The Absence, it’s all part of the experience.
I recently caught up with Jamie just after a major storm hit his area. “It wasn’t too bad,” he said casually. “High winds and a lot of rain brought some stuff down, so I helped out my neighbor. She was pretty worried—it’s that time of year.”
That small moment of neighborly concern kicked off a much bigger conversation about the perils and perseverance of life on the road.
Accidents, Mayhem, and Just Missing Disaster
Like many touring musicians, Jamie’s seen his fair share of gnarly accidents. “One time, we were driving and saw a truck completely engulfed in flames on the opposite side of the highway,” he recalled. “Another time, a semi hit an overpass. The truck was gone, but there were chunks of concrete everywhere and people walking around looking dazed.”
One of the most harrowing moments came while stopping at a Flying J gas station. “A semi had lost control, gone over the median, down the embankment, and slammed into a gas pump,” Jamie said. “You could see the tire tracks, the smashed concrete... we probably missed it by ten minutes. That was wild.”
Despite the danger, he says they’ve been lucky. “No major accidents. A few fender-benders over the years, but nothing serious.”
Winter Touring: Heatless RVs and the Slow Crawl to Denver
Touring in winter brings its own brand of suffering. On one tour through Utah and Colorado, the band’s RV heater was broken, blasting freezing air onto their legs while driving.
“You had to wear gloves and wrap your legs in a blanket just to survive the ride,” Jamie said, laughing now. “Then we got a flat tire and ended up riding on the rim for miles. We pulled into the venue in Denver, jumped out, borrowed the other band’s drum set, and went straight on stage.”
The grind, however brutal, always ends with a payoff. “Even if it’s just a 20-minute set, that’s the time you get to release all the stress from the day,” Jamie said. “You go through black ice, storms, breakdowns—then you hit the stage and let it rip.”
The Voice Behind the Screams
As the band’s original vocalist since its 2002 inception, Jamie’s voice has been front and center. He started as many metal vocalists do: self-taught, screaming along to albums in his bedroom.
Eventually, he sought out a vocal teacher. “She helped me with pitch, breathing, and voice control. I wanted to make sure I wasn’t wrecking myself,” he said. Unfortunately, the lessons ended early due to her personal circumstances.
But Jamie found an even greater influence through Melissa Cross’s Zen of Screaming DVD. “It completely changed the game,” he explained. “She teaches how to warm up, how your whole body plays into your voice, and how to find your vocal type—tenor, baritone, whatever. That affects how your screams sound.”
Cross’s ability to name and describe techniques helped Jamie level up. “Sometimes you know how to do something, but you don’t know what it’s called or how to explain it. She gave language to it. That really stuck with me.”
Dedication, No Matter What
Jamie’s stories serve as a reminder that touring life isn't just about music—it's about resilience, adaptability, and deep commitment to the craft. Whether it’s freezing in a broken RV, dodging wreckage, or screaming into a hairbrush as a teenager, he’s always been focused on one thing: giving everything to the music.
“Even after all that chaos, you step on stage and think, ‘This might be a 20-minute set, but it’s going to be the best one we’ve ever played.’”
Talking Shop on the Road
For Jamie, talking about vocals isn’t just part of the job—it’s part of the lifestyle. When touring, it's common for frontmen from different bands to share stories and techniques while running their own merch tables after a set.
“You always end up chatting with whoever’s there, and often that’s another vocalist,” Jamie explains. “Within 20 minutes, someone’s asking, ‘How did you do that scream?’ or ‘Was that one take?’ It’s fun and honestly inevitable.”
The Meaning Behind Coffin Eyes
The title track from their latest album, Coffin Eyes, wasn’t just a creative choice—it became a reflection of collective isolation and internal struggle.
Originally written and mostly recorded before the pandemic, the album took on a new, haunting relevance once COVID-19 hit. Stewart had written most of the lyrics but revisited them after lockdown began.
“I was laying in bed one night, having a bit of a panic attack,” he recalls. “Thinking about my mom, my friends, the band, work… and it hit me—Coffin Eyes wasn’t just a metaphor anymore. We were literally trapped in our homes, covered in masks, fearful of an invisible threat.”
What began as a personal expression of feeling emotionally closed off turned into a broader statement on the suffocating nature of pandemic life.
“That’s when I knew,” he says. “This had to be the title track.”
A Limited Pressing with Maximum Impact
The band’s decision to release Coffin Eyes on vinyl wasn’t just about sound—it was about creating something tangible and special. With pressing plants backed up due to COVID, they opted for a limited run: 100 collector’s edition purple vinyls and around 400 standard copies with smoke-gray accents.
“We didn’t want to overdo it,” says Jamie. “But we wanted to make it special. When those are gone, we might repress on a different color.”
For collectors, The Absence hit the sweet spot—scarcity, aesthetic value, and intention. Jamie, a longtime vinyl enthusiast himself, gets it.
“I love when a vinyl’s color perfectly matches the album art—or contrasts in a cool way. That kind of detail just enhances the whole experience.”
Album Art That Tells a Story
Coffin Eyes features some of the most intricate artwork the band has ever used—and it’s not just for show. Designed with storytelling in mind, the album cover offers a wealth of details that the band has repurposed across merch, singles, and promotional materials.
“We named the moth on the cover ‘David Moss’—a play on the death’s-head moth,” Jamie reveals. “There was so much art, we could zoom in on small sections and create whole new visuals from them.”
From long-sleeve shirts with characters printed on the sleeves to lyric videos using animated versions of the cover, the artwork became its own living element of the album.
“That’s why we insisted on a gatefold vinyl,” Jamie says. “You need to see it fully unfolded to really take in how beautiful and immersive it is.”
Looking Ahead
While tour plans are still under wraps, the band is actively working on something for the near future. They’re crunching numbers, checking safety protocols, and planning their return to the stage.
In the meantime, they’ve released a series of music videos and playthroughs for tracks like Coffin Eyes, Choirs of Sickness, and This Consuming Nocturne—many of which they directed and produced themselves.
“We poured just as much effort into the videos as we did the record,” Jamie says. “They add another layer to the music, and we’ve got more coming.”
Final Thoughts from Jamie
“If you haven’t yet, check out our Linktree or head to our YouTube. All our videos, playthroughs, and behind-the-scenes stuff is there. Hit us up on Instagram, Twitter—wherever. Stay connected and enjoy the ride with us.”
Stay heavy. Support the underground. Long live metal.
Want more? Follow The Absence on their Linktree, Spotify, Facebook and catch them when they come to your town.
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