Hinweise(...) With Malkin's help, a Blackout Effect disc made its way to producer Josh Abraham, who has lent his hand to artists including Velvet Revolver, Staind and Michelle Branch. Flying out to Los Angeles for a few months, he and Abraham mixed the record, and Seier even had a chance to add a song to the album called "Take It Away," one he co-wrote with Dean DeLeo from Stone Temple Pilots. With the exception of "Take It Away," the rest of the Blackout Effect's debut is written solely by Seier and ranges from anthemic guitar-centered tracks to more confessional ballads that touch on his personal experiences. "Hear Me Now" is a song written about the death of his paternal grandfather. Seier's first single, "Close," a track about pining for another person, already hit radio on March 14. He plans to shoot a video in mid-April, and the Blackout Effect album is due in July, according to Lava Records. So far Seier has kept grounded through his new success and is still content living at home in the basement. He said his story is enough to inspire anyone who wants to make music.