A Quick Look back

Sean moved to Detroit in ‘93, with a band known as Fathers of the Id, a hard rock/ “psychedelic soul” band that went on to win 1994’s Detroit Music Award’s Best Funk Band. The Detroit News’ Music writer, Wendy Case, called Sean, “more fun than a busload of 10 year-olds on their way to Cedar Point.” 

After the Fathers went on hiatus, Sean moved to Ann Arbor, where he lent his services to the Detroit soul band, The Elevations, which raised a ruckus in Detroit, causing critics to rave about Sean’s “feverishly gut-wrenching vocal delivery.” “Seeing him sweat through his suit, take hold of the microphone and belt through soul tunes.” The Elevations were added to Metro Times’ Detroit Music Family Tree after only two years in the public eye. 

After moving to Ann Arbor and working on an unreleased solo album, Sean joined the Third Coast Kings, who came from obscurity to headline Ann Arbor Summer Fest for the better part of the 2010s, and travel to Japan to play both the Fuji Rock Music Festival, (and a trip to play Tokyo). This band was succeeded by Shake Steady, his present band, consisting mostly of the members of Third Coast Kings. They continue to play currently around Michigan and US Midwest and Canada. 

Nowadays, Sean’s music is still searching for new sounds. Using a looper and laptop (the TARDIS) as a tool for extending what Soulful music can be. With roots in U.S. based soul and funk, Sean also adds deeper flavors, mixing 70s Brazilian Samba-funk and Samba-rock into the gumbo. Blending Brazilian funk/pop hero, Jorge Ben Jor, with Marvin Gaye, and Lover’s Rock vocalists, such as Dennis Brown, Sugar Minott, and Courtney John, Sean creates a very nice dish. “I'm trying to fuse all different types of things into an alchemy of different musics that will still say ‘Soul’ on the label. It will still have that sweet soul vibe, whether it’s funk, Brazilian, or rock, because,” he continues, “when times get tough, Soul music wins.” And that type of win is always a win-win.