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Sean’s childhood and the music he makes today are very much tied together; not necessarily in lyrical themes but certainly in the music itself. He started his music career at just two years old, sitting behind his father’s 1960s Ludwig drum set. He had to stand up so he could reach the bass pedal and still play the snare, even though his hands were above his shoulders when he did. This lasted until he was four years old when he could hit all the cymbals on the kit. This attracted the attention of neighbors and passersby who frequently would stop by and comment on his father’s drumming, occasionally asking if he would want to join their band. Sean's father would respond by motioning to his very young son, which garnered some good laughs from the visitors. “I’m not saying I was any good back then,” clarifies Sean, “but it’s an amusing story.” As Sean grew, his father entered him into talent shows and street fairs where he would play whatever he asked him to, although Sean didn’t care as he was purely having fun. It wasn’t until much later when he discovered more about melody and, as he puts it, “the precious commodity of space” in music. “I first took a guitar class at age fifteen, and that’s when I discovered I could play an instrument that made real melodies."
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While Odd Logic may be the foremost project in Sean’s repertoire, it wasn’t always that way. “My first band was a rock band with more of a neo-prog flair.” The band, called Mine!, existed before the internet played such a crucial role in the independent music scene. “We had a good run for a few years, playing some pretty cool gigs for a small-time group.” They played at The Gorge in George, WA, opening for Journey and Tom Waite one year and Sting another year. “We thought we made it big when we had an air-conditioned trailer with a free tray of meat and crackers. It didn’t take much to impress us.” Mine! released one album locally that was never officially distributed.
When not completely immersed in music, Sean enjoys hiking, trail running, baseball, and sampling microbrews. “Wow, I guess I am a snob,” Sean jokes. “Prog-listening, microbrew-sipping, short-haired metal musician with a bachelor’s degree. What a jerk I turned out to be.”
When not completely immersed in music, Sean enjoys hiking, trail running, baseball, and sampling microbrews. “Wow, I guess I am a snob,” Sean jokes. “Prog-listening, microbrew-sipping, short-haired metal musician with a bachelor’s degree. What a jerk I turned out to be.”
SEAN'S INFLUENCES
Sean’s father was a rocker, so Sean naturally grew up with a healthy dose of rock, metal, southern rock and blues music. He grew up with Santana, Kansas, Steely Dan, Toto, Little River Band, Al DiMeola. His tastes transitioned alongside those of his father; together they began to enjoy music from bands like Scorpions, Judas Priest, Rainbow, and Deep Purple. “I started to develop some of my own unique tastes as I got into my teen years,” recounts Sean. He raided his father's record collection and discovered the brilliance of bands like Yes, Rush, Fates Warning, and other more progressive acts. “When I first heard King’s X in the mid-80s, I was hooked for life. They have since become my favorite band of all time and is no doubt a large reason why I incorporate heavy guitar with multi-part harmonies and blues-based leads.” The next band to have a similar impact on Sean was Enchant, when he discovered them in the 90s. “I was already a full-fledged Dream Theater, Queensryche, and Fates Warning fan, but Enchant added another level of melodic and songwriting maturity,” Sean says.
Sean wears his vocal influences on his sleeve. “I still dream of having the vocal chops of the vocalists I listened to so closely in my formative years," he says, "but I will always attribute my influences to the amazing voxsmiths of melody.” He cites Steve Walsh, Steve Perry, Lou Gramm, and John Farnham as significant examples. “Ted Leonard really influenced me vocally as well.”
There are too many influences to list on the guitar end of the spectrum. Anyone listening to Sean’s compositions can see he appreciates musicianship first and foremost. “I was a gigantic George Lynch fan, though, and still am.”
Starting as a drummer at such an early age and continuing until age fifteen plays perfectly into why Sean’s music sounds the way it does. “It’s a major reason why I write with lots of different rhythms and syncopation,” Sean says. “It’s usually the beat and feel that carries music first, in my opinion.”
Sean wears his vocal influences on his sleeve. “I still dream of having the vocal chops of the vocalists I listened to so closely in my formative years," he says, "but I will always attribute my influences to the amazing voxsmiths of melody.” He cites Steve Walsh, Steve Perry, Lou Gramm, and John Farnham as significant examples. “Ted Leonard really influenced me vocally as well.”
There are too many influences to list on the guitar end of the spectrum. Anyone listening to Sean’s compositions can see he appreciates musicianship first and foremost. “I was a gigantic George Lynch fan, though, and still am.”
Starting as a drummer at such an early age and continuing until age fifteen plays perfectly into why Sean’s music sounds the way it does. “It’s a major reason why I write with lots of different rhythms and syncopation,” Sean says. “It’s usually the beat and feel that carries music first, in my opinion.”
SEAN'S EQUIPMENT on EFFIGY
GUITARS:
CARVIN DC747 (7-String)
-Bookmatched Figured Claro Walnut Top
-Maple Neck/Alder Body
-Figured Walnut Headstock Matches Body Finish
-Birdseye Maple Fingerboard (Tung-Oiled)
-Med-Jumbo Frets .048" H .103" W
-14in Fretboard Radius
-Rounded Body Sides
-Chrome Hardware
-C26 Bridge Pickup
-C26 Neck Pickup/Center AP13 Pickup
Elixir Light Gauge Strings, .010 - .056
Dunlop Straplocks
CARVIN DC600 (6-String), Jet Black Finish, Chrome Hardware
-Maple Neck/Alder Body
-6-String Pointed Headstock 3+3
-Birdseye Maple Fingerboard (Tung-Oiled)
-Med-Jumbo Frets .048" H .103" W
-14in Fretboard Radius
-C22B Bridge Pickup
-C22J Neck Pickup
-Cream Coils w/ Black Bezels
-"Odd Logic" Engraved Truss Rod Cover Cream
Elixir 1046E Light Gauge Strings, .010 - .046
ESP LTD EC-407, Black Satin Finish, Black Satin Hardware
-Scale: 25.5"
-Mahogany Body w/Maple Cap
-Neck: 3Pc Maple
-Fingerboard: Rosewood
-Fingerboard Radius: 350mm
-Nut Width: 48mm
-Frets: 24, XJ type
-Neck: PU EMG 707
-Bridge: PU EMG 81-7
-Elixir Light Gauge Strings, .010 - .056
YAMAHA SLG130NW (Silent Acoustic)
-Maple Body, Mahogany Neck, Ebony Finger Board, Rosewood Bridge
Bugera Amps, Marshall Cabs, Boss Pedals, Amplitube and EZmix software, Dunlop Jazz III picks
KEYBOARDS:
Native Instruments / Korg / Yahama Boards
N.I. Komplete Software
VOCALS:
Carvin / Audix mics
Boss processors
Tascam pre-amps and audio interfaces
CARVIN DC747 (7-String)
-Bookmatched Figured Claro Walnut Top
-Maple Neck/Alder Body
-Figured Walnut Headstock Matches Body Finish
-Birdseye Maple Fingerboard (Tung-Oiled)
-Med-Jumbo Frets .048" H .103" W
-14in Fretboard Radius
-Rounded Body Sides
-Chrome Hardware
-C26 Bridge Pickup
-C26 Neck Pickup/Center AP13 Pickup
Elixir Light Gauge Strings, .010 - .056
Dunlop Straplocks
CARVIN DC600 (6-String), Jet Black Finish, Chrome Hardware
-Maple Neck/Alder Body
-6-String Pointed Headstock 3+3
-Birdseye Maple Fingerboard (Tung-Oiled)
-Med-Jumbo Frets .048" H .103" W
-14in Fretboard Radius
-C22B Bridge Pickup
-C22J Neck Pickup
-Cream Coils w/ Black Bezels
-"Odd Logic" Engraved Truss Rod Cover Cream
Elixir 1046E Light Gauge Strings, .010 - .046
ESP LTD EC-407, Black Satin Finish, Black Satin Hardware
-Scale: 25.5"
-Mahogany Body w/Maple Cap
-Neck: 3Pc Maple
-Fingerboard: Rosewood
-Fingerboard Radius: 350mm
-Nut Width: 48mm
-Frets: 24, XJ type
-Neck: PU EMG 707
-Bridge: PU EMG 81-7
-Elixir Light Gauge Strings, .010 - .056
YAMAHA SLG130NW (Silent Acoustic)
-Maple Body, Mahogany Neck, Ebony Finger Board, Rosewood Bridge
Bugera Amps, Marshall Cabs, Boss Pedals, Amplitube and EZmix software, Dunlop Jazz III picks
KEYBOARDS:
Native Instruments / Korg / Yahama Boards
N.I. Komplete Software
VOCALS:
Carvin / Audix mics
Boss processors
Tascam pre-amps and audio interfaces