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Thursday, June 13, 2019
Sarantos - “(We've All Got) Blind Spots" is released worldwide right now!
Tuesday, June 11, 2019
Sean McMorris
Sean McMorris is a cunning pop tunesmith who taps into the hook-laden vein that runs from The Beatles through Crowded House up to the present moment, mixing reflective, philosophical lyrics with earworm melodies for maximum impact. Besides being a gifted singer/songwriter with three albums to his credit, he's also a top-shelf drummer who refined his skills at the Berklee College of Music and played with rock heroes and cult figures alike.
Despite sporting as Irish-sounding a name as you can find, McMorris grew up in Paris, France before making his way to the U.S. as a teenager. After attending Berklee, he eventually made his way to New York City, where he played with everyone from theatrical legend Bill Irwin on Broadway to Richard Lloyd of punk-era icons Television. In the 2000s, he worked with NYC bands Peg, The Blondes Inc. and Lazy Lions.
In 2013, the brainy pop gems McMorris had been honing for ages finally made their way to the ears of the wider world for the first time when he released his solo debut LP, Lo & Behold. Two years later, he followed it up with another album's worth of trenchant tunes, Elevated Man.
In 2018, McMorris relocated to Los Angeles, where he’s currently keeping his drumming skills sharp by working with Billy Joseph & The Army of Love. This year, he’s released his third and most ambitious album yet, C'est La Vie. Working closely with producer, engineer, and multi-instrumentalist Christian Cassan (best known as indie-pop phenomenon Jonathan Coulter's right-hand man), McMorris has crafted a set of songs that are simultaneously more emotionally weighted and more gracefully crafted than anything he's done before.
In addition to the melodic tapestry weaved throughout the album by McMorris and Cassan, C'est La Vie boasts some extra sonic firepower courtesy of a rock guitar giant. Cassan got the tunes to Dave Gregory, known far and wide as XTC and Big Big Train’s lead guitarist. Gregory liked what he heard, and added his unique sound to a number of tunes on the album, giving it that extra musical boost up into the stratosphere.
Never at a loss for ideas, McMorris always has at least another album's worth of songs at the ready by the time he's released the last one. So don't be too surprised if he pops out another LP full of equally enticing tunes before you've fully absorbed his latest.
Sean McMorris started life as the left-handed child of an American single mother in Paris, France. Music cast a spell early on, under the auspices of Elvis Presley, his very first idol. When offered a dollar for his rendition of "All Shook Up," five-year-old Sean balked; a few years later, he got a taste of his own medicine, when he took up singing and piano lessons with an honest-to-God nun who refused to indulge in frivolities such as McCartney’s “Fool on The Hill” despite countless pleas. All these ironies might or might not have escaped him when he picked up a pair of drumsticks and learned to roll with bebop legend Kenny Clark. Once the borrowed piano in his bedroom was returned to its rightful owner, Sean turned to his mother's neglected nylon string guitar to quench his thirst for harmony.
Having graduated from the French lycée with a Baccalaureate in Economic and Social Studies, Sean was now free to pursue his musical explorations, which took him to the US. First stop, the Berklee College of Music with a letter of recommendation from none other than Leonard Bernstein (don’t ask how!) After a year totally under the radar, he dropped out and joined Boston rock band Option One, experiencing his first taste of success. In true 80’s fashion, all the limos, groupies, drugs and label interest from IRS Records guaranteed the band’s eventual demise. When Sean’s mother ran into Don Henley in an elevator in L.A., Mr. Henley recalled how badly he had starved in Beantown, which was exactly what her son was doing.
In an effort to put more food on his plate, Sean naively relocated to the Big Apple. He landed in an East Village apartment-share, conveniently located next to housing for the deaf, which meant his newly formed band PEG could economize by rehearsing in the living room! Together, they recorded and released a self-titled independent CD long before it was trendy to do so. Finally, Sean decided to do something practical and return to college to earn a Bachelor's degree in Jazz Drumming from City College (CCNY). On campus, he had the pleasure of performing for Ron Carter and John Patitucci. This eventually led to sharing the stage with performers such as Tony Award winner Bill Irwin and Richard Lloyd of Television, who also went on to produce The Blondes, Inc.’s eponymous album.
Today, Sean lives in Los Angeles writing music for TV Libraries and drumming for Billy Joseph & The Army of Love. His debut album Lo & Behold came out in 2013, fulfilling his lifelong ambition of joining the legion of successful left-handed drummers, Phil Collins and Don Henley. Elevated Man, his latest release, took flight on October 23, 2015. His third LP titled C'est La Vie came out April 2019!
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