James' AS Media Blog

Double Page Spread

...And then Simon Cowell said to Sean: ‘I kinda’ like you’

As Sean sits smugly on his stool, holding his acoustic guitar, we may be looking at a new big face of blues and soul music. Only yesterday was his new single ‘Naked blues’ released and it’s already made a staggering $1.2 million. But it is easy to forget that life hasn’t always been this sweet for Sean. Yes, like with any ne there have been many ups and downs in Sean’s life which have ultimately lead to his success, and we intend to cover all of it with this interview.

‘So Sean it’s great to have you here.’

‘It’s great to be here Pierce’

‘Sean, tell me about this new album of yours, I here you spent two weeks in LA with Seal making it?’

‘That’s Right Pierce, the real reason I went into this was generally for work if I’m honest, my agent called me and told me that Seal wanted me to join him in a double single which would be released on his new Album ‘Mr Blues’ next year and I thought, ‘hey, that’ll be great to boost my name’ because believe it or not, this time last year I really wasn’t very well known at all in America.’

‘Really, I mean that’s quite hard to believe because this time last year you were a big hit here in the UK.’

‘I know, but anyway I met Seal at his villa in California, where he shook my hand and welcomed me in, and after working with him for a day my plans changed dramatically and I found that I wasn’t just doing this single with him for the money and to make my name better known in America but because I was really enjoying myself, and it wasn’t about the fans anymore, it was about the blues.’

‘That’s real nice, now Sean there are a lot of young blues aspirers who read this magazine, could you give them a glimpse of what it’s like to work as a blues artist at you’re level.’

‘Well, before you even start recording you have to get the hardest bit out of the way...writing the song. It’s difficult enough turning your feelings into lyrics when you’re writing blues music, let alone deciding the right lyrics with a partner. But it’s all vital, because with Blues it’s all about the lyrics, what’s said not how it’s said, truly expressing how you feel. Anyway, that could take weeks, but under pressure like we were, we had to do it in three days, and the overall thing in two weeks before he went on tour in the UK. But when I say days I don’t mean nine to five, with breaks for lunch etc, I mean five till nine and no break for lunch or dinner, you work straight through those, and eat while you work.’

‘Wow that sounds really committing Sean’

‘It is, and that’s just the start. Once you’ve figured out the lyrics you’ve got to rehearse, and that’s pretty much the same, accept you have to stop for lunch and dinner, because you can’t really sing and eat! However finally on the last day we cracked open a bottle of champagne and had ourselves a good celebratory jolly up.’

‘Well deserved, now tell me Sean, we know that you haven’t been in the spotlight for too long though, I mean it was only a year and a half ago you won the X factor, what was your life like before then?’

‘Well it was the same as any man’s life really, I always had aspirations to be a musician but soon gave up my dreams when my Father told me I’d never make it as a musician and that I should try and find a normal job, but I kept my music going on the side. I then studied at the University of Bedfordshire and later went onto become a teacher of A level Media, at East Norfolk Sixth Form College, I met my Wife and had two wonderful children...’

‘Where are your children and wife now?’

‘Id’know somewhere in Vegas I think, but any way, that’s all I did up to the point where I applied to go on X factor.’

‘And did you enjoy your job before?’

‘No, it was bloody awful Peirce, bloody awful. Do you have any idea what it’s like working with teenagers, it’s any man’s worse nightmare, especially one of the last ones I had, he wrote a blues magazine double page spread for me and after all the help I gave him it was still c**p. But he was just plain annoying anyway, and then my wife told me to go on  X factor, so I did, and From the point Simon said ‘I kinda like you’ I knew that I had to give up teaching and continue chasing my dreams.’

‘Well it’s been great talking to you Sean, I’ll be buying your, album as soon as it comes out.’