Music Interviews
Sean's halfway through his album project
Sean's 12-month record challenge
By Will Parry
Creative talent Sean Wright has experienced it all, from managing a Swedish girl rock band to writing six children's novels - but it's his current project of recording an album a month for a year which he's finding the most challenging.
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A King's Lynn singer-songwriter has embarked upon the seemingly impossible. Sean Wright is releasing an album a month for a year and it's a project which has led him to team up with a Pakistani star.
Pakistani pop star Najam Sheraz
As he approaches the six-month mark of what he calls a "crazy" campaign, the primary school teacher, musician and novelist told me he expects to complete his challenge of releasing 12 albums in 12 months.
It will result in 144 songs, and is an effort which Sean - who lives in West Winch - believes has never been achieved before.
"John Frusciante from the Red Hot Chili Peppers is the only person that I have heard of that has tried it, but he stopped at six months' worth of material - the stage I'm at now," he said.
Spreading the word
The website MySpace has helped to generate interest in Sean's project as it has allowed him to put his music on the internet for free for people to listen to and download.
"I'm getting 300 to 500 plays on there a day, which is great," he said.
It was through MySpace that Sean - who is in his forties - was contacted by one of Asia's biggest pop stars, Najam Sheraz, who called his songwriting "awesome".
The two began collaborating in May, penning new material for an album project, and Sheraz invited Sean on his world tour, but he had to decline due to his family and teaching commitments at North Wootton Primary.
Sean performs in Trafalgar Square
"The whole opportunity came after having played together this July at the historical Pakistani Festival in Trafalgar Square," said Sean.
The event marked the 60th Anniversary of Independence for Pakistan, and as well as being watched by a crowd of 12,000 people, it was also aired live to more than 100 million people worldwide via Pakistani television network GEO TV.
"The album a month thing has created a lot of interest," said Sean of his solo venture.
"I write and record all the tracks myself. I put down the guitar and vocals first, and then record the drum and bass parts, and then re-record the guitar and vocals again separately afterwards."
He has thousands of songs in his back catalogue, but 70 per cent of the tracks being used on these albums are new ones.
"The albums vary in style from acoustic, folk, rock, right the way through to pop."
Sean now prefers to listen to pop-rock and melodic bands such as Snow Patrol and The Kooks after being brought up on punk.
The way he has gone about tackling the challenge has been to record each album a month before its release, meaning he can get a month ahead and allow time for any setbacks.
Book break
Sean's album challenge was brought about following his success as a children's novelist.
The cover of Sean's first novel
In 2003 Sean released his first book, Jesse Jameson And The Golden Glow, which has now turned into a collection of six fantasy novels.
His first book was read cover to cover - for five hours - on the BBC Radio's Big Read-a-thon, while in July 2004 the Book And Magazine Collector named Sean as one of 15 of the most collectable modern children's author's alive today, along with JK Rowling, and Philip Pullman.
Three of Sean's other short stories were nominated for the British Fantasy Award for excellence in fantasy, horror, and sci-fi writing.
The royalties allowed him to invest in some home recording equipment - and is the latest instalment in a life which has been punctuated by his passion for music.
Starting out
Sean has had a long career in music and has met and worked with some of its most influential figures, after first picking up a guitar aged eight and "plonking around".
At 14, Sean - who grew up in Peterborough and Wisbech - joined his first band and began writing proper songs.
"Back in those days gigs were easy to get, so I was playing between three and four nights a week," he said.
The young rock 'n' roller
He then moved to London where he played in pubs and clubs while recording songs at Peer-Southern Music publishing house, the same studio where The Rolling Stones recorded some of their hits.
While there he rubbed shoulders with Liam Sternberg, an American songwriter best known for penning The Bangles' Walk Like An Egyptian.
Sean also co-wrote songs with Hollywood hit-maker Kim Fowley, who later went on to write tracks and produce for top rock acts including Van Halen, Nirvana, and Sonic Youth.
Inspiring times
Back in 1976 Sean became inspired while working with Steve Lillywhite, who later produced for acts including Morrissey, Talking Heads and U2.
Lillywhite once said to Sean: "London is a place where you can get into some strange situations."
This advice led to Sean's band, International Heroes, releasing their 1978 debut single Strange Situation, which was acclaim in the UK press and received airplay on Radio 1.
The band - fronted by Sean - have since been credited in the Encyclopaedia Of British Heavy Metal as one of the forerunners of the 1980s power-pop movement.
Billy Idol even picked one of Sean's songs for selection on his Rebel Yell album although it didn't make the final 12 tracks from the 15 that had been recorded.
Putting his personal music career on hold, Sean went on to co-manage the all-girl Swedish band, Ice Age, voted Best Female Group in the World 1989/1990 by Kerrang! magazine readers.
Swedish four-piece Ice Age
He co-produced and directed their video Instant Justice and co-ordinated their sell-out European tour, in which the band sold out London's Marquee Club, The Hippodrome, and Astoria.
Back to study
After 20 years of living the rock 'n' roll lifestyle, Sean began to calm his creative interests and headed to university to gain his degree.
"I did it all backwards really," he said. "This break gave me some time to think."
He had always enjoyed poetry and writing from a young age so decided to write books.
But with six months and six releases to go, all of Sean's energies are focused on his music.
He is determined to complete the project and compares it to a memorable scene in the Hollywood blockbuster Forrest Gump.
"You know the bit where he just starts running and running, well that's kind of what I feel like with these albums," he said. "I might just keep going and going until I want to stop."
early experiences
Sean T. Wright
Swedish four-piece Ice Age
He co-produced and directed their video Instant Justice and co-ordinated their sell-out European tour, in which the band sold out London's Marquee Club, The Hippodrome, and Astoria.
Back to study
After 20 years of living the rock 'n' roll lifestyle, Sean began to calm his creative interests and headed to university to gain his degree.
"I did it all backwards really," he said. "This break gave me some time to think."
He had always enjoyed poetry and writing from a young age so decided to write books.
But with six months and six releases to go, all of Sean's energies are focused on his music.
He is determined to complete the project and compares it to a memorable scene in the Hollywood blockbuster Forrest Gump.
"You know the bit where he just starts running and running, well that's kind of what I feel like with these albums," he said. "I might just keep going and going until I want to stop."
SEAN T WRIGHT - EARLY EXPERIENCES
By Don Campau for the LIVING ARCHIVE OF UNDERGOUND MUSIC | 27 October 2011
Veteran English singer-songwriter Sean T. Wright has been recording since the 1970’s, Sean exemplifies the true home recording spirit by giving away ALL of his music for free. Many solo and collaborative albums are available at his web site.
Do you remember your first tape trade, and how did you find people to trade with?
I think it was early 1974. I’d just formed my first band with my school buddies. I played in a lot of local bands during the mid to late 70s. We made recordings of our live gigs and many of our rehearsals, just to crit our performances really. But other band guys and a handful of enthusiastic fans (kids we’d gone to school with) used to trade tapes with other musicians in the local pub and clubs. So it was very local and rural – East Anglia.
How about your first home recording experience on a multi track deck?
In 1976 I got my first experience of a TEAC reel to reel 4 track. The jump up from recording directly onto a little portable cassette (stereo) to bouncing tracks on the 4 track was awesome, a revelation to me. I had so many ideas floating around in my head. II was desperate to get them down on tape – so the 4 track really liberated me. I remember thinking: this is it! This actually sounds good. My first proper album CARCASS was recorded on it and released on cassette in ’76. It’s a free download now on my website www.seantwright.com – I used to listen nightly to the John Peel BBC One Radio Show in the UK, and would compare the quality of the songs with my own. I still wasn’t 100% happy with the sound quality of CARCASS.
So the next year I worked in construction as a labourer, digging holes in the ground with a Jackhammer, 7 days a week, all the hours I could get. I eventually got together enough money to buy pro studio time in a happening new wave/punk studio called Spaceward, recording my first single, released in 1978 on 45rpm vinyl, called “Strange Situation.” I sent it to John Peel and he played it a lot in 79 and 80 on his show in the UK. The NME, Sounds, and Melody Maker reviewed it. Max Bell of the NME raved about it in his DIY Artists section, writing “extremely creditable D.I.Y independent. Wright is an enigma worth popularising. His A-side offering ‘Strange Situation’ comes replete with straight ahead hard rock vocal punch and well-played instrumental expertise (uncredited). Over the edge is his ambition. The reverse ‘Silent Dreams’ is more enterprising, acoustic buildings tumble towards an electric style both inventive and hinting at a bright future. Information required from this unusual and potentially solid purveyor of crunchy biscuits.”
As you can imagine, at 19 years of age, I was elated!