Broke-Ass Band Interview – Sean Bones

I was tipped off to this interview opportunity with Sean Bones a few weeks back through an email saying he was opening for Dr. Dog.  I love Dr. Dog, so a chance to get some nicely discounted tickets was all the incentive I needed to agree to try out new music.  But a little thing happened in this totally selfish endeavor: I gravitated towards Sean’s music and his album, Rings.  Really gravitated towards it.

Sean Bones.

The reggae-influenced Rings was the only album playing on my iPod for a week and a half.  My head moved at every listen, sometimes consciously, sometimes not, to the buoyant and catchy tracks.  For a flavor of the record, take three minutes to watch and listen to  'œTurn Them' in a stripped down form.  The song is incredible:

Sean’s music and presence is evolving, which was evident in the show at the Great American Music Hall.  Without further preamble, here is the interview.

Steven:  The story of Rings is really interesting.  There was an indie movie about Jamaica you led in, Norah Jones, and obviously, the album.  I don’t want to hit you with a rehashed question, so if you can tell us something that you’ve never told other readers before about all three, that would be great.

Sean:  Ok.  Before that, I started a fashion line/record label called S/S FRIENDS that paired hand-made seasonal clothes and musical releases. Our first “release” was a pair of swim trunks that came with a 7″ record called Easy Street, which was my first solo recording. The songs were influenced by the reggae and dub that I listen to when I’m avoiding guitar music.

Sean:  Indie movie about Jamaica: 'œWah Do Dem' it’s called. During that summer peddling swim trunks, I met Sam and Ben. They had just sorta fallen out with a lead actor and approached me about a movie they were scheduled to start shooting that week. Soon after that I was traveling on a boat from Brooklyn to the Caribbean, acting in my first movie.

From the movie.

Sean:  Norah Jones: Norah J plays the girlfriend of the character I played.

Sean:  Rings:  Musically, I started with the rocksteady feeling of Easy Street and found my vision evolving as I continued working in Jamaica.  When I got back I was lucky to get the same band – my brother Mikey on bass, Tugboat Thornton on drums and organ player Mark Phillips. We set some productiony guidelines (live, rough, funky) and worked hard to get it done quickly. No time for fussing. Different musician friends popped in and helped out, it was great. Norah even sang with me.

Steven:  Your band’s got great energy on stage, and that energy opens up your songs and provides good surprises that aren’t audible on the album.  How impulsive are those improvisations, and what effect does the crowd’s energy have on your musicianship?

Sean:  People don’t always expect us to do what we do so sometimes we gotta make little adjustments to break through that initial crossed armed ‘tude-field. In the process, the songs have taken on a life of their own. Sometimes we’ll extend parts a little bit.  I like to egg on keyboard jams.

Steven: There’s a quiet assurance to your stage presence that suggests you kind of knew all along you’d be sharing a screen with Norah Jones and that stage with Dr. Dog, and it seems like your trajectory to being a recognized and profitable artist (both making music and acting) has been steep.  At what point did you realize that success was inevitable?

Sean:  Still figuring that out. I like working and don’t do well with downtime.

Steven:  I’m assuming you’ve been living in Brooklyn for a while.  Were there budget or city struggles that you had to work through?  What kind of toll did that take on your psyche and drive?

Sean:  That’s hard to answer. It’s tricky being in a band in New York, but I like living there. I think my conflicts with city life end up fueling my creative output. The question of whether I should be somewhere else seems to creep up in a lot of what I write about. I’m afraid of what would happen if my life got easier.

Steven:  'œRhumba Beat' extends the momentum from 'œRings', but in a different direction.  Can you offer a preview of what to expect on your next album and some of the reasoning behind the musical shift?

Sean:  It’s hard to say. I like to start with a rhythmic hook first. Bass and drums gotta be good. After that I’m less concerned about whether a song sounds Jamaican or German, as long as it’s awesomer than the song before. I’m going to chill on my rules a little and let loose.

Steven:  What else is going on creatively for you?

Sean:  I played guitar on a few peoples’ albums, and I’ve been trying to join Port O’Brien. Talked to a few people about movies. Mostly I’d really like to make a new record, soon.

Steven:  Did you get into anything interesting in San Francisco after your show with Dr. Dog here (which was comprehensively incredible, by the way)?

Sean:  Thanks. I hung with this group of kids outside the show for a while. We talked about remixes, taco trucks, and Bowie. I also got to spend some time with my cousins and the Dr Dog guys. Then I got locked out of my friends house and walked around all night.

Steven:  Reading anything right now?

Sean:  This year I been reading hand-me down books from my lady’s Mom. The Glass House. I’m all Oprah book club!

Steven:  Are there any other associated (or not) ruminations that you want to offer to readers in San Francisco and New York City?

Sean: I got no ruminations dude!

There’s a few in there.  People…check out Rings and try and catch Sean Bones live.  Good music, good time.