Sean Lippin – Interview – Thanks for Asking!

Sean Lippin – Interview – Thanks for Asking! – by Liam Sweeny.

RRX: Like songs, every artist has a unique feeling about their first show. What was your first show like? Was it your best show? If not, what was your best show like?

SL: My first official show was at Coffeelabs in Tarrytown back in 2019. I played it with my buddy Will Holland aka Blues Davenport. It was the first time I put myself out in public as a solo artist playing completely original material. I put up flyers on telephone polls around town to promote it! It was exciting for me to see unexpected faces attend the gig. I worked at Trader Joe’s at the time and I told a customer who ended up coming to the show because I told them about it!

RRX: What do you think is the most poorly understood thing about music, or the music you play?

SL: The problem with music today is that the barrier to entry has become way lower so it’s devalued in a way that almost anybody who wants to do it, can. People try to make it as artists today using computer generated music and then they ride social media algorithms to build a following based on merely pressing a few buttons. There’s just so much garbage to sift through in the tundra that is the world wide web. So how does one stand out in this field? Authenticity is the answer.   

RRX: Artists, musicians, we immortalize. We set it in stone. Is there anyone who has passed that you feel you have immortalized in your work? If so, can you tell us a little about them?”

SL: Tom Petty is the answer for me. He was a phenomenal songwriter and his music captures this sunny, driving down the coast kind of vibe that I look to capture in my songwriting. I’ve really gotten into him over the last decade, once I started learning more of his catalog. Whenever I turn on one of his tracks, I picture what it must have felt like before the days of the internet, to come home from the record store, pop his work into the record player, get in the right mind set, and just let his music carry you away.

RRX: What do you think is the most dangerous song to cover from the perspective of criticism? Who do you think is too hard to cover, and why?

SL: Anything by Stevie Wonder because his voice is so unique and out of range for most male singers. Also the technicality of his songs is very challenging!

RRX: With the exception of singing, everyone has an instrument, an inanimate object that has the distinction of being a lifelong friend. Smooth or temperamental, these objects have a character. Can you tell us something special about what you play, your technique, your instrument?

SL: I used to get criticized for my singing until I took lessons and really focused on technique. Through this process, I realized that learning how to sing is like learning any other instrument. It takes coordination, a good ear, except the instrument is your entire body. There is truly so much that goes into singing that people don’t realize. A sung note can sound off just because of the way your mouth is shaped in a specific instance.

RRX: What would you like fans to know before they come to see you play?

SL: I’d like for my fans to know that my intention is to empower them. We live in a world where so many people and things try to knock you down and just tell you that you can’t be you. In my original music, I intend to convey a message that one can overcome the most challenging of obstacles, no matter what. I really focus in on writing lyrics that are relatable and have an edgy sense of humor. You can’t take life completely seriously!

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