Sean Patrick

Making the change from playing metal music to folk/blues is a big jump, but none have done it better than local musician Sean Patrick, who is days away from launching his debut EP.
Hi Sean, thanks for making some time for Forte, how are you and what are you up to at the moment?
I’m doing great thank you, I just got my CDs in the mail ready for my launch which is one more thing ticked off the list!
It’s not long until your EP launch on June 4, how are you feeling ahead of the date?
It’s come around so quick, I’m still catching my breath but I’m growing very comfortable with the chaos of doing things on my own now! I’m really looking forward to the show and can’t wait to show everyone what I’ve been working on in my metaphorical cave.
And how long have you been working up to release your debut? 
Back in December 2014 I was offered a spot to play at a private house show on Valentine’s Day. I’d been reinvigorating my passion with the acoustic in early 2014 and working hard on my finger style playing since then. I decided to take to it and work on vocals to accompany the singer/songwriter tag, so it was pretty much two months, every night after my 8-5 working paradigm spent writing, practising and honing in on what has lead me to the direction I passionately follow now.
What can we expect from the EP? 
I wanted to incorporate a unique blues/finger style approach to the guitar work, focusing on groove and songs that felt right to me. I’ve taken influences from so many great blues and folk artists, locally and worldwide which has combined into something I’m really proud of. So it’s five original songs, all quite diverse but all incorporate a groove, or a hook to give the EP a cohesive backbone.
We can’t help but ask, why the change from playing in metal band Empires Fall to pursuing a solo blues/folk career? 
I’ve always known that I’d follow back to the blues one day! It was just a matter of when and how. I grew up listening to all the classics like Clapton and Knoplfer through my parents fortunate music tastes.
Have you been enjoying it so far? 
It’s been very refreshing. I had to do a lot of research into all aspects of it especially guitar, testing myself with new techniques and all those sort of technicalities which has been so rewarding. I’m really ambitious for the next phase of this!
We saw that you paid your respects to the legend B.B. King who recently passed away, was he a big inspiration on your music? 
Whether people realise it or not I think B.B King has created generations of musical impact – small and large – which have transcended into others and into the music we hear today. It’s a beautiful thing because the crux of what he did will never die. He was an originator and a powerhouse and I’ve certainly taken and continue to take a lot of influence from him.
Given you were in the metal scene, was blues/folk music something that was always in the background for you? Was there a reason why you didn’t start straight out with that genre? 
I guess when you go to school with metal heads you usually end up playing metal! So when I showed up to school in Year 7 wanting to be Angus Young that quickly took a gateway into the Death Metal scene through friends. I loved the times shared, mates made all around Australia and the music we created but it was definitely time for me to head back to my roots.
Has it helped having a friend like Alister Turrill, who’s so heavily into blues, as you made your transition? 
I don’t think I could’ve transitioned into this without his guidance and influence to be honest. I’m not sure to what extent he knows that but he’s been pivotal in the start of this journey. I’ve made this interview sound like a love diary for Al now. He’s also playing and singing on one of my tracks off of the EP where he’s my June Carter and I’m his Johnny Cash.
Thanks again for having the chat, anything you’d like to add? Final words of wisdom? 
Thanks so much! Loving the music community of Geelong and can’t wait to see it grow further with the opening of new, great venues.
When & Where: EP Launch @ Beav’s Bar, Geelong – June 4
Release: Paradigm EP will be available as a hard copy from June 4, digitally from June 7