WW: Hey Sean, welcome to WildWritings.com! How are you?
SW: I am doing really well. Incredibly busy!
WW:Tell us about your childhood in New York. Did music always
play an important role in your life?
SW: Growing up in NYC is a bit strange in retrospect but I loved it
and would not have changed it for the world. I was exposed to all
sorts of people, cultures and music at a young age, so I have
always loved all sorts of music. I started singing early on in school
in the school plays and choir and just never stopped! The amount
of music & art in NYC is just amazing; you are surrounded by it, so it
never occurred to me that a career in the arts might be an unusual
or unwise choice. tee hee
WW:When did you know you wanted to become a singer?
SW: I think I was about 9 or 10 and I would sing my tent to sleep
in summer camp. yes, they even asked me to:) I think from that
point on it was in my blood!
WW: Who were your musical influences while growing up?
SW: My parents listened to all sorts of music, but my dad loved jazz, so I got into Ella Fitzgerald & Billie Holiday. On the other side, they also were listening to Bonnie Raitt, The Beatles, Janice Joplin & Linda Ronstadt. I loved that stuff & never stopped loving it! I was awed by the soul in Bonnie Raitt's voice and spent hours singing along with her music! I then got into funk & soul and not till much later did I find harder rock which I now really enjoy!
WW: When did you write your first song? What was it about?
SW: hmmmmm I started writing poetry first. Then in high school I joined the school jazz combo. We were doing all sorts of old jazz and then a bunch of more fusion type stuff - wild for a 14 year old! But, there was a teacher who played jazz piano and he loved to improvise. I started to scat along with him and then I just started making up songs on the spot while we were playing. I wouldn't really remember them; they would be new each time we performed. I actually did a show for the entire school just improvising. I sort of remember my first song was something about a nun on roller skates..... I was about 15.
WW: Where do you draw the inspiration from to create music?
SW: I draw inspiration from my own life experiences both good and bad. I try to step beyond the relationship songs though those always come up:) I also spend a lot of time in my car driving in Los Angeles and see lots of things going on around the city. I write about people and things that I see; I just make the story continue on! Then I call my home phone and sing my idea into my answering machine so I will remember it! I like to write about the good and the bad and how you can usually find humor in even the rotten stuff!
WW: Why did you move to LA? Do you ever miss NYC?
SW: I moved to LA because I had a bunch of friends in music out here & NYC was a bit scary for a young naive girl like me. I kept running into some shady stuff in New York, so I headed out to Los Angeles. I got into a bunch of bands right away and have not stopped since. It was my form of college. I sand with funk bands, country rock bands, heavy metal bands and top 40 bands. I miss NY so much but I need lotso cash to live there again!
WW: Your music has been featured in numerous television shows including MTV's Undressed. Where SW: was your music featured that made you the most surprised?
I have a political/social statement sort of tune called, "Jane & The Goats". It's an older tune of mine with a band called Vynil. It was placed up in a sex scene in a movie called, "God, Sex & Apple Pie". SOmehow my political statement got a bit lost. I was quite surprised but the director felt it was a perfect tune for that scene. I was very happy to have it in a movie:)
WW: You have released several independent albums. What album has been the most personal to you and why?
SW: I think my 2nd solo release is the most personal. All 4 have different elements of me, but the 2nd one, "Next Time Around", was released around the time I was really discovering myself again in life and going thru a time of growth in my career and in my relationships. I had some difficult relationships & you can hear it in the CD!
WW: What are your plans for the future; where can we catch you?
SW: I am working on a new CD with my band, so we will be getting out and about. I tour a lot as a solo artist or as a duo, but the band will be getting out more now! I am also focusing on writing tunes that could go to film, TV, or even other artists. In addition, I am touring with a play by the name of, "Sordid Lives", so I will be around the country through the end of this year doing all sorts of shows! I will be in Chicago, Michigan, Dallas, Nashville, Ft Lauderdale, and all over California! Come on out and heckle me!
WW: Thanks Sean! Best of luck to you.
SW: Thank you!!!!!!!!!
