Meet Sean Anthony Sullivan | Singer-Songwriter, Musician, Recording Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sean Anthony Sullivan and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sean Anthony, what is the most important factor behind your success?
Success often gets looked at as some sort of measuring stick or destination. For me, being successful is not about accolades, numbers, or reaching some certain “level,” but rather about keeping genuine to myself with a constant appreciation for this pursuit—enjoying each step I take and relationship I make along the way. So the progress I’ve made is really a result of that authenticity, not straying from my reason for doing this, as well as the constant passion and sweat that I put into the music. I want my music to be the soundtrack for someone who is working on a project car in their garage or enjoying a cruise around the lake on a summer evening. I think keeping that goal and focus on the forefront, combined with an insatiable hunger for growing musically and meeting new audiences, is what has been propelling things forward.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
As a songwriter and performer, I aim to be a torchbearer for rock ‘n’ roll. I describe my music as “Bob Seger helping The Wallflowers work on their muscle car.” With plenty of guitar riffs and a raspy voice, I embrace the idea of throwing a West Coast vibe on top of a tough Midwest backdrop, all while doing a little genre-bending; but at the end of the day it’s all rock ‘n’ roll.

So what sets my sound apart? Well, there’s plenty of amazing rock music out there, but, as the great Keith Richards once said, “Everyone talks about rock these days; the problem is they forget about the roll.” There was a moment when I first heard guitar through an amplifier at a concert and saw how that combined with a certain kind of attitude and swagger. I was already hooked before then, but it was at that moment, with that visceral reaction, that I connected how important that swagger is to the sound. That emphasis on the roll has really become part of our trademark sound. As a band, we work to make sure there’s a certain groove going on that involuntarily makes you want to move and feels what’s happening.

Rewinding on the band a little bit, after living on the West Coast and putting out records for many years, I recently returned home to Michigan. Since then, my band—Casey DeMott on bass and Luke Lindsay on drums—and I have been hitting the recording studio and playing shows around the state. I’m really excited by the response we’ve received to what we’re doing on stage. The reception of our recordings has been phenomenal as well, with growing popularity on all of the streaming music platforms as well as some regional airplay on terrestrial radio.

Of all that, the most exciting to me has been the relationships we’ve been making. There are so many incredible music fans and musicians right here in the state of Michigan! To us, nothing is more enjoyable than getting out and meeting them, whether that means chatting with someone about their favorite music or sharing a stage with another artist.

We view our live shows as a celebration of rock ‘n’ roll. Rife with originals, we also interleave familiar tunes in the form of medleys or straight up covers to help build out the evening where the audience can really get into it in a soulful, raucous, and memorable fashion. The best moments are when the crowd starts singing along and we decide to repeat a chorus because everyone is just having a blast. After all, we all go to see live music because we want to immerse ourselves in something to escape a tough workweek or the stresses of daily life.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
To get the Michigan experience my way, I would say they need to visit in late Spring. On day one, I’d pick them up at the Detroit airport and head right downtown. We’d time it such where the Tigers would be playing in the afternoon and the Red Wings would be in a playoff game in the evening. Of course, between games we’d grab some Detroit pizza, which is the best pizza in the world. The next day, we’d head straight for the “Up North” experience, driving to Mackinaw City, hitting the island for a few hours, before shooting over to Traverse City and taking in the beauty there. The next day would be nothing but beach time around the Holland area, of course stopping into the breweries along the way to imbibe. After that, it would all culminate in getting back to Lansing. We’d walk around Michigan State University’s campus and have lunch on the patio at the Peanut Barrel. And then we’d pop into Elderly Instruments to check out guitars before heading to Mac’s Bar for an evening of live music.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
This musical journey I’ve been on has truly been lifelong, and so many people along the way have had impacts. Anyone who pursues something creative knows that it’s a lot of peaks and valleys and when you’re not surrounded by the right people, it becomes exponentially harder to keep pushing. In no way is any of this a solo pursuit and I could name many names who have given me breaks or been supportive, but in the interest of succinctness I’ll shoutout two people. For me, my wife Rebecca has been a constant driving force in this for almost two decades. When I met her, she knew how big a part of me this was and from day one has been my biggest advocate and supporter. Whether taking road trips with me to go buy gear for the studio or running cameras for filming I’m doing, she’s long been my number one supporter, sounding board, and fan. My daughter is additionally right there in my corner, making it to shows or joining in on jam sessions to keep the music going in our household. Casey DeMott, who plays bass with me, has been a musical collaborator of mine since we were kids—something like 30 years or so. We’ve spent countless hours playing, writing, and recording music. Late nights spent doing anything from digging in on tone concepts or getting inspired listening to records. Again, there’s so many more that I’m eternally grateful to but we’ll leave it there for now.

Website: https://www.seananthonysullivan.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seananthonysullivan/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seananthonysullivan

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@seananthonysullivan

Other: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1yYlSqI5yF5KEGXzNOTzM6 Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/sean-anthony-sullivan/780047175