Sean Bruce
Gig Seeker Pro

Sean Bruce

Sean, Louisiana, United States | Established. Jan 01, 2014 | SELF

Sean, Louisiana, United States | SELF
Established on Jan, 2014
Solo Folk Singer/Songwriter

Calendar

This band has not uploaded any videos
This band has not uploaded any videos

Music

Press


"The Bruce is Loose"

Q&A Interview with Times of Acadiana
Acadiana Music
Bruce is loose
Singer/songwriter Sean Bruce talks about starting out in the Acadiana music scene
by Cody Daigle
cdaigle@theadvertiser.com">cdaigle@theadvertiser.com

From the vantage point of youth, everything seems possible. Limited only by what you can imagine, you’re bounded by nothing, free to choose any path, grab any moment, achieve any reality.
It’s a perfect place, really, to make art.

Local singer-songwriter Sean Bruce is making music from that vantage point, writing songs and taking the first steps into a career in music at only 21 years old. For Bruce, it’s all about beginnings, and that wide open vista is allowing him to create deeply personal, achingly melodic songs that are at once emotionally raw and suavely cool.
It’s a potent combination, and Bruce is definitely one to watch on the local music scene.

Q&A with Sean Bruce
Sean Bruce spoke with The Times about getting started with music, finding inspiration, and what it’s like to be at the start of it all.

Times of Acadiana: How did you get started in songwriting? What was the spark that got you into music?

Sean Bruce: Oh man, I gotta think back. Well, music has been a part of my life since I was real little. We didn’t have much money growing up, but I remember when my dad asked me if I wanted to do music, and I said yes. He took me to Prof. Erney’s [guitar store] and basically asked me, “which one do you want?”

I’m thankful for that. Songwriting has always been something that I looked up to because my older brother, David, had that down. As I grew, I think that my taste in music grew. My understanding and study into music that is good made me think my stuff is good, too.

I think most people can realize that their music is good. Just turn on the radio.

ToA: What are your musical influences? Where you draw inspiration?

Bruce: I feel lost answering this, and its funny because thats where most of the inspiration in my songs come from. I’m constantly seeking and digging deeper into life. I sometimes slap myself on the hand because I wish I could be content with what life offers to me at the moment.

But this is just me; its how I am and who I am. I’m itching, and from a distance it might look like a bad thing, but I’m OK with this. I stay driven but at the same time I can find my self aware of the things that I may pass on the side.

ToA: How does a song take shape? Does it start with an idea, a bit of music?

Bruce: I will say I struggle on the songwriting part. Most of the songs I have were the ones that I describe as standing out in left field and the ball being hit right into your glove.

That’s just someone else in me that writes those songs. I wish he would stick around more often. Other than that I sit up on late nights in my country studio apartment with candles and quietness and wrap myself in the moment and see what comes out.

ToA: How much of yourself goes into a song? How do you bring your inner life and personal experiences into your work?

Bruce: Well, that’s where I try to broaden myself as a songwriter. Sure, yeah, I do throw in personal experience into my songs, which can make them very good, but take an old Indian or something telling a story. He can point at the moon make up some wacko story off the top of his head but be able to throw in a message and end up saying some real stuff. It’s just like any author or painter has to create something from blank. Songwriting is art.

ToA: In your experience, what’s it like for a singer-songwriter here in Lafayette? Is the music scene hospitable? It seems we have a lot of bands, and acoustic music and singer-songwriters are flying under the radar some. How are you making it work in Lafayette’s music scene?

Bruce: Well, there’s not much experience. I’ve only got three shows under my belt in Lafayette. I had this conversation with many people about whether the music scene is for me here in Lafayette. I don’t want to answer that yet because my run, so far, is still young.

When my music stops reaching people, that’s when I decide, yeah, the scene is not hospitable for me. So, for me, to make it work here is to constantly reach everyone, and when it’s time to go, I know I have that area of the map colored off.

ToA: Tell us about performing live. It’s one thing to write the song, but it’s another to share it with a live audience. What’s your favorite things about performing live, connecting with a live audience?

Bruce: Black. Everything is black. It’s lovely though!

My first time playing was at singer songwriter night at Bisbano’s. I was super nervous. My idea was to just drink a pint and check it out, but I ended up playing some songs and everything just went black. It’s a really awesome feeling to step away from our world and into my own world. But I’m way more relaxed now and enjoy just showing people what I’ve got to offer, whether it’s their cup of tea or not.

ToA: What’s in the near future for you and your music? Recording? More live shows? Touring?

Bruce: To completely wrap my self into songwriting. Lots of reading. Experiencing. That’s my main focus. Yeah, I want more live shows, and they will happen, and, yeah, I want a record, and that will happen. But none of that will come worthy unless I really define myself as a songwriter. I’ve only been working on this for not even a year. I have youth. So I have patience with all that.

ToA: And what’s the long term goal. What do you see for Sean Bruce five, 10 years down the road.

Bruce: Ten years puts me at 31 years old. Wow. No offense if anyone is 31. Five years puts me at 26. Yeah, I see myself still doing this at 26. It’s so fun. In other words, I try to stick to short term goals.



Originally published August 20, 2009


Read more: http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=452447815&blogId=506467134#ixzz10DeNPSX7 - The Times of Acadiana


"Dig Magazine"

“Bruce masterfully blends lyrics and instruments to tell a story and to put on a show that’s undeniably best experienced first-hand.” -


"The Times of Acadiana"

“…achingly melodic songs that are at once emotionally raw and suavely cool.” -


"David Egan - Grammy Award Winning Songwriter"

“This is truly inspired, brilliant and beautiful.” -


"The Daily Advertiser"

“And that’s the kind of musician Bruce is, which is also like his music: sincere and solid. Take his latest release.” -


"887. KRVS"

“A fabulous, fabulous songwriter!” -


"The Vermillion"

“Lyrically, Bruce is noticeably bolder, his voice a little louder, as he experiments with inspiration from around the world.” -


"99.9 KTDY"

“If you love singer/songwriters, you’ll love this singer/songwriter” -


Discography

"Daytime Hopes" - Sean Bruce
Release Date April 17, 2011

"Staring at Maps, Pt. 1" EP - Sean Bruce
Release Date: November 18, 2014

Photos

Bio

Sean Bruce is an indie folk artist from Lafayette, LA. At age 19, he resigned from the School of Music at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette to pursue songwriting and begin touring. Bruce’s early stab at intricate songwriting has won him a fan base across the region.

Sean released his debut album Daytime Hopes in April 2011. “I didn’t really have many songs when I quit school. I just felt like this was something that I wanted to do and it was the only time to do it. So, I started writing.” Since, he has toured across the southern region of the U.S. playing festivals, venues, coffee shops, and house concerts. In 2012, Sean was invited to play About.com’s “Best World Music Festival”, Festival International de Louisiane. Two weeks prior, he earned a spot on the BMI Songwriter’s Stage at French Quarter Festival in New Orleans. In 2013, he won a national songwriter competition hosted by LARABAR earning him an opening spot for Gregory Alan Isakov in Santa Barbara, California, whom happens to be Bruce’s “biggest  inspiration."

His musical influences include legends such as Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan. He combines these melodic influences with the styles of writers like Ray Bradbury and Robert Frost. Armed with an acoustic guitar and a harmonica, Bruce has a great ability to combine story and song, which has garnered credit from Grammy Award winning songwriter, David Egan: ”This is truly inspired, brilliant and beautiful."

Bruce’s new album, Staring at Maps, pt. 1, was record in 10 various locations through out south Louisiana. “I wanted to capture the honesty in these songs. Just putting a mic in front of the moment. I hope people really listen for that.” The songs he chose reflect on place and the effect it has on life. “Place could be geographically or emotionally. I think it’s the reason behind most of the decisions we make.”

Staring at Maps, pt. 1 is set to release on November 18, 2014.

Band Members