An interview with The Seshen ahead of their Bristol show
Posted on: 02 Mar 2017The Seshen are a San Francisco Bay Area-based six-piece led by singer Lalin St. Juste (pictured, below) and bassist Akiyoshi Ehara (above, second left) and they spoke to 365 Bristol ahead of their first ever gig in the city this month.
The Seshen are about to embark on a European tour (3rd March onwards) where they will be performing music from their latest album Flames & Figures and they will be at The Louisiana on Saturday the 11th of March. Their sound combines synthesizers, drum machines, live percussion and harmonies and they have been described as melding R&B, synth-pop and electronic.
Tell us about your new single - what is it about?
Lalin: "'Colors Collide' is about a quest. I'm seeking to move from all I've come to know and search for greater truth beyond me, beyond time and space - yet somewhere within. Perhaps in this next place I can be free and not bound to the social constructs that have defined me. There is so much more to our experience and existence in this world, but we have to be willing to break down to the walls to discover what's behind them. In terms of production, we wanted to pay homage to Broadcast, one of our favorite bands from Birmingham in England."
Tell us about your latest album, Flames and Figures, which was two years in the making; what do you want people to take from it?
L: "I want people to take whatever it is they need from it. For example, I've had a few women come up to me to tell me how it inspires them within their own sense of womanhood. Others have said it keeps them sane in such a chaotic world. Whether it's reflection, inspiration, sanity, or something to get down to and sweat it out, there are a multitude of ways to interact with the music and that's what's so special about being an artist."
You are performing in Bristol on the 11th of March in your first ever European tour. Have you been to Bristol before? What do you know about it?
Akiyoshi: "We have never been to Bristol before. We are really excited to have the opportunity to play in the city and share our music with a new audience. I don't know a ton about Bristol but I am a big fan of many of the bands that have come from there, such as Portishead, Massive Attack and Black Roots. I'm looking forward to getting a closer look at the music scene."
What are your plans for after the European tour?
A: "We are planning to write our next record as well as continue to play a bit more around the US. We will be playing a few festivals when we get back home, which will be a fun way to reach a new audience. We also hope to make another European tour happen in the near future!"
Do you have any goals that you want to achieve in your music that you haven't yet?
A: "I've been feeling a lot of gratitude about our musical path thus far and feel extremely lucky to be taking our music to audiences overseas. I think my main hope is that we continue to reach more people as we grow as a band."
What are the challenges that face musicians today?
A: "I think many of the artists operating today have taken on a lot of roles that had been traditionally handed off to record labels. Because there is less money in the music industry than in years past, a lot of musicians now have to be savvy about every aspect of the industry including booking, promoting, music production, social media, press etc... On the one hand, the amount of control that emerging artists have over their content is really exciting and liberating, but on another, it is a lot of work and creates a lot of pressure that can distract from creativity. We are lucky enough to be at a point where we are on a label with management (Tru Thoughts, Direct Input Management) which allows us creative control while helping us move forward and build our audience."
The Seshen upcoming single 'Colors Collide' is out on 10th March. Grab tickets for their Louisiana show, which comes the next day, here.
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Kelly worked as a journalist for the BBC for 12 years before she changed careers and went into the field of marketing. Having worked at BBC 6 Music for several years, she is passionate about many different genres of sound. Her other interests include theatre, comedy, books, food and days out with the family (she has a young daughter who she describes as a "whirlwind of fun.") Kelly is married to Vik who is a true Bristolian to the core! She is also studying nutritional therapy.
