The music we love was born some time ago, in a cotton field somewhere as people sang their sorrows and hopes. There was something spiritual in these songs, something bigger than the pain of life, something that inspired endurance. Over the years, these songs were transformed from Gospel and Blues, into Rock and Jazz, and later became every aspect of what is now called the music industry. As this transformation progressed further from its origins, it gradually began to lose the soul it was born with. The music around us became meaningless and empty, a wasteland of triviality where Gospel has been relegated as a footnote at music awards, a relic of where it all began. But things are destined to come full circle, and the time is coming for music to find its soul again. It is in this tradition that Sean Michel finds itself, a band longing for meaning in a culture struggling to do the same.
The music of Sean Michel began to be written in the summer of 2000, when Sean and longtime friend Stephen Tucker collaborated on a handful of songs. Sean would play these songs for friends and the occasional event on campus at Ouachita Baptist University where he studied Theology and Art. As graduation neared, Sean and friend Jay Newman planned to spend time in Namibia doing mission work. As a fundraiser for this trip, Sean recorded seven of these songs. The resulting disc was titled 'portraits', as each of the songs were meant to present a picture of Jesus Christ. Several hundred of these discs sold in a matter of months, and the next year, as Sean and Jay were preparing for a trip to China, it seemed only natural to print more of the same discs to fund that trip as well. It was in that summer of 2003, backpacking through the mountains of China that the vision for this music began to become clear. It was obvious that the songs were having a profound impact on people. This wasn't all that surprising considering Sean and Jay's belief that the music was not merely from human sources, since many of the songs directly quoted Scripture. There was a spiritual quality to these songs that was poignant in their conviction, and it seemed at that point only natural to allow these songs to reach as many people as possible.
After they returned, Sean and Jay set about doing what was necessary to spread the message inherent in these songs. Over the next several years, and all the way up till now, they have done just that. There have been many incredibly talented friends who have come along in the journey. All the while, Sean has continued to write more songs and continues to do what is necessary to allow these songs to connect with people. It has become apparent over time that this will be a life long pursuit. This passion for Truth through music is not something that can be communicated well through the fleeting hype of next-big-things or fad-of-the-minute popular singles. No, Sean Michel is in it for the long haul, and intends to make music that will last.
The songs of Sean Michel are not meant for a market or genre. They are simply an attempt to find meaning through music in the same place the music we love first found its meaning: the Gospel. Their music presents the listener with equal parts reality and Truth, driven by deep emotion and conviction. These songs are meant to attack the evils in this world, while also inspiring hope, simultaneously piercing the heart and uplifting the spirit.